Golf Magazine - June 2014 USA

LAUNCH IT LONGER THAN EVER
PING’S HOT NEW DRIVER AND FAIRWAY WOODSP. 92
MAGAZINE
G-MAC SAYS...
Graeme McDowell has
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I WILL
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AUGUST 2014 I GOLF.COM
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August 2014 Volume 56, Issue 8
MAGAZINE
PGA PREVIEW
VALHALLA
COVER
STORY
RISING
This year’s venue has yet to turn 30,

73
but the track has a knack for mythic
moments. Bring on the drama!
65
G-MAC WILL The Golf Magazine Interview:
Henrik Stenson 74
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: PRESTON MACK; GARY KELLNER/PGA OF AMERICA VIA GETTY IMAGES; BRIAN SMITH/CORBIS OUTLINE; GARY KELLNER/PGA OF AMERICA VIA GETTY IMAGES; ROBYN TWOMEY
SAVE YOU With the year’s final major upon us, is
5 STROKES!
the Swede finally ready to win a big one?
The 2010 U.S. Open champ

shows you how fixing small
mistakes in your setup can lead
to big improvements at impact.
58 86
The Black Some Calm Louisville Slugger 80
Knight of After the Storm PGA Championship host Valhalla has
Business After aspiring Tour pro hammered home runs in its brief history.
Gary Player is Will Robins and his wife
more than just a nearly died in the 2004 Off the Radar 83
golf ambassador. Indian Ocean tsunami, Mike “Radar” Reid short-circuited
He’s also a golf shaped him in ways he to give away the 1989 PGA. Now at age
worldwide brand. could never have imagined. 60, he wonders what might have been.
(ISSN-1056-5493) is published monthly by TI Golf Holdings, Inc., Time-Life Building, Rockefeller Center, New York, NY 10020-1393. ©2014 TI Golf Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved. Editorial and Advertising offices:
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
COVER PHOTOS: MCDOWELL: PRESTON MACK; CLUB: JAMES WESTMAN August 2014 golf.com / GOLF MAGAZINE 3
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August 2014 Volume 56, Issue 8
MAGAZINE
27
Inbee Park has
48
FRONT 9
Front 9 Interview:
serious drive. Brady Riggs
perfects
Inbee Park 27
your pitches. The Rules Guy 29
Peter Kostis 30
Johnny Miller 32
Dave Pelz 34
Mark Broadie 36
Swing Sequence 38
YOUR GAME
Be a Bunker Buster 45
Pure It with the “Eye-Dropper” 46
Perfect Pitches From Any Lie 48
50
100
“Pump” Your Way to Power
The majestic 3 Steps to a Perfect Takeaway 52
Gamble Sands in
Brewster, Wash.
Rip It Right Down the Middle 54
How to Pencil In Low Numbers 56
PRIVATE LESSONS
92
Ping’s G30
THE MOST PERSONALIZED GOLF
INSTRUCTION ANYWHERE
woods are long Power Hitter 105
and forgiving. A Band-Aid for Your Putting Stroke
Senior Player 106
Three Pitches to Attack Any Pin
Straight Hitter 108
Tour Secrets for Maximum Power
High Handicapper 110
The New Way to Escape Bunkers
Low Handicapper 112
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: TOM PENNINGTON/GETTY IMAGES; ANGUS MURRAY; JAMES WESTMAN (2); LARRY LAMBRECHT
How to Reach Par 5s in Two
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Distance, meet forgiveness. Our expert on the best places to play.
Spin Doctors 94
6 new wedges with plenty of bite.
Good for the Sole 96 REGULARS
94
The latest shoes to help you look
good and play your best. Your Views 10
What I Play: Derek Ernst 98 From the Editor 12
Take a peek inside the bag of the Stick it close with Teeing Off 18
PGA Tour’s top-ranked driver. six new wedges. Michael Bamberger 120
August 2014 golf.com / GOLF MAGAZINE 5

August 2014
MA G A Z I N E
DIGITAL TWITTER
CameronMorfit
@CameronMorfit
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PGA TOUR HEROES ASK THE VAN FACEBOOK

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6 GOLF MAGAZINE / golf.com August 2014

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PATH INSPIRES WHAT WE ROLL INTO YOURS.
EVERYTHING WE LEARN TAKING TIRES OFF THE BEATEN
OPINION
LETTERS Our readers sound off

numbers behind the game. I do want to around. Of course, there were a few less
add that it is only in the last several years golf courses then than there are now!
that one could develop a statistic such as Hilde Henry, via e-mail
Strokes Gained Driving, and that’s due to
the advent of ShotLink and the mountains LEARNING TO READ
of new data now available. (ShotLink’s I agree with Stan the Starter’s take on
motto, not surprisingly, is “Every Shot caddies reading their professionals’
Counts.”) As I prepare to leave the house putts (“Read, Don’t Weep,” June 2014).
early for the fourth day in a row to do It shouldn’t be allowed. I also object
my job as a ShotLink laser reporter, it to caddies lining up both LPGA and
deserves a mention that approximately PGA professionals on tee shots and
4,000 volunteer hours per tournament approaches. To me, it violates the spirit
RICHARD HEATHCOTE/GETTY IMAGES
are required to man the ShotLink lasers. of the game. Professionals should be
Without our freely given (but ultimately personally performing all the tasks that
free) labor, Mr. Broadie’s new statistic create the score that puts them at the
would not be possible. top of the leaderboard.
Dave Leonard, Ormond Beach, Fla. Rich Casanzio, The Villages, Fla.
Homemade swings can work, as J.B. Holmes shows. BARGAIN HACKER PINEHURST (HARD)PANNED
Reading about both the men’s and women’s I was looking forward to seeing the newly
NATURAL BORN SWINGERS U.S. Opens being played at Pinehurst No. 2 restored Pinehurst No. 2, especially after
Peter Kostis’s recent column really hit the this year (“U.S. Open Preview,” June 2014) reading about the changes in your U.S.
nail on the head (“Tensions Are Rising,” brought back a few fond memories. As a Open preview (“Pinehurst 2.0,” June
July 2014). You don’t need an overcoached member of the Southern Pines Country 2014). Now that I’ve seen it on TV, I
swing to play good golf. Commentators Club, I was allowed to play No. 2 during hope the look is much better up close,
talk about Bubba Watson’s talent like he’s the summer of 1961 for the now unheard because all I can focus on are the brown
some kind of freak show, but personally, of green fee of $2! Back then, Pinehurst fairways, weeds in the scrub “rough,”
I find it refreshing to see raw talent like was closed during the summer months and hardpan galore. My hometown
J.B. Holmes playing the game naturally: and kept only a skeleton maintenance crew muni looked just like that years ago,
no lessons, and no coaches standing over and the people in charge were always
them at the practice area and critiquing apologizing for the poor conditions due
every single move. Bubba Watson is the to lack of funds. I understand that we
best thing to happen to golf in 10 years, have to cut back on watering, pesticides
and he gives many people a reason to turn and fertilizer to preserve our planet,
on the TV and watch. but I certainly don’t feel that our Open
Dick Tremblay, PGA, via e-mail championship venue should resemble
a cow pasture.
STATS INTERESTING Patrick Mahoney,
I’m so glad to see that Mark Broadie now North Hutchinson Island, Fla.
has a monthly column in Golf Magazine. I
loved his book, Every Shot Counts, and I’m IN WITH THE OLD
fascinated by his quantitative approach to In your recent Golf Magazine Interview
golf performance. with Kenny Perry (“Winning Never
Howard Sundwall, West Chester, Penn. Gets Old,” May 2014), he mentioned
COURTESY PINEHURST RESORT
that he’d like to see the Champions

Welcome, Mark Broadie! I really enjoy his Tour and PGA Tour guys go head-to-
columns and agree that the logic behind head in a televised tournament. For
Strokes Gained Driving (vs. Total Driving) many years, the La Costa Tournament
is simple and irrefutable. As an actuary, I of Champions had both tours playing on
welcome future columns that discuss the Readers enjoyed our 2014 U.S. Open preview. the same day on the two courses from

“I’M SO GLAD TO SEE THAT
MARK BROADIE NOW HAS
A MONTHLY COLUMN.
I’M FASCINATED BY HIS
QUANTITATIVE APPROACH
TO GOLF PERFORMANCE.”
—HOWARD SUNDWALL
the same set of tees. In 1994, Palmer,

Trevino, Player, and Nicklaus were on
the same courses playing from the same
tees as the Tour stars. While they didn’t
directly compete for purse or placing, it
was great to compare the two tours side
by side. The result? Nicklaus finished
at 9-under to win the senior event,
and rising star Phil Mickelson nabbed
his fourth Tour victory at -12. It was
certainly a memorable event, but as P R E S C R I P T I O N G O L F G L A S S E S
Perry aptly noted, the young guns felt
crowded in the spotlight and demanded
changes that eventually brought about
the demise of this intriguing format.
Still, a great idea!
Darrill Andries, Lake Elsinore, Calif.
GOLF.COM ON FACEBOOK
After losing to Adam Scott in a
playoff at Colonial, Jason Dufner said,
“It’s tough to concentrate, he’s so
good-looking.” So we asked visitors to
Golf.com’s Facebook page to caption
this photo of Scott and Dufner. And
the winner is...Ron O’Dea!
“Adam Scott even

makes men blush!”
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 5076 SANTA FE ST., SAN DIEGO, CA 92109

