Rod Morri will host this very unique show and be discussing the TRGA event from Las Vegas last week with the chance to hear from both Bradley and I about how we approached the event, our strategies for playing, preparation and the thought processes we both went through coming down to a very exciting finish.
Playing persimmon and blades on a classic track at the professional level will be discussed.
We will also be discussing the TRGA rules platform, pros and cons, and will be accepting live “call ins” for those wishing to discuss some of the interesting topics that I am sure will come up.
To take part in the talkback show simply follow this link (blogtalkradio.com/talkingolf) at the appropriate time and you will be taken to a page like that in the picture below. To call in from the US toll free the number is 877 455-9497.
For those outside the US you will need Skype to call in free but it is free to download and use. Just go to skype.com and follow the download instructions. You will also need either built in speakers and microphone on your computer or, preferably, a set of headphones with microphone (it makes for much better sound quality).
Really looking forward to this one…should be a great insight into the inner thoughts of good players under the gun. There really isn’t a lot of this sort of stuff around and I reckon there could be at least as much to learn from this as there is from the modules. No point having the gun if you don’t know how to fire it sort of stuff.
Look forward to hopefully a few guys calling in with questions and insights of their own but, as. always, if you can’t make the live broadcast the podcast will be available pretty soon after to have a listen to.
I was listening in the car this morning.
When Lag said he had dreamt of Bradley’s Mac~Hogan 1Wood I just knew he wasn’t joking.
Great stuff as always and the most valuable lesson I took from it:
Even though you can’t hit all the shots you want (yet ) you CAN and should make sure that you make all the right decisions on the course.
Thanks guys…it was fun just ad libbing and going along with the interview…
I think Rod mentioned at the end when we closed the interview (off air) he liked my decision making from the bunker on 18 about choosing an 8 iron instead of blasting a sand iron because of positioning for my next shot so I didn’t compound the problem…that hopefully shows what you said IZ…it’s not always the obvious choice that is the best choice in determining how to play a shot… so in that case with it all being on the line I made the choice of shot the best i could without bringing extra issues into play with a less than perfect shot and thankfully it worked as planned
One thing I feel is missing these days on the PGA Tour is the desire to win, and having players take the necessary steps or chances to give themselves the best opportunity to do so. With the purses so large, most players are more interested in protecting a good finish rather than really going for the title coming down the stretch.
Ultimately we are competing against the golf course with the style of game that we personally have. There are a lot of ways to shoot par or 66.
Even more ways to break 80 for the first time.
But my feeling is that there does come a time when you are close to the lead coming down the final nine or the last few holes where it is justifiable to attempt to play a bit outside yourself given the right opportunities. Sometimes you can pull off shots that might not otherwise be realistic due to the excitement and adrenalin that a player can feel under the gun.
I know Lag doesn’t watch much TV golf these days, but it was very cool to Steve Marino go for it at the Sony Open…A horrible lie…It looked like a trick shot, but hit a great shot into 18…Some guys might have just chuncked it out into the fairway, and collect a nice check. Marino moved way up in my book!!
Well, that’s great to hear… and like I said…“most guys” are not as hungry for the win as they should be in my opinion.
Obviously Tiger doesn’t have any interest in runner up finishes, and of course there are others who play hard… but
there is no doubt that a lot of the guys out there are way to worried about 3rd or 4rth place money, Fed-Ex points or whatever.
Who remembers all the negative talk Chip Beck received back in 93 when he laid up on 15 at Augusta in the final round.?
He had something like 230 yards over water from a downhill lie…he weighed his options and laid up… he didn’t wedge close enough and made par …but could have still birdied the last 3 holes and won the thing over Langer.
was he a chicken for laying up?..No …although many said yes… he weighed up all the pros and cons according to his ability and feelings and played the best shot he thought he could still make birdie with whilst not blowing himself from the tournament in one foul swoop by going for it and miscuing …remember Curtis Strange going for 13 and 15 at Augusta in 1985 (also losing to Langer) and making a mess of both and losing because he bogeyed both holes
mike Weir layed up in 03 from the same predicament on 15 and made birdie…is he chastised for laying up?..no they say he was smart because he went on to win in a playoff
David Toms was hailed a logical thinker and player by laying up on 18 at Atlanta Athletic Club and then getting up and down to win the PGA in 01…
I think Marino’s was a good call as it was the 18th hole and it was do or die…if it was the 15th hole he may have chosen a different tact?
Many different thoughts go through a person’s head but in the end only you yourself truly know your capabilities as to what you can and can’t pull off. I don’t think Beck was playing for second place…he was playing for his best option to still make a birdie without really shooting his foot off in the process because who knows what the next 3 holes hold for him…
As Lag says though there are certainly times it is OK to press the pedal to the metal and go all out because sometimes that process really works also … it all depends on the mindset and capabilities of the player in question and the situation and hole you are on
Golf is a game, and I think you need to be as aware as possible about everything going on around you… while you are playing the golf course, you also need to play the situation. Winning a tournament is not easy. Even Tiger is finding that out now. It should never be taken for granted. In a pro event with 144 players teeing off on Thursday, by Sunday, someone is going to be having the best week of their life… so to win… you have to be able to beat that guy. The great players don’t have to be at their absolute best to win…others do.
When you play well enough to get into the hunt on the final 9 holes, I think you should do your best to try to win the event at any cost. I would rather have 1 win than a handful of seconds and thirds.
) you CAN and should make sure that you make all the right decisions on the course.