As I write this article, I am waiting for the playoff holes to start at the 2025 Players Championship. Currently, JJ Spaun and Rory McIlroy are preparing to tee it up in a three hole playoff. Given the current world standings and past history, McIlroy should be the odds on favourite. However, I have played in a couple playoff of a golf tournaments where it was sudden death – one I lost and one I won. I used two different approaches that produced two different results. Both were learning experiences and my golf game was better for the opportunities to test my game under pressure.
Continue readingThe Players Championship
What I Learned From 2022 Players Championship
Although The Players Championship is not a Major in golf, it sure can create the excitement and heartbreak of one. As I watched the play over the weekend, I realized that professional golfers have the same challenges as amateurs when challenging conditions are present. And since last Thursday, the weather created the environment where doubles, triples and quads were not a surprise. Having said this, I did learn three things that make me feel much better about my game.
Continue readingLee Westwood – On Top Of the Golfing World
For anyone who follows the comings and goings of professional golf, Lee Westwood’s name pops up from time to time. Over the years, he has demonstrated his ability to play to level golf only to quietly fade into the background. With 44 world wide wins to his credit and 10 Ryder Cup appearances, Westwood is a well known name in golf circles. Yet until recently, he was in the background where he was given some token recognition with no real expectations from any of the fans. Now, he is on top of the golfing world and our expectations have risen exponentially as we wait to see what he does next.
Continue readingNever Stop Grinding During A Challenging Round
As I watched the final round of The Players Championship, I was reminded of an important lesson about playing competitive golf. As Lee Westwood struggled in most areas of his game, he demonstrated a moxie that should inspire most players. I watched him hit poor shots, then respond with clutch recovery shots. He hit his ball into the pond or a sand trap only to respond by working his magic to reduce the damage. Westwood showed that as a professional golfer, actually any golfer, it is important to never stop grinding during a challenging round.
Continue readingUnforced Errors In Golf
When I was watching The Players Championship on the weekend, congrats to Justin Thomas on the win, I was impressed by the stellar play. Conversely, I watched some challenging shots that I thought could have been avoided. Regardless of what I think, the roller coaster round is a natural thing for most golfers as we accept wayward shots as part of the game. Yet, I was a bit concerned by one of the announcers who stated that one of the players just committed and unforced error!
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The Grateful Golfer 