Write to: Golf Magazine, 1271 Ave. of the
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or e-mail us at golfletters@golf.com
©2014 SportRx.
FROM THE EDITOR
Teach Your
David M. Clarke, Editor
Golfers Well
A
WHILE BACK, I WAS IN A changing setup tips. Wrestling with
terrible ballstriking slump. a slice? Thinning your irons? Hitting
My 6-iron was traveling as imprecise putts? McDowell shares the
far as my normal 8-iron. It simple setup checkpoints that he’s used
was as though I was playing to win 12 times worldwide. There’s also
golf on a planet with a stronger gravi- some fantastic video of the lessons on
tational pull than Earth’s. I arranged Golf.com (see below). So keep swinging,
to have an emergency lesson with Top and keep learning—you never know who
100 Teacher Scott Munroe. It took Scott might show up next to your practice mat!
a grand total of 10 minutes to identify
my main fault: a poor grip. I was soon
Save
hitting it 20 yards longer! Just like that, A PGA PRO CAN strokes
I was filled with gratitude for his in-
sight and new hope for my game. With WORK MIRACLES the Graeme
McDowell way.
the PGA Championship drawing near, ON YOUR SWING,
I give a tip of the visor to all the teach-
ing pros who work so hard to make our
AND SO CAN 2010 of people around the region. The couple
swings better. U.S. OPEN CHAMPION was badly hurt, but they survived. In a story
Of course, if a PGA pro can seemingly GRAEME McDOWELL. unlike anything you’ve ever read, Sports
work miracles, it shouldn’t come as a Illustrated’s Alan Shipnuck chronicles the
surprise that a U.S. Open champion can, harrowing tale of two lives transformed, in
too. Just imagine: You’re on the range Another remarkable teacher deserves which an injured Robins trades his Tour
working on your takeaway when the your attention this month. More than a dream for a teaching mission. In the piece,
fellow next to you offers an unsolicited decade ago, Englishman Will Robins came one of Robins’s students shares heartfelt
tip. You think, “Thanks but no thanks, to America with a dream: to play on the words of thanks. I know how he feels.
pal.” But wait! It’s Ryder Cup stalwart PGA Tour. In 2004, tragedy interceded. He
Graeme McDowell. For our cover story, and his wife, Amanda, were in Thailand
we sent the star to an ordinary driving when the tsunami struck, devastating the
range to offer guys like you game- country and killing hundreds of thousands David M. Clarke, Editor
Graeme Is Golden on Golf.com

July 21 kicks off dimple of your golf life, but gear news, we’ll spotlight in
Graeme McDowell Week this month ushers in a new these pages the treasure
on Golf.com. Look for plenty era, with Golf Magazine and trove of Web-exclusive
TOP: ANGUS MURRAY; MCDOWELL: PRESTON MACK (2)
of stroke-saving advice Golf.com working hand- goodies (such as video

from the 2010 U.S. Open in-hand as never before. lessons and interactive
champion, designed for While our print edition travel maps) that can only
players just like you. Of continues to offer the finest be found on Golf.com, the
course, we’ve always sought golf journalism, game- biggest website in the
McDowell helped 25-handicap
Carlos Melendez (left) fix his slice. to help you savor every last improving instruction and game. Much more to come!

Manitou Passage GC
at The Homestead
Northern Michigan
You CAN Shoot Lower Scores.

Join us and learn to play your best!
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DETAILS AT SECRETGRIP.COM
1 of 3
TEEING
OFF
Nice Guys
Finish First
n A one-major wonder?
Not Martin Kaymer,
who went wire-to-wire
to win the 114th U.S.
Open at Pinehurst
No. 2 in June to claim
his second career major
(to go with the 2010
PGA Championship).
Kaymer, 29, became
the first German to win
the U.S. Open. He also
set the tournament
record for lowest
score through 36 holes
(10-under), after his
pair of opening 65s
“killed the tournament,”
in Henrik Stenson’s
words. What’s more,
the well-liked Kaymer
carried himself with
a level of class and
humility (note the
congratulatory mid-
round pat he offered
playing partner Rickie
Fowler on Sunday)
that was almost as
impressive as his
sublime play.
PHOTOGRAPH:
ROBERT GALBRAITH/REUTERS
2 of 3
TEEING
OFF
Birthing
Payne
n In June, the golf world
was awash in Payne
Stewart lore at the U.S.
Open at Pinehurst, site
of his final major win,
in 1999. But Stewart’s
legend was born when
he won the first of his
three career majors, at
Kemper Lakes Golf Club
in Hawthorn Woods,
Ill., site of the 1989
PGA Championship.
Twenty-five years ago,
Stewart—clad in the
colors of local favorites
the Chicago Bears—
birdied four of the final
five holes (including this
one on 18) to overtake
Mike Reid. While less
iconic than his famous
celebration at No. 2,
Stewart’s reaction to
bagging his first major
was no less emotional.
(For more on Reid’s
brush with major
glory, see “Off the
Radar,” p. 83.)
PHOTOGRAPH:
CHARLES BENNETT/AP
3 of 3
TEEING
OFF
Sneak Peak
n Spoiler alert!
Although we’re still
a month away from
revealing our all-new
Top 100 Courses You
Can Play rankings,
here’s a sky-high
hint. The Wilderness
Club—a 2009 Nick
Faldo-Brian Curley
collaboration—makes
its debut among our
entries. The formerly
private track in Eureka,
Mont., is surrounded
by not one but three
mountain ranges:
the Canadian Rockies,
the Whitefish and
the Purcells. The
eye-popping course
blends woodland
and links-style
holes. Check out
Golf Magazine’s
September issue
to find out where
the Wilderness Club
falls on our list, and
to see if Pacific
Dunes can hold on
to the No. 1 spot.
PHOTOGRAPH:
D2 PRODUCTIONS
9
FRONT
SHE’S
THE MOST GOT
DRIVE
IMPORTANT
THINGS
IN GOLF
THIS MONTH
Inbee Park didn’t win three
Edited by
JESSICA MARKSBURY majors last year without
being driven. And you’ll be
impressed by the career major
tally that “The Silent Assassin”
is gunning for (hint: it’s a lot!)
Last year, you won three majors—

the Kraft Nabisco, the LPGA
Championship and the U.S. Women’s
Open. You arrived at the Women’s
British Open with a chance to complete
the Grand Slam but tied for 42nd.
Was the pressure too much?
It’s always hard for a golfer to maintain
his or her skills all year long. Three
months is a long time to have your game
in perfect form. The week of the Women’s
British Open, I just wasn’t hitting the ball
INTERVIEW well, and I wasn’t putting well. It wasn’t
my best performance, and trying to
handle the pressure made it even harder.
Interview by I’d only been No. 1 in the world for a few
Jessica Marksbury
months, so I was quite new to everything.
Portrait by I needed some time and experience. Some
Tom Pennington/ weeks you just don’t play well, and that
Getty Images was one of those tournaments.

