Watching the US Open is great for all of us humans that play golf. We get to watch the best in the world sometimes look like a 12 handicap. We all get frustrated at times with our own games and so do tour players playing a golf course like Oakmont. Most of us feel frustrated at a normal golf course. So what are the takeaways that can help us improve.
Putting and Chipping are still very important
Putting at the US Open on those greens is a test of anyone’s patience. Players on very fast greens were putting defensively. Tour players rarely play it safe with a ten foot down hill birdie put, but they did. The greatest putter on tour Jordan Speith had a 4 put on Sunday! You must focus on speed more than your line. Although their greens were very sloped and super fast we can learn from these great players. Trying to make the ball go in the hole should not be your main focus in putting, yes I typed that. You need to control your speed and you will make more puts. Remember, a good put is not necessarily one that goes in the hole. A good put is one that starts on your intended line with the proper speed.
Chipping, Pitching and Bunker shots also play a big role in your scoring. Most of the players in the field that played on the weekend hit around 57% of the greens. This would indicate that if you hope to shoot around par you better be getting the shots that missed the green up and down for par pretty regularly. Most amateurs tell me they are pretty good at chipping and putting and not so great at bunker play. I would say that from 1 – 10 most amateurs I play golf with are about a 3 out of 10 on shots from around the green. Check you stats next time you play and see how often you get the ball in the hole from off the green in 2 shots. Spend a little time practicing you’re chipping, pitching and bunkers shots. Odd are that you miss 9 or more greens per round. If you can hit the chip or pitch shot into a 15 foot circle and make half of those putts what would your score be?
Your attitude does make a huge difference
Never underestimate how much your attitude effects your game. Don’t let your whining, complaining, feeling picked on, its not fair self talk make your score higher. Even the best players get bad attitudes when things don’t go their way especially during a US Open. It is not always easy to keep a good attitude but it is important.
A rare example of this happened to me in a tournament on Saturday at Indian Wells CC. We played in a shotgun tournament for our Open. I hit my tee shot on a par three into a fried egg in the bunker, double bogey then three putted the next hole for bogey. I heard from my group, “I guess it is going to be one of those days.’ I said, “how can two holes make the entire day.” I then played the next 5 holes in 6 under, lucky!
Had I started to pout I doubt I would have recovered very well. Don’t let your last bad shot cause your next bad shot. Sometimes you can hit a good shot and still make a big number. The key is during the round of golf not to let your mental game work against you. “Past performance is not an indication of future performance”, someone smart said that. If the best players in the world can look silly during a round of golf so can we. They may be better players than us by can’t we have as good or better mental game?
Driving is not just for show
Dustin Johnson not only hit the ball far but he hit it accurate. He averaged an amazing 2.4 shot advantage over the field each day from driving the ball. He gained 9.6 strokes better than the field for the tournament and won by 4 or 5, ask the USGA? Here are the driving distance stats per round;
| Rank | Pos | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
| 1 | 1 | Dustin Johnson | 320.50 | 317.00 | 314.00 | 315.50 | 316.75 |
| 2 | T32 | Justin Thomas | 301.50 | 301.50 | 316.00 | 314.00 | 308.25 |
| 3 | T23 | Jon Rahm (a) | 317.00 | 296.00 | 305.00 | 307.50 | 306.38 |
| 4 | T15 | Brendan Steele | 304.50 | 292.00 | 303.00 | 319.00 | 304.62 |
| 5 | T5 | Sergio Garcia | 302.00 | 300.00 | 305.00 | 305.00 | 303.00 |
| 6 | T51 | Bubba Watson | 299.50 | 300.00 | 310.00 | 302.00 | 302.88 |
| 7 | T5 | Branden Grace | 289.50 | 301.00 | 297.50 | 317.50 | 301.38 |
Here are the driving accuracy stats; Shane Lowry how led the tournament until the back nine is T6 in this stat.
