A Lesson Learned: Winners play to win (PGA.com)
February 28, 2010
Ricky Fowlers decision to lay up on the pivotal 15th hole proved to be quite costly. (photo: Getty Images)
Fenway Park was transposed to the desert enclosing the most raucous par three in the world. Once again the sixteenth hole at the Phoenix Open did not disappoint. However, unbeknownst to the majority of the thirty thousands screamin fans, the turning point of the week took place on the hole prior.
So answer this one golf fans, what do Tim Clark (2010 Bob Hope), Michael Sim (2010 Farmers Insurance Classic), and Rickie Fowler (2010 Phoenix Open) now all have in common? They have all trailed the lead by one shot on the back nine of the final round, and they all laid up on reachable par fives coming down the stretch. Oh, and they also all lost by one. This is becoming a course management trend which defies golf logic in my opinion. Players are forgetting why they are in the last group and what got them there, making birdies and eagles! When you are trailing by one on a reachable par five there is no decision to make. It is a mandatory go!
Let's look at this past week. On hole no. 15, with water twenty yards short of the green, Rickie Fowler layed up from 230 yards out. Fowler can bomb it as a young twenty-one year old, this was very reachable for him. To compound matters, he hit to an in-between yardage, missed the green with his third shot and needed to get up and in for just a par. He never gave himself a chance at birdie!
Consider the other scenario. Say he hits his second shot in the water. He could drop to a yardage of his choice and still get up and down for par. This also gives him a chance for the much better flip side, one where he flags a three iron, makes eagle and goes on to win the tournament. Think about the number-one player in the world. What would he have done? In fact, think of any of the top twenty golfers in the world. They all would have gone for it. Why? Because they all know how to win tournamnets, to take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves, and this was one of those opportunities.
Golf is all about second guessing, second chances and learning from your mistakes. There is no doubt Ricky Fowler will be multiple PGA Tour winner, we are just going to have to see what he has learned from his past experiences.
As for the tournament, congratulations to Hunter Mahan. He certainly earned his second PGA Tour win, shooting bogey free golf – and consecutive 65s – on the weekend to win. But this week's A Lesson Learned is more about being aware of your situation and playing to win, not laying up safe when the tournament is in your grasp.
Greg Enholm is the PGA Head Golf Professional of The Resort at Red Hawk in Sparks, Nevada. He teaches a wide varied of skill levels from beginning golfers to the most accomplished players. He has been very active with the PGA of America and his local PGA Section, taking part in the Play Golf America campaign and as a member of the PGA Presidential Council. He has played in one PGA TOUR event and was a four-year letterman on New Mexico State University's men's golf team as well as First Team All-Conference member. Greg can be contacted via e-mail at genholm@resortatredhawk.com or through the resort's website www.resortatredhawk.com.
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