9
FRONT INBEE PARK
You played the most dominant golf the Wait—you were disappointed after
game has seen since Tiger circa 2000. six victories, reaching No. 1 and Inbee: Three
Do you feel your accomplishment was
overlooked because you’re a woman?
winning three legs of the Grand Slam?
Yes, because I had set my goals too high.
Things I Know
I don’t measure what I did in terms Now my goal is to be happy and try not for Sure
of media attention. I don’t know how to put too much pressure on myself. I’m
much exposure I got in America last getting married this year, so it’s a very
year. When I go back to South Korea, important time in my life—not just from Don’t Sweat the Small
it’s so different. There, I felt like I got a golf perspective, but a life perspective. Stuff—Golf Included
too much attention! It was hard— “My dad has always
I couldn’t go to restaurants. I really Are you happier now? said, ‘Don’t worry, be
like that here in America not a lot of Yeah. Even if I don’t do as well this year, my happy.’ Whenever I’m
people recognize me. I’m much more [2013] achievements aren’t going away, so going through a hard
comfortable having an ordinary life. I’m still happy. I’m just trying to enjoy golf, time, I remind myself
I like being a little bit under the radar. the tour, planning my wedding, and...life. that golf isn’t everything.
A bad round or a bad
You were winless midway through In recent years, two great players— tournament is only
2014, and by June, Stacy Lewis had Annika Sorenstam and Lorena Ochoa— a small spot in a big
overtaken you as No. 1. Was this a walked away from the game to start a painting. When you
hangover after the heights of 2013? family. Can you see yourself doing that? look back on your life,
Results-wise, it’s just tough to beat last I don’t have plans to start a family until at things are never as
year, so I’ve set up different goals. I pretty least after the 2016 Olympics. After that, I important as they
much achieved everything I wanted to last might have kids. If I’m still enjoying golf, seemed at the time.
year. I wanted to be World No. 1. I wanted I’ll still play. It all depends on how I feel at Don’t worry so much
to win majors. I wanted to be Player of the the time. Right now, I’m enjoying playing, about the small things in
Year. I did all of that. So my goals this year? so I’m not thinking about giving it up. life, and you’ll be happier.”
To be happier, and to be more consistent
with my game, so I’m not so stressed. Tiger Woods has always been chasing Hitting It Low
Jack Nicklaus’s 18 major wins. You’re Helps You Go Low
Being happier is an interesting goal. only 26, and you have four majors. “I can hit a low ball very
We tend to believe that success brings What number are you chasing? well. It’s a great shot
happiness. Is it not so simple? If you want a number to chase, you have to play in the wind. To
When you try to achieve something to think of it as infinity—so you can have hit it low, play the ball
and it doesn’t happen, you feel a bit of as many majors as you want. more off your right foot
disappointment. At the end of last year, and stay down on it a
I was disappointed in myself. Wow! Infinity majors? That’s a lot. bit. Focus on keeping
Well, for now my goal is to win the Women’s your upper body more
British Open because that’s the only major stable through impact.
I haven’t won. So if I only win one more Take a full swing and
major, I hope it’s the British. Having swing normally, but also
a career Grand Slam would be really stay down on the ball
cool. Another important goal I have is to with your upper body.”
represent South Korea at the Olympics.
The Girls Have Got Game!
Speaking of majors, last year the LPGA “We may not hit it as
made the Evian Championship the fifth far as the men or have
major. Was that a smart idea? the biggest atmosphere,
I think so. Evian has been a good partner but we have something
and supporter of the LPGA. Even when different: the diversity
ON it wasn’t a major, it always felt like one. of our players. We
GOLF.COM represent a lot of
You’re mild-mannered. How do you like different countries.
For more your nickname, “The Silent Assassin”? And we’re better
PGA Tour It sounds a little scary, but I think it means players than people think.
info, go to
AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES
golf.com/ Park won her third consecutive major I do my job at the course, and I’m always Come out and watch us
news championship at the 2013 U.S. Open. contending. And that’s not a bad thing. n to see for yourself!”

9 THE RULES
FRONT
ASK THE RULES GUY

GOT A RULE YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND? ASK THE
RULES GUY—HE WON’T THROW THE BOOK AT YOU!
A WEIGHTY ISSUE
Ruler! I have a magnetic ball
marker that attaches to my 2-ball-
style putter. Before I putt, I place
the marker on the putterhead. My
club’s rules guru says this is illegal,
since it could be deemed that I’m
changing the characteristic of
the club by moving the marker to
diferent positions. But the marker
is very light. Am I in the wrong?
—Rob Brown, via e-mail
A An easily removable ball marker

attached to your putterhead is an
external attachment, the Rules say, and
that makes your club nonconforming,
even if the marker seems insignificant.
That said, a marker can be attached
to the butt end of the putter, as long
as it’s no wider than the diameter of
the grip. Speaking of attachments,
Rob—are you really seeing another
rules guru? I feel so betrayed!
WORM BURNED DANCE FLOOR DUO
Dear Rules Guy: During a recent Rules Guru: My course has a double
round, I decided to remove several green—holes No. 8 and 12—with a WATER WORKS
worms that were in my line on the hump separating the two. My tee Hey Rules Man: While under
green. One of them was still half in shot on No. 8 landed on No. 12’s a dripping wet tree during a
DID YOU the ground, and my opponent called green. May I still mark, clean and downpour, my friend knocked
KNOW? a penalty on me, claiming I couldn’t replace, or do I have to wait until all the water of the branches
remove the worm because it wasn’t my ball is on the other green? using his umbrella. Drip-dry, he
You can “loose.” Was he correct? —Wally Tallent, Austin, Texas then played his shot. Is he all wet?
watch video —Andrew Hockman, via e-mail —Bob Doornenbal, Ontario, Canada
rulings
featuring
A Your opponent can’t worm his A Wally, like a stern parent, the
Rules are tough but fair. Unless
A With the removal of the water,
ILLUSTRATION: JASON RAISH; RULES GUY: ERIN PATRICE O’BRIEN
Rules Guy way out of this one, Andrew. the green’s halves are specifically your friend breached Rule 13-2
himself! He’s wrong. Even if the critter is still marked as separate entities by stakes, by improving the area of his intended
Download halfway in the ground, Decision 23/8 a local rule or a fortress of leather- stance and swing. My fearless forecast
the tablet says that worms are not considered bound copies of The Rules of Golf, the calls for a two-stroke penalty.
edition fixed or solidly embedded. Ipso facto, entire putting surface is fair game,
of Golf loose impediment! So gently dismiss regardless of which hole you’re on.
Got a Rules question?
Magazine at the creepy crawler—and consider So feel free to mark, clean and place
Of course you do! Whatever it may
golf.com/ slipping him into your opponent’s your ball—and good luck lagging one be, send yours to rulesguy@golf.com
allaccess bag on the sly. That’ll teach him! close over the hump. and the question may be answered
in an upcoming issue of Golf Magazine.
Until then, play by the Rules!

9 PETER KOSTIS
FRONT
THE SWING
THAT JACK BUILT
Amazing? Yes. But Bubba’s move is not unique.
Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher & CBS Sports Analyst Nicklaus powered his swing the same way.
B
OB JONES FAMOUSLY said
of Jack Nicklaus: “He plays
a game with which I am not
familiar.” I’ve heard a lot of
folks repeat that phrase in
recent years when they talk about Bubba
Watson and his “unique” swing. While
there’s no question that Bubba’s swing
has some truly individual elements, it’s
not exactly unique. For example, the way
he uses his lower body is very similar to
a move made by someone with whom
we’re all familiar: Jack Nicklaus.
Some of you raised your eyebrows
when I made this comparison on CBS
Sports’ coverage of the Memorial
Tournament. We flipped an image of
Jack’s swing to make him appear left-
handed, which revealed that both players
generated amazing power from the
ground up, and with a huge turn.
At the top of the swing, both Bubba
and Jack (in his prime) have their lead Jack’s backswing looks suspiciously like Bubba Watson’s.
leg well behind the ball, their lead heel
raised well off the ground and their hands very high When I say Bubba swings like a child, I mean it as a
over their head. (By the way, I’ll never be able to figure compliment. Before we used video and photography in
out why keeping the left heel on the ground became golf instruction, it was far more likely that you’d keep
a “fundamental” of modern instruction. It’s a back your childhood swing into adulthood. Now people are
injury waiting to happen.) embarrassed by the individual qualities of their swing.
During the downswing, both players replant their Instead, they try to emulate a “perfect swing,” become
heel, clear their hips and drive to their lead side. One robotic and lose all their natural movement. If Jack Nicklaus
of Bubba’s “unique” qualities is how much his lead leg came on the scene now, I would bet that someone would
moves during his follow-through, but Nicklaus also try to make his swing more “correct,” and who knows
KOSTIS: ANGUS MURRAY; NICKLAUS: BOB THOMAS/GETTY IMAGES; WATSON: ROBERT BECK/SI
had a lot of movement in his lead leg. what would become of the game’s greatest player! The
Let’s face it: There really isn’t anything new in golf— only thing that matters is where the ball goes. As Bubba
just different wrapping paper on the same gift. I’m and the Bear will tell you, that lesson will never change. n
always hearing that the forgiveness inherent in modern
KEEP IN equipment lets everyone swing hard at the ball, while ONE GOOD TURN DESERVES ANOTHER
TOUCH pre-metal-woods players had to focus on solid contact.
Sorry, but Nicklaus swung as hard at the ball as anyone Vijay Singh’s backswing is and rhythm of a top player’s
Follow I’ve ever seen. So does Bubba. The recipe for their power a near-perfect mirror of turn. If your turn is good,
Kostis on is to build from the ground up and trust your swing. Sam Snead’s, in terms of your swing has a great
Twitter at @
peterjkostis. I once said that Bubba’s swing looks like a 6-year- his length of motion and chance of being good, too!
For all our old’s because the club looks a bit too long and heavy. left-heel lift. If you want to
Tweeters, I received lots of videos from parents, proud that copy anything from a top Got a swing question
visit
golf.com/ their children’s swings resemble that of the Masters player, follow Vijay’s lead: for Peter Kostis? Tweet
twitterlist champion. My memo to parents? Don’t ruin it! Emulate the size, freedom him at @peterjkostis