| ank | Pos | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
| 1 | T54 | Andrew Johnston | 12 / 14 = 85.71% | 13 / 14 = 92.86% | 11 / 14 = 78.57% | 8 / 14 = 57.14% | 44 / 56 = 78.57% |
| 2 | 67 | Justin Hicks | 11 / 14 = 78.57% | 12 / 14 = 85.71% | 9 / 14 = 64.29% | 11 / 14 = 78.57% | 43 / 56 = 76.79% |
| T3 | T18 | Sung Kang | 10 / 14 = 71.43% | 9 / 14 = 64.29% | 11 / 14 = 78.57% | 10 / 14 = 71.43% | 40 / 56 = 71.43% |
| T3 | T18 | Graeme McDowell | 10 / 14 = 71.43% | 11 / 14 = 78.57% | 9 / 14 = 64.29% | 10 / 14 = 71.43% | 40 / 56 = 71.43% |
| 5 | T32 | Rafa Cabrera Bello | 9 / 14 = 64.29% | 11 / 14 = 78.57% | 9 / 14 = 64.29% | 10 / 14 = 71.43% | 39 / 56 = 69.64% |
| T6 | T37 | Jason Kokrak | 9 / 14 = 64.29% | 9 / 14 = 64.29% | 9 / 14 = 64.29% | 11 / 14 = 78.57% | 38 / 56 = 67.86% |
| T6 | T2 | Shane Lowry | 7 / 14 = 50.00% | 9 / 14 = 64.29% | 12 / 14 = 85.71% | 10 / 14 = 71.43% | 38 / 56 = 67.86% |
| T6 | T57 | Lee Slattery | 9 / 14 = 64.29% | 14 / 14 = 100.00% | 9 / 14 = 64.29% | 6 / 14 = 42.86% | 38 / 56 = 67.86% |
| T6 | T23 | Charl Schwartzel | 9 / 14 = 64.29% | 12 / 14 = 85.71% | 10 / 14 = 71.43% | 7 / 14 = 50.00% | 38 / 56 = 67.86% |
| T10 | T8 | Jason Dufner | 7 / 14 = 50.00% | 10 / 14 = 71.43% | 10 / 14 = 71.43% | 10 / 14 = 71.43% | 37 / 56 = 66.07% |
Here are the greens in regulation per day, notice who is first?
| 1 | 1 | Dustin Johnson | 16 / 18 = 88.89% | 15 / 18 = 83.33% | 10 / 18 = 55.56% | 14 / 18 = 77.78% | 55 / 72 = 76.39% |
| T2 | T23 | Chris Wood | 14 / 18 = 77.78% | 13 / 18 = 72.22% | 14 / 18 = 77.78% | 13 / 18 = 72.22% | 54 / 72 = 75.00% |
| T2 | T46 | Matt Kuchar | 13 / 18 = 72.22% | 14 / 18 = 77.78% | 14 / 18 = 77.78% | 13 / 18 = 72.22% | 54 / 72 = 75.00% |
| 4 | T8 | Jason Dufner | 14 / 18 = 77.78% | 13 / 18 = 72.22% | 12 / 18 = 66.67% | 13 / 18 = 72.22% | 52 / 72 = 72.22% |
| T5 | T37 | Daniel Berger | 15 / 18 = 83.33% | 14 / 18 = 77.78% | 14 / 18 = 77.78% | 8 / 18 = 44.44% | 51 / 72 = 70.83% |
| T5 | T32 | Rafa Cabrera Bello | 12 / 18 = 66.67% | 14 / 18 = 77.78% | 15 / 18 = 83.33% | 10 / 18 = 55.56% | 51 / 72 = 70.83% |
| T5 | T2 | Jim Furyk | 13 / 18 = 72.22% | 12 / 18 = 66.67% | 12 / 18 = 66.67% | 14 / 18 = 77.78% | 51 / 72 = 70.83% |
| T5 | T13 | Kevin Streelman | 14 / 18 = 77.78% | 9 / 18 = 50.00% | 15 / 18 = 83.33% | 13 / 18 = 72.22% | 51 / 72 = 70.83% |
DJ basically hit it so far and fairly accurate that he was hitting wedges into 500 yard par 4’s while other players where hitting middle to long irons. There is no denying that just about any tour player will be the tar out of another player if he hits wedges and his competitor his middle irons. The days of Cory Pavin, IMG_1371 are not done but much more rare. Jim Furyk was the exception last weekend finishing tied for 2nd and finishing last in driving distance at 269 yards.
If you have a good short game, a ton of patience combined with mental toughness and can drive it long and straight your probably a very good player!
Jim Hartnett, PGA
www.myhome4golf.com
