Okay, here is a place for the Golfers to talk about tournaments, clubs, swing help or thoughts.
Today is the Players Championship, which I think ought to be the 5th Major. Largest pot in the PGA. The daunting 17th, which seems to bring excitement every year. At least we will get to see Sergio blow up yet again.
Originally Posted by BWillie:
I'm afraid Rory has the choke gene like I do. When I was a junior golfer I lost countless tournaments by missing 2 to 4 foot putts on the final holes. The anxiety just builds up and I just fail. Hands start to shake. Palms sweaty. Putter stroke becomes jagged. Maybe next time he should have a couple beers after the turn.
I grew up next to a shitty public course that had no watered fairways, no range, and no teaching pro. I started out jumping the fence with a set of Gene The Machine Litler's I the pulled out of the pump house. My dad who was a golfer jumped the fence with me one day and I think he was a little surprised I could hit it at 11/12 years old. Since I had no teaching pro I talked him into sending me to some golf camps. I really didn't learn much at those but I did get to pound balls which I still love to do. Anyway all those camps have a tournament the last day. The last year I went to a camp I was 15 and it was the best one. The USGA Jr Golf School at Boca Raton West. It was run by Gary Wiren who used to be the Editor of Golf Digest. So I'm playing in the tournament at the end and the kid from Horton Smith GC got it around pretty good that day. On the last hole which was a par 5 I had a short birdie putt to finish up my round. I had no idea it was for the win but I missed it. When I missed it I let go of my putter and put my hands on the sides of my head in disbelief. As my putter fell over it landed on my ball. I tapped in for what would have been a par and a tie for 1st. When I told the guy keeping my score I said that's a 6. It's golf so you have to call penalties on yourself, that's just the way it is. Gary Wiren was standing on the side of the green watching and as i walked off the green he asked what my put was for and what score did I make and I told him I made a six because my putter landed on my ball. He was impressed that I new the rule and that I called it on myself. So we have the last meeting that night and they give out trophies and various awards. I received the Sportsmanship Award because I called the penalty on myself. That's one trophy you never really want to win. Especially like that. Makes me want to puke thinking about it. I've always thought that had I made that putt for birdie my golf career would have been decidedly different. As it was it put me behind the 8 ball at an early age and I just never really overcame it confidence wise. I've won a decent match or two in my life and won a few tournaments here and there when I got older in what I'd call weak fields. I did make a straight down hill two footer for a win once so I didn't always choke but alas, what could have been. [Reply]