DOES SPEED REGIME WORK?
MY FIRST WIN THINKS SO.
“THE FIRST WEEK I PUT SR3 IN

PLAY ON TOUR, I WON.” MAT T E VERY
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and SR3 is designed for swings over 105mph. Switch to Tour-level feel, control and 90
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105
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9
FRONT JOHNNY MILLER
TIGER’S SWING
IS A CUT ABOVE
Try Woods’s inside-over practice move—it’s
Golf Magazine contributor and NBC lead golf analyst an easy way to launch high, soft-landing fades
I
t’s been 20 years since Tiger Woods won the first
Tiger’s inside-over
of three consecutive U.S. Amateurs. Back in 1994, practice swing
he could top 130 mph of swing speed without try- reminds him to
clear his left hip,
ing. If today’s balls and clubs had been available something that
when Tiger was in college, the 18-year-old Woods has hindered him
would have been 30 yards longer than Bubba is now. in recent seasons.
Tiger had a mega-wide, mega-long swing built more for
a long-drive contest than a U.S. Open, but he tweaked
it under Butch Harmon to create arguably the most ef-
fective motion in golf history.
The coaching switch in 2004 from Harmon to Hank
Haney remains a mystery to me. Hank’s out-to-under
swing looked good on Tiger (he won six majors with it)
Scan this photo
to watch a video of
but not as good as Butch’s did. The Haney move led to this tip. See p. 6.
more misses than Tiger was willing to accept.
So what was Woods doing differently with current
coach Sean Foley before his season-interrupting back
injury? Check his practice swing the next time he’s on
TV. You’ll see Tiger swing back to the inside, then come
over, or above, the plane on the way down—sort of like
Jim Furyk in reverse. Swinging inside-over this way forces
you to aggressively clear your left side, which Tiger had a long way from his Harmon-era dominance, his irons are
hard time doing with Haney. You’ll hit pushes and pulls still razor sharp. Don’t forget: Tiger was in the top 20 in
when you fail to clear your left side, and Tiger missed it ballstriking in 2013 and topped the all-around ranking,
both ways under Hank’s tutelage. too. Despite what some pundits think, Tiger’s not dead yet.
Woods doesn’t actually swing inside-over when he hits Try Woods’s inside-over pre-swing practice move if
a shot. He just uses his practice swing to remind him to you’re struggling to clear your left side. Now, if you already
get his left hip out of the way so he can move through swing too much across the ball, buyer beware. But for
impact unimpeded, and you don’t see Tiger’s downswing the rest of you, this motion is a reliable way to rip a high,
getting “stuck” much anymore. Though his driving is a soft-landing cut, the shot that made Tiger a living legend.
MILLER: ANGUS MURRAY; WOODS: MARK NEWCOMBE/VISIONS IN GOLF; SPRING: GET T Y IMAGES
Practice swinging ...then over the top to JOHNNY KNOWS BEST

back to the inside... clear your left hip so the
club doesn’t get “stuck.” 3 Changes the Tour Needs Now
ELIMINATE THE SPRINGLIKE
1 EFFECT IN ALL CLUBS. This is
serious. Thin clubfaces have removed
too much skill from the game.
MORE MORE YOUNG PLAYERS. The
2 Web.com Tour is stacked with talent,
JOHNNY!
evidenced by the glut of rookie wins on the PGA Tour.
Watch a video Nos. 101-125 on the money list? You’ve been replaced.
of this lesson MIC UP THE CADDIES. It’s fun to eavesdrop
on your iPad 3 inside the ropes, and you can learn a lot about
or tablet. Visit
golf.com/ strategy and shot selection by hearing a caddie and
allaccess player assess a situation and then plan their attack.

9
FRONT DAVE PELZ
THE JOY
OF NEXT
Hop off the bogey train by fully focusing on the
Golf Magazine’s technical & short-game consultant upcoming shot. Here’s how, in three easy steps.
G
OLF IS FRUSTRATING
when you’re racking up
bogeys (or worse) and you
just know you’re capable of
carding pars and birdies.
True, you don’t have a picture-perfect
swing (unless your name is Adam
or Rory), but playing beneath your
abilities can usually be attributed to Practice has taught me
poor thinking, not poor swinging. that I’m better at hitting
greenside lobs than
If you make smart choices, you can bump-and-runs. So
go low with just about any swing. So when I’m in recovery
when the wheels come off, don’t “fix” mode, a high shot is
your swing—fix what’s happening the smart choice.
between your ears. How? Follow the
Rule of the Next Shot. Before every
stroke, do three simple things: Make
one guess and two commitments.
GUESS the shot that will leave you

the easiest play on your next swing. White balls are
There’s more to this than simply my bump-and-
choosing between, say, your driver run attempts.
and hybrid. Consider the swing,
too. Often, hitting a soft fade with
a longer club is easier than trying to
pure a shorter one. As you consider Yellow balls are
your options, remember that the my lofted pitch
following shot is more important attempts.
MORE
PELZ! than the one you’re about to play.
COMMIT to the shot at hand
Dozens of without hesitation. If, for example,
short-game
and putting you think that a 75 percent 3-wood
video lessons up the left side is the smart swing,
at golf.com/ then fully commit to hitting an of it as chess—you’re planning one me shorter, easier putts. By doing
pelz
easy 3-wood up the left side. or two moves ahead. The more you this many times, I’ve learned that
All other options no longer exist. strategize this way, the better you’ll I’m better at flying shots the right
FOLLOW COMMIT to yourself. Relax and get at choosing smart shots that keep distance and stopping them quickly
PELZ birdie and par in play. than I am at trying to run the ball
HEADSHOT: ANGUS MURRAY; INSTRUCTION: LEONARD KAMSLER
make the best swing you can, using

Twitter
@dave_pelz
a smooth rhythm and holding your When I practice, I try two over difficult terrain. Armed with
finish position until the ball lands. different kinds of shots from every this information, I know how to put
lie. In the photo above, I’ve used my myself in the best position for my
See a list of Will the Rule of the Next Shot 8-iron to hit four bump-and-runs up next stroke. Experiment this way
upcoming
3- and 2-day improve your swing? Maybe, but that’s a false-fronted green to a flagstick across a spectrum of swings and
schools not the point. Its main advantage is that 15 yards away (white balls); and situations. You’ll get to know your
and 1-day it eliminates situations from which it’s I’ve used my 60-degree wedge to game better than ever, and when
clinics at
pelz difficult to recover and thereby keeps hit four lobs to the same pin (yellow using the Rule of the Next Shot,
golf.com blow-up numbers off your card. Think balls). The lob shots, on average, left you’ll make very educated guesses.

9 MARK BROADIE: EVERY SHOT COUNTS
FRONT
EXPLODING Luke Donald excels
from the sand.
SAND MYTHS
Some stats don’t tell the whole truth. Take Luke
Donald. A closer look reveals what the sand-save
numbers obscure: He’s great from greenside bunkers.
S
ince 2004, former World than shorter ones. Consider Padraig the field. A shot hit to one foot gains 0.5
No. 1 Luke Donald has Harrington. Midway through 2014, strokes. Leaving the ball in the sand
been the best putter on he ranked fourth in Strokes Gained loses a full stroke. Strokes Gained from
the planet, but did you from greenside sand, yet he’s 99th in greenside sand is a pure measure of
know he’s also the second sand saves. Why the contradiction? performance because it measures the
best from the greenside sand? Donald’s He hasn’t putted well (161st in Strokes quality of the shot, not the outcome of
putting gains him nearly a stroke per the putt. It’s intuitive, too: Closer to the
round on the field. From the greenside hole is better than farther.
sand, he gains about a quarter of a Strokes Gained from How does Donald dominate from
stroke per round on the field. the sand measures greenside traps? He hits the green
You wouldn’t know about Donald’s more often (97 percent, compared to
fine bunker play by looking at the
the quality of the the Tour average of 91 percent), and he
traditional sand-save stat, however. bunker shot, not the hits it closer to the hole (on sand shots
Weighing sand prowess by recording outcome of the putt. starting from 20 yards, Luke hits half
the number of saves is flawed because his shots within seven feet, compared
it combines sand play and putting. with the field’s nine feet). And here’s
Imagine two greenside bunker shots: Gained Putting), and his sand shots an amazing stat: Based on ShotLink
one hit to 60 feet and another hit to start farther from the hole (156th in the data, Donald has hit 415 consecutive
2 feet, each followed by holed putts. average initial distance from the hole). sand shots (since 2009) without once
Both are considered sand saves, even Thus, the sand-save stat obscures leaving it in the sand. Wow!
though the bunker shot was much Harrington’s superior bunker play. Weekend golfers have more to gain
better in the second scenario. Under Here’s how my Strokes Gained from from working on their sand play than
conventional sand-save stats, a failure greenside bunkers works. Tour pros Tour pros do, in part because they
to get up and down could result from average 2.5 strokes to hole out when have more sand shots (2.6 per round
a poor sand shot, a poor putt, or both. starting in the sand 20 yards from the compared with 1.7 for pros). Everyday
Also, sand-save stats don’t account hole. A shot hit on the green to where players should track the percentage
for the initial shot distance, and longer the average to hole out is 2.0 (that is, 33 of times their greenside sand shots
bunker shots are typically harder feet from the hole) loses 0.5 strokes on finish on the green. The Tour average
is 91 percent. For guys like you? Just
66 percent! From the sand, priority
LUKE’S SAND SECRET? USE THE FORCE! No. 1 is to simply get it on the green. In
the sidebar at left, Luke’s teacher, Pat
“Luke doesn’t have from the fairway will the clubhead down and Goss, will help you turn your next trip
huge length,” says be similar. He wants a forward to your front to the bunker into a day at the beach. n
Donald’s longtime good, clean strike in the foot, which will expose
coach Pat Goss. “So for bunker and a good divot. the club’s bounce. To PGA TOUR LEADERS,
BROADIE: COURTESY CIAMAC MOALLEMI; DONALD: EPA/ERIK S. LESSER
him to compete with The average golfer hits feel this in practice, try STROKES GAINED GREENSIDE
MORE the bombers, he has to too far behind the ball making divots in the
MARK! SAND (PER ROUND)
excel in other areas, and takes a divot that’s sand that are two, three
like greenside bunker too deep. Luke ‘thumps’ or four inches in front of Sergio Garcia 0.33
Mark Broadie
is the author play. In bunkers, Luke’s the head of the club the ball.” Bill Haas 0.32
of Every Shot biggest key is to use a down and forward with Luke Donald 0.27
Counts, now lot of clubhead speed. lots of speed, all the Pat Goss is the director Padraig Harrington 0.24
available His swing speed on a way to the finish. To of golf at Northwestern.
at Amazon. Vijay Singh 0.23
Follow him on spinning 40-foot bunker play like Luke, feel as He’s been coaching
(2014 season, through the
Twitter: shot and a full 7-iron though you’re throwing Donald since 1997. Crowne Plaza Invitational)
@MarkBroadie

9
FRONT SWING SEQUENCE
WATCH & LEARN

Hungry for more clubhead speed? Try Dustin Johnson’s
strong-grip swing—and enjoy the long walk to your ball.
Dustin’s “stacked” Great sequence: Arms
posture (shoulders over swing first, then the Scan this photo
knees over toes) sets up shoulders rotate. to see Dustin’s swing in
an athletic takeaway.
slow motion. See p. 6.
1 2 3 4
D.J.’s tucked right elbow What a huge hip Behold the power Right elbow still slightly
is working “under” the turn! He’s pouring hitter’s secret: The bent, spine angle intact,
club and ahead of his on the speed. right elbow remains hips open and left leg
right hip. Perfection. bent this close to impact. straight. Copy this!
9 10 11 12
GOLF.COM
Watch Analysis by Top 100 Teacher JERRY KING
dozens of There are several reasons why Dustin Johnson, 30, has
Makena Golf & Beach Club,
PGA Tour never finished worse than fourth in driving distance
Wailea-Makena, Hawaii
stars hit the since 2008. He has incredible flexibility and strength.
shots you His swing is long yet efficient. And while he’s capable
need at
golf.com/ of powering the club at more than 120 mph, his rhythm
sequences and tempo remain as smooth as his South Carolina drawl. Johnson’s
lone swing quirk is his extremely strong right-hand grip, which
makes his left wrist bow and the clubface close at the top (frame

STATISTICS
THE LINE
ON D.J.
121.93 mph 309.5 yds 70.1%
Clubhead Driving Greens in
Through the HP Byron Speed (6th) Distance (2nd) Regulation (6th)
Nelson Championship
His right elbow points With his bowed left wrist

at the ground, a must and closed clubface, he can
for a strong-grip player. rip it without fear of slicing.
5 6 7 8
The club correctly Dustin’s awesome
emerges slightly below athleticism on display:
his left shoulder. a 121 mph swing that
ends in perfect balance.
13 14 15 16
6). It’s not textbook, but you see this strong grip more and more Photography by ANGUS MURRAY
on Tour, because it lets these heavy hitters pull down hard from
the top without fear of flipping the clubface open through impact. Control Dustin Johnson’s
If you want to copy D.J., mimic the way he keeps his right elbow swing with the swipe of a
in front of and slightly ahead of his right hip, and how his right TABLET
BONUS finger on the iPad and tablet
hand and elbow work “under” the club from start to finish (as in editions of Golf Magazine.
frame 9). Make these moves work for you to get the power and Visit golf.com/allaccess.
consistency that’s synonymous with Johnson’s big game.

Fairways to happiness.
Custom Fitted
Off the Rack
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YOURGAME
ESCAPE THE SAND KRISTA
DUNTON
Berkeley Hall,
Bluffton, S.C.
(Top 100 since 2011)
Be a Bunker Buster!
Open your clubface
for sand shots that
spin close to the pin
The clubface is
sufciently open for
a sand shot if it points
at your back at the
top, not at the sky.
Play better. Scan this photo

Hit it farther. to watch a video of
this lesson. See p. 6.
Have fun.
With the Top
G
100 Teachers ood greenside bunker players contact OPEN SESAME
in America, the the sand, not the ball, because it’s the As you swing back, rotate your hands
most elite team of exploding sand that lifts the shot onto slightly to the right. Try it on your practice
instruction experts the green. Here’s a secret: Most poor bunker swing, and when you reach the top, check
in the nation players also hit the sand rather than the that the clubface points toward your back
ball, but their shots don’t take flight. Why? (photo, above). This is evidence that the
Because they dig into the sand with the clubface is sufficiently open and that you’ve
club’s leading edge, which slows the clubhead unlocked the bounce on your wedge. From
down and minimizes the energy transferred here, simply swing down and through the
to the sand at impact. The result? The ball sand. Because the face is open, the sole
Edited by stays in the hazard. To fix this, be sure to will hit the sand before the leading edge
David DeNunzio strike the sand with the sole of the club does, and this will allow the club to slide
ANGUS MURRAY (2)
& Michael Chwasky first. It’s as easy as opening the clubface. under the ball, “splashing” it up and out.
DOZENS OF VIDEO LESSONS ON YOUR

IPAD. VISIT GOLF.COM/ALLACCESS.
YOUR GAME MAKE THE PUTT MARIUS
FILMALTER
Marius Golf,
Dallas, Texas
mariusgolf.com
Roll It Pure with the “Eye-Dropper”

My easy drill reveals
where to play the Scan this photo
to watch a video of
ball in your stance this lesson. See p. 6.
for perfect strikes
H
ow many times have you
made what felt like a
perfect putting stroke,
only to watch the ball leap off
line within the first few feet?
It happens a lot with weekend
players, usually because they
forget about ball position.
Unless you play the ball in
the perfect spot in your stance,
you won’t catch it pure, and
it’ll start on the wrong line.
GET THE DROP ON

BALL POSITION
Ideally, you want to strike
Drop a ball from
the ball immediately after
your left eye while
the putterhead reaches the standing in your
low point in your swing arc. regular putting
(Yep, your stroke traces an address position.
up-and-down arc, just like The best ball
your full swing does.) I’ve position for you...
studied more than 65,000
putting strokes, and the low
point always seems to occur
right under the golfer’s nose,
regardless of technique. So
if you position the ball just
forward of this spot, you’re ...is the spot
guaranteed to make contact where the ball you
drop from your eye
with an appropriately ascending
hits the ground.
hit. My recommendation: Play
the ball under your left eye.
TRY THIS: Take your regular

putting posture and bring a
ball up to your left eye with
your left hand, then let the ball
drop to the ground. Where it
hits is where you should play
the ball in your stance. Note
the location of this spot and
set up for an actual putt. Drop
another ball from your left eye
to make sure you got it right.
If your setup and ball position
ANGUS MURRAY (2)
are correct, the ball you drop

from your left eye will hit the
other one on the ground.
WATCH THIS ON YOUR IPAD OR TABLET.

VISIT GOLF.COM/ALLACCESS.
Progressive Casualty Ins. Co. & afÄliates. Discounts not available in all states.
YOUR GAME GET UP & DOWN BRADY
RIGGS
Woodley Lakes G.C.,
Van Nuys, Calif.
Hit Perfect Pitches from Any Lie

Align the leading
edge of your wedge Scan this photo
to watch a video of No!
with your spine for this lesson. See p. 6.
crisp contact and
distance control
’ll bet you subscribe to
I one of two common

pitching methods: (1)
As with your full swing, you
release the clubhead toe-
over-heel through impact;
(2) You hold off your release
by keeping your hands If the leading edge is more
ahead of the clubhead well horizontal than your spine
into your follow-through, angle and the clubface
because this creates extra is facing the ground, you
loft. Both techniques sound flipped it over too much.
viable, but you’ll thin shots
with the first and catch
them fat with the latter.
No!
Game, Set and Match
The secret to good
pitching is to manipulate Yes!
the clubface as little as
For solid pitches,
possible. This means make sure the
refraining from aggressively leading edge of the
turning the club over or clubface matches
unduly holding the face your spine angle
open. With less hand action, both at impact and
you’ll generate consistent through your finish.
distances with all of your
wedges and always be near
the hole. The key? Move the
clubhead through impact in
time with your body turn so
If the leading edge is flatter
that both rotate toward the than your spine angle and
target at the same speed. the clubface is facing the sky,
You’re doing it correctly if, at you held it open too much.
the finish, the leading edge
of your wedge matches your
spine angle. If your wedge is
more horizontal than your
spine angle and the face is
pointing toward the ground,
you’ve over-rotated your
hands. If it’s more horizontal
than your spine angle and
the face is pointing toward
the sky, you’ve held on
ANGUS MURRAY (4)
too much. Just align it

with your spine and you’ll
always catch it crisp.

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YOUR GAME DRIVE IT FARTHER DAVE
PHILLIPS
Titleist Performance
Institute, Oceanside, Calif.
When you make the butt of the club

enter the water in an imaginary
swimming pool before the clubhead
does, you’re properly delaying
the club’s release until impact.
ANGUS MURRAY (2); COLLAGE: BRIAN KIM
“Pump” Your Way to More Power

Make swings in an imaginary pool to maintain
your power angle and instantly add swing speed
A
t the Titleist Performance swing out of sequence, you’ll lose the twice. On the third pump, swing all the
Institute, we’ve studied every angle—and precious yards off the tee. way through, being sure to turn your
millimeter and millisecond of hips before moving anything else.
the swing using state-of-the-art POOL YOUR POWER RESOURCES If you’re still having difficulty
computer-mapping technology. To get a feel for what retaining your honing this move, your wrists may
Thanks to this research, we’ve learned power angle feels like, imagine you’re not be strong enough to retain the
that the most effective way to retain swinging in a waist-deep swimming angle against the momentum of the
the angle between your left arm and pool. As you start down from the top in clubhead. You can fix this common
the shaft (called the “power angle”) all this pretend swing, try to get the butt problem by performing some easy
the way to impact is to first fire your end of the club into the water before exercises. Visit mytpi.com/golfmag
hips at the start of your downswing, the clubhead. If you can’t envision it, for tips and videos to quickly
then your torso and arms, and finally go back to the top of your swing and improve your wrist strength so
the club. This sequence saves all your pump the grip end of the club into the that you can maintain your power
clubhead speed for contact. If you water using only your arms. Do this angle and smash it like a pro.
WATCH HUNDREDS OF INSTRUCTION

VIDEOS ON GOLF.COM.
Don’t worry.
you can always
finD My Pro To Go.
Improve your game, wherever you are,

24/7. Just upload video of your
swing and receive personalized lessons
from a certified GolfTEC coach.
Mobile, interactive, always accessible.
Find Your Game at: myprotogo.com
powered by:
YOUR GAME BACK TO BASICS MARK
BLACKBURN
Greystone Golf & C.C.,
Birmingham, Ala.
Three Steps to a Perfect Takeaway

Start your swing right 1 Get into your setup with a driver, and letting the momentum of
then remove your right hand from the hinge pull your right shoulder
to stop slices, hooks and the grip and set it out of the way on behind you. After hinging, check
every mis-hit in between your right hip. Choke down to the that the butt of the grip points
bottom of the handle with your left at the ball. If it does, you’re in
T
hand for extra control and hover the perfect position to continue your
he first few feet of your swing clubhead above the ground. Keep backswing without falling off plane.
are critical. Mistakes here lead to your left arm straight but not stiff.
mistakes in the most important The feeling you’re after? Your left
part of your motion: impact. If you 2 Swing your left arm across your arm starts the movement and your
take the club too far inside, it gets chest without turning your shoulders shoulders finish it. If you start your
“trapped” behind your upper body and hips. You’ve done it right if takeaway by rotating your shoulders,
coming down, which leads to blocks the logo on the back of your glove you risk dragging it inside and under
or hooks. If you take it too far to the points away from you when your plane. Swing, hinge and turn. When
outside, you’ll have trouble squaring left hand reaches belt height. you get it right, add your right hand
the face and you’ll probably hit a slice. and replicate the same feel. You’ll
Here’s how to ace your takeaway and 3 Continue swinging your left instantly see how a good start makes
avoid these round-wrecking shots. arm back, hinging your left wrist the rest of your swing seem easy.
1 2 3
Scan this photo

to watch a video of
ANGUS MURRAY (4)
Choke down and hover the Swing your left arm back without Let your left wrist hinge. You’ve done
clubhead using only your left hand. turning your shoulders and hips. it right if the shaft points at the ball.

THE GREATEST SWINGS
IN THE GAME
Learn from the Best!

Expert lessons from Golf Magazine’s
Top 100 Teachers and insights
from the Tour’s biggest stars will
have you playing like a scratch
golfer in no time
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YOUR GAME ASK A HARMON BILL HARMON
Toscana C.C.,Indian Wells, Calif.
CRAIG HARMON
Seagate C.C., Delray Beach, Fla.
Rip It Right Down the Middle

Hybrids often hook. Here’s how to avoid the lefts when throttling down off the tee.
HEY, HARMONS Champions Tour pro Jay you have to do many things your hands more ahead of
When I use a hybrid off the Haas—who’s been a student right to get the ball going the clubhead coming into
tee for safety’s sake, I hook of Bill’s since forever—first left. Don’t sweat it too much. impact, slightly opening
it. Why is this happening? added hybrids to his bag When you take a hybrid off the face. And remember,
—Enrique Q., via e-mail about 15 years back, he the tee, simply aim more your hybrid isn’t your
hooked the heck out of them. to the right, or save it for driver, so play the ball
CRAIG You’re hooking your But they did a better job of dogleg-left holes where a farther back in your stance,
hybrid because it’s designed getting the ball in the air hook can really help you. not off your left toe. Moving
to hook. Check the photo than his long irons did, so Jay the ball back in your stance
below—notice how much had the guys in the Tour gear BILL Craig makes some reduces the amount of time
higher off the ground the toe van change some specs. good points. Sam Snead had the clubface has to close
of my hybrid sits at address You probably don’t have that three tricks to make a hook and send the ball left.
compared with my driver. luxury, unless your hybrid disappear, and if they didn’t
This is a pure hook position, is a newer model that you work that day, he just aimed It’s Your Turn to
which is just the way most can adjust with a wrench. right. But try this: From the Ask a Harmon!
hybrids are built. (You’re Hooking is what I call top, pull down harder with Shoot a question to
welcome, slicers!) When a high-quality problem— your left arm. That’ll get askaharmon@golf.com.
Scan this photo

to watch a video of
As Craig demonstrates,
hybrids have a more upright
lie angle than drivers do, which
makes them easier to hook.
Bill says to pull your left arm
down hard from the top...
ANGUS MURRAY (4)
...to get your hands ahead

of the clubhead at impact.

HELP KEEP
THESE KIDS
IN PLAY. 175,000 KIDS WILL BE
DIAGNOSED WITH
CANCER THIS YEAR.
Children are our greatest hope for the future.
Let’s be their greatest hope too.
Cancer strikes infants and children. For teens

and young adults, survival can depend on
treatment by a pediatric oncologist, designed
specifically for them.
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation and Stand Up To

Cancer are funding groundbreaking collaborative
research to bring the most effective therapies to kids
fighting cancer. To learn how you can help keep
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standup2cancer.org/pediatrics.
Julia Hernandez
Diagnosed at 16,
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Samuel L. Jackson
Stand Up To Cancer and
St. Baldrick’s Ambassador
Photo by Nigel Parry
St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a charitable 501(c)(3) organization funding childhood cancer research.
Stand Up To Cancer is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a 501(c )(3) charitable organization.
NEW
YOUR GAME SWING SCIENCE FEATUR
E! with
DR. T.J. TOMASI
Keiser University,
Port St. Lucie, Fla.
How to Pencil in Low Numbers

Science proves that the birdie putts an average of .29 inches be honest: Birdie attempts are
softer than similar-length par putts. hardly life-or-death situations. If
way to drain more birdies (The data was even worse for eagle you want to shoot your best scores,
is to hit the ball harder attempts, which were hit 1.17 inches you need to override the par-bias
softer.) Overall, the players were that causes you to come up short
Y
about 3 percent more likely to make on birdie looks. Here’s how to do it:
ou probably make a better putt a par putt than one for birdie or eagle
when you’re going for par than from the same distance. To any of the Step 1 Secure a pencil between four
you do when you’re trying to top 20 golfers during the 2008 season tees in front of a hole, as shown
make birdie. Why? Science suggests (the final year of analysis), reversing below. Roll putts just hard enough
that we’re wired to dislike making these odds would have meant an to hit and pop the ball over the
bogey or worse more than we’re wired extra $1.2 million in prize money. pencil and land a few inches past
to enjoy making a birdie. It’s time to It’s not a stretch to assume the cup. Start with three-footers,
cash in on scoring opportunities. that the situation is the same— then try it from six feet and then
or worse—with everyday players. from 12 feet to get a feel for how
The Test We’re all guilty of subconsciously firmly you must hit all your putts.
Researchers Devin Pope of the minimizing the loss of par by cozying
University of Chicago and Maurice a birdie putt up to the hole instead Step 2 When you’re on the course,
Schweitzer of the Wharton School of ramming the ball into the back of picture the pencil lying in front of the
at the University of Pennsylvania the cup. Anything but a three-putt. hole. Let the concept of firmness rule
studied more than 2.5 million putts The fact is that we hate to lose more every stroke you make. Pop the ball
attempted by PGA Tour players over a than we love to win. Scientists call over the imaginary pencil, and let the
four-season period. Using some nifty it “loss aversion,” and while there’s other guys worry about protecting
formulas, they found that players hit no harm in being protective, let’s par as you pile up the birdies.
Train yourself to stroke the ball

firmly enough to give birdie
efforts a chance: Pop putts over
the cup with the help of a pencil.
NUMBERS
DON’T LIE
3%
How much more
likely a Tour player
is to make a putt
for par than one for
birdie or eagle from
ANGUS MURRAY (2)
the same distance.
WATCH HUNDREDS OF VIDEOS ON YOUR

TABLET. VISIT GOLF.COM/ALLACCESS.
100 days of summer.
days of hope.
Summer is the season we’ve all
been waiting for. It’s 100 days
of high dives, ball games and
barbecues. It’s 100 ways to dress
a burger, catch some shade or
get out of town. It’s 100 chances
to clear the calendar for what’s
most important.
Every two seconds this summer,

someone like you will need blood.
Donating is quick and easy and,
like all good things this time of
year, it’s worth celebrating.
What are your summer plans?

This summer, there are 100
chances to give hope. Choose
your day to help save three lives.
Donate blood.
Choose your day to give hope.

redcrossblood.org
PRO-FILES
A NEW SERIES
FROM THE
EDITORS OF
AND
THE BLACK
KNIGHT OF
BUSINESS
Whether managing his global empire or serving
as a golf ambassador, Gary Player hasn’t lost a step
By Daniel Roberts Photography by Jonathan Torgovnik/Getty Images
N THE NIGHT BEFORE DAY ONE OF THE 2014 and nine by Player. (It is a telling distinction that
O Masters, executives from Rolex, Callaway, Coca-

Cola China, SAP and other luxury brands were
gathered in the huge backyard of golf legend Gary
Player’s guesthouse. They ate dinner, swapped business
cards, and listened to the blaring bagpipes of a Scottish
Nicklaus and Palmer quickly fly out of Georgia after
hitting the ceremonial first tee shot on day one;
Player stays the week.) “This is work for him,” says
Marc. “He’s at dinners, he’s shaking hands, he’s a
raconteur telling stories. And he knows there’s a
very clear objective this week.”
group called the Red Hot Chilli Pipers. The clear objective is to entertain business
The occasion was the annual braai (a South partners, which Player did skillfully for two
African barbecue) that Player hosts on the property partners from Berenberg, a long-standing German
he rents near Augusta National. The braai looks like bank that dates to 1590. Every day, no matter
a carefree party but is really a shrewdly orchestrated where he is, the 78-year-old gets up at 5:30, eats a
networking event. In fact, for Player, who spends small fruit bowl and drinks a glass of juice. On the
the majority of the year traveling around the world first day of the Masters, he then headed to Augusta
as a vocal ambassador for golf and fitness, it’s the National’s $100 million, heated-from-underneath
only time he ever sleeps in the same bed for eight practice tee, bringing the bankers along with him
nights, apart from when he’s at home on his ranch to watch as he hit a few balls in preparation for
in South Africa. the ceremonial tee-off with Nicklaus and Palmer.
Each year Black Knight International (which Player then let one of the bankers, Hans Walter-
houses the various arms of the three-time Masters Peters, caddie for him. (In contrast, Nicklaus’s
champion’s business) spends big to fly in business caddie was his granddaughter.) The soft-spoken
partners for a week of hospitality that bests any
The Player German was visibly delighted. Later, after the trio
sponsor package even NASCAR can offer. Marc brand stands had teed off—Nicklaus beat Player’s drive by a few
Player, 52, who began managing his father’s
brand when he was only in his 20s, puts it like
for fitness, feet, thanks to a bounce—and a morning of VIP
treatment, the bankers decided to up Berenberg’s
this: “It’s a wonderful thing to have the head of a class and commitment to the Gary Player Invitational in
big development company from Eastern Europe longevity— Wentworth, England, from $500,000 to a cool
or India say, ‘I’d like to meet with you,’ and we million. (The bank also has a $10 million, three-
say, ‘Would you like to come watch the Masters?’
he was still year deal to have its name on Player’s sleeve.)
That’s so powerful.” winning That’s high-level hobnobbing with concrete
On the Monday after the Masters, Player hosts senior titles results. And it’s how Player has built his global
the first leg of his invitational series in Augusta at brand—by keeping it super-premium. “They
Champions Retreat, a course with 27 holes: nine well into are perfectionists,” Berenberg partner Hendrik
designed by Jack Nicklaus, nine by Arnold Palmer his 60s. Riehmer says. “Everything Marc and Gary do is

carefully laid out and executed at the highest-level.” Player’s diet maintenance and saves water. Environmentally
Although Gary Player is the face of Black (heavy on raw foods) friendly course designs were unpopular for a long
and exercise plan have
Knight (which includes Gary Player Design, kept the 78-year-old
time, and some clubs still aren’t interested, but
Player Real Estate, The Player Foundation, The in better shape than Player makes them a priority. Gary Player Design
Player Collection and the Gary Player Invitational men half his age. offers three tiers of packages, which vary in price
Series), Marc is the puppeteer, taking on a role based on how closely he’s involved: the highest,
that mixes agent, manager and boxing promoter or “Signature” tier can cost a developer roughly
all in one. “I’ve never, ever said that I have a great $4 million.
business acumen,” Gary says. “What I do have is In addition to the 325 courses designed
a very shrewd team, led by Marc, and I have more globally (with 43 more on the drawing table),
experience than all of them with common sense. Player’s merchandising business is as strong as
And what makes sense to do and not to do.” ever, even in ways you wouldn’t expect: the Black
Player’s brand, the Black Knight, stands for Knight website, for example, sells $200,000
fitness, class and longevity—he was 42 when he worth of apparel and accessories (like belts) per
won his third Masters, and he won events on the month. And his son has plans to make it last.
European Senior Tour into his 60s. Among the “Even though I don’t like to tell him, because he
legends, having a brand and logo is pretty much the thinks he’ll live forever, he will die,” says Marc.
rule: Nicklaus is the “Golden Bear,” Palmer’s logo “And I think about that every day. But I think 20
is a golf umbrella, and Greg Norman’s is a shark. years from now, 50 years from now, people will go
But very few active golfers today create a personal into the Gary Player boutique, and they’ll buy the
brand and logo. “Well, they should!” says Player. apparel, they’ll buy the book on diet and health,
His core business is designing golf courses.
Player wants buy the golf instruction video. They’ll believe in
Making money after golf by opening courses his epitaph the spirit that is all things Black Knight—healthy,
may seem like a cliché, but that’s because of his to say, “Here enthusiastic.”
peers—guys like Nicklaus, Palmer, Tom Weiskopf, It’s hard not to buy that reasoning. Player
and their younger retired colleagues, Nick Faldo is a man himself, in sight of 80, says he wants his epitaph to
and Greg Norman. As the U.S. market has dried who was say, “Here is a man who was interested in his fellow
up due to overbuilding (only 14 new golf courses man. And in education and health. And he bettered
opened in the U.S. in 2013; more than 150 closed),
interested the lives of poor people.” That’s a lofty order. But
Player has shifted abroad, to the Middle East, in his fellow as he walked out of the Augusta clubhouse after
China, and to India, where he just designed a man. And in a long morning of signatures, handshakes, and
new course for DLF, the country’s biggest real interviews, Player said in a chipper tone, “Okay!
estate company. And he has been the first to favor education Made another million friends, wasn’t that nice?”
geo-textile bunkering, which requires almost no and health.” And he meant it. ■

ANYTHING FOR GOLF
golfsmith.com
COVER STORY
Graeme McDowell
I’LL SAVE YOU

5 STROKES
I HIT THE RANGE TO GIVE A SURPRISE LESSON
TO FOUR GUYS WHO ARE A LOT LIKE YOU.
MY GOAL: TO SHOW HOW FIXING SMALL
MISTAKES IN YOUR SETUP CAN LEAD TO BIG
IMPROVEMENTS AT IMPACT. AND I MEAN BIG.
CURE THESE OFTEN-OVERLOOKED AILMENTS
TO PICK UP FIVE EASY STROKES!
BY PGA TOUR STAR

GRAEME McDOWELL
With David DeNunzio
Photography by Preston Mack
Like yours, my game endures its share of ups and

downs. Sometimes my swing is so good that I
can compete without thinking. Other times, it’s
like Old Man Par is a 400-pound gorilla. The
difference between pros and weekend players is
that our bad spells don’t last very long. When any
part of my game begins to falter, I immediately
check my address-position basics. Doing the little
things correctly at setup makes hitting good shots
seem easy. To prove it, I fixed four unsuspecting
golfers on the range at North Shore G.C. in
Orlando, Fla.—just a few miles down the road
from my roost at Lake Nona—simply by making
small adjustments to their address positions.
Within five minutes, each walked away a better
golfer and did so without having to think about
mechanics. Copy their new setups and you, too,
can straighten out your slice, flush your irons,
blast it close from the sand and drill more putts—
and save at least five strokes in the process.
➔
COVER STORY
Graeme McDowell
A Fix for Slicers: Try My “Squared-Up” Grip

G-Mac Fixed Me
THE STUDENT: CARLOS J. MELENDEZ

Age: 37 Handicap: 25 Occupation: Attorney
“Yep, I’m a slicer. My swing speed is good,

1
but I can’t stop the ball from bending to the right. Address the ball
And the more things I try, the bigger my slice!” with your right
arm dangling by
your right side.
DRIVER ADDRESS
NO! YES!
Shoulders open to Shoulders square

the target line. to the target line.
FIX THIS
AND SAVE
Right arm higher
than the left.
Forearms facing
each other.
2 STROKES!
Right hand on top Right hand more

of the handle. on the side of
the handle.
C
ARLOS HITS on the other hand, set elbow will be even with or
slices because up with their shoulders slightly below your left.
he sets up to hit square to the target This is a solid, neutral
slices, with his right line and their forearms setup that most guys
hand too much on top of directly facing each other on Tour use. When you
the grip. It’s a common (photo, above right). This swing, try to re-create
problem, and I see it all makes it easier to swing your setup at impact,
the time when I’m paired inside-out and square with your shoulders
with recreational players. the clubface at impact. square to the line and
Maybe they feel that your forearms facing
getting the right hand each other. If you do, the
on top puts them in a How To Do It face will be square, too,
stronger hitting position. The following drill is so and the ball won’t slice.
Whatever the reason, effective that you should
setting up like this opens make it a part of your
your shoulders to the pre-shot routine. Start Did It Work?
target line and lifts your by gripping your driver “Absolutely,” reports
right forearm above your with your left hand only. Carlos. “With my right
left (photo, above left). Dangle your right arm elbow slightly under
From this position, you by your right side, then my left, I find it easier
have no option but to swing your right hand up to swing out to the
swing outside-in and to the handle in a straight right instead of cutting
across the ball—the line from your right hip across the ball. My
swing path that produces (photos, right). If you do buddies all asked, ‘Hey,
a slice. Good drivers, it correctly, your right where did your slice go?’ ”

SCAN THIS PHOTO
to watch
Graeme fix
Carlos’s slice.
See page 6.
2 3
Swing your Re-create your
right arm up to setup position at
the handle in a impact, with your
straight line from shoulders square
your right hip. and your forearms
facing each other.
“The best
drivers set
up with their
shoulders
square to
the line and
their fore-
arms facing
each other.”
—Graeme
McDowell
➔
COVER STORY
Graeme McDowell
A Fix for Thin Irons: Stop “Hugging” the Ball

G-Mac Fixed Me
YES!
THE STUDENT: DR. AJIT SHAH
Age: 73 Handicap: 20 Occupation: Retired
“While I don’t expect to hit my irons as far as I did when I was

in my 40s, or even my 60s, I do expect to get the ball in the air.
But I thin most of my shots and roll the ball into a lot of bunkers.”
Chest points
at the ball.
IRON ADDRESS FIX THIS

AND SAVE Two fist-widths
1 STROKE!
between grip
NO! NO! and body.
Weight over the

Stand too close balls of the feet.
and you’ll swing
Minimal forward the club out and
bend. up, a recipe for
thin contact.
Butt of grip too

close to the body.
Weight over heels.
YES!
T
HERE ARE DOZENS the ground when coming Great ballstrikers talk about
of ways to thin an down. The fix? Take a “wrapping” the club around
iron. When I clank half step back. their body and turning more
an approach, it’s usually than lifting. Do it right, and
because I don’t clear my you’ll be loaded like a coiled
left hip fast enough on How To Do It spring when you reach the
my downswing. (No clear, When addressing the ball top, in position to attack
no chance of catching it with an iron, stand far the ball without jamming
clean.) Dr. Shah does it enough away from the the club into the ground.
by standing too close to ball so that you can fit at
the ball at address, with least two fists between
his back straight, knees your body and the butt of Did It Work? Standing the correct
distance from the ball
locked and his weight the grip (this goes for your Says Dr. Shah, “I took a lets you swing back on
over his heels (photo, driver, too). And set your half step back at address, plane. As a checkpoint,
when your hands reach
above left). “Hugging” weight over the balls of and after a few swings, hip height, the club’s
the ball like this makes your feet, not your heels. I was hitting the ball much toe will point straight
it difficult to swing the You’ll probably feel like higher. My wife videoed the up, with the shaft
parallel to your toe line.
club around your body. you’re too bent over, but lesson, and I’ve shared
Instead, you tend to lift stick with it—the more the clip with friends.
it up and out on your you bend forward, the less And now they’re using
backswing (photo, above likely you’ll lift the club up G-Mac’s tip. Thin shots
right), then slam it into and out in your backswing. are a thing of the past.”

“Great ballstrikers
talk about ‘wrapping’
the club around their
body and turning
more than lifting.”
ROUNDING INTO FORM

The farther you stand from
the ball, the rounder your
swing will be. That’s good for
players who hit thin irons,
which result from swinging
back and through too steeply.
SCAN THIS PHOTO

to watch
Graeme fix Dr.
Shah’s swing.
See page 6.
➔
➔
COVER STORY
Graeme McDowell
A Fix for Sand Woes: Lean the Shaft Backward

G-Mac Fixed Me
THE STUDENT: DEAN GIAIMO FIX THIS

Age: 49 Handicap: 9 Occupation: Sales executive AND SAVE
ÒWithout a doubt, bunker shots are the weak spot in my game.
1 STROKE!
I donÕt have any consistency. IÕll skull one shot over the green
and hit the next one so heavy that the ball stays in the bunker.Ó
BUNKER ADDRESS
NO! YES!
Shaft vertical Shaft leans

or leaning away from
toward the the target.
target.
Leading edge Leading edge

even with higher than
the sole. the sole.
A
BUNKER SHOT on the sole from pushing open and automatically Release
should be easy. the sand out of the way raises the leading edge the club
skyward,
It’s the one shot so that the club can above the sole. If you re- not toe-
where you can miss power cleanly under the create this arrangement over-heel,
the ball—where you’re ball. Unless you adjust at impact, the sole will for extra-
high and
supposed to miss it, your setup to unlock the strike the sand first and extra-soft
actually—and get great bounce on your wedge, the bounce will do its thing. sand shots.
results. While the quality you’ll always struggle to An added benefit is that
of your setup is vital on all get out of the bunker. this setup generates extra
swings, it’s ultra-critical loft at impact, which helps
for a specialty shot such the ball stop more quickly
as a bunker explosion. How To Do It once it hits the green.
Like most weekend Here it is, free of charge,
players, Dean would my can’t-miss, beat-any-
set up by opening the bunker address. First, Did It Work?
clubface and aiming left set up slightly open to the “Graeme’s advice did the
of the target while leaning target; just a few feet left trick,” Dean says with a
the shaft forward, as if will do. Play the ball off smile. “Now I enter the
he were attempting a full your left heel as you would sand in the same spot
swing from the fairway. for a driver, and as you every time and the ball
The forward shaft lean is hover the clubhead above flies out high and soft. SCAN THIS PHOTO
a big no-no in a bunker, the sand, lean the shaft When I practice and play, to watch
because it encourages back until your hands are I think of only two things: Graeme fix
the leading edge to dig in. even with your zipper. Open the face and lean Dean’s bunker
swing. See p. 6.
Plus, it stops the bounce Doing this rotates the face the shaft backward.”

A Fix for Three-Jacking: Putt with “Soft” Elbows
G-Mac Fixed Me PUTTING ADDRESS FIX THIS
THE STUDENT: JIM ELLIOT NO! NO! YES! AND SAVE
Age: 52 Handicap: 0 1 STROKE!
Occupation: Retired military
“I always miss a few putts every

round that I know I should make.
Also, because I’m concentrating so
Too much Too little Soft elbows
hard on my stroke, I have trouble elbow bend elbow bend create pure
focusing on the target line.” leads to poor leads to strikes.
contact. distance-
control
J
problems.
IM HAD TROUBLE tipping them up and down
starting putts on to make your stroke.
his target line. His The result? A distance-
problem was in his elbows. control nightmare where
He’d bend them way too you strike the ball with a
much at address, to the different amount of loft
point where they jammed on every putt.
into the sides of his torso I like “soft” elbows at
(photo, above left). In address, with just a bit of
this “crowded” address flex (above, right). This
position, there wasn’t allows you to swing the your putter parallel to the
enough room for his putter without overusing ground with your arms Did It Work? SCAN THIS PHOTO
to watch Graeme
arms to swing freely your wrists or shoulders, stretched out in front “I tried Graeme’s soft-
under his shoulders, so and to do it with a smooth of you. Without moving elbows setup, and it felt fix Jim’s stroke.
See page 6.
he flipped the putterhead tempo. Tension is a killer, anything else, bring your great,” Jim says. “It freed
back and through using and if your arms are elbows into your body until up my stroke, letting me
his wrists. Solid contact? outstretched or overly they just barely touch pay more attention to
He never had a chance. bent, your stroke will be the bottom of your rib and focus harder on the
Putting with your jabby and yip-prone. cage. Then bend forward target. Sure, I missed
arms fully straightened until the putter touches the first putt I tried after
(above, middle) is just the ground. Your elbows Graeme’s lesson, but then
as bad, because you’ll How To Do It should feel soft and ready I started making them. I’m
overuse your shoulders, Stand straight up and hold to swing unimpeded. definitely sticking with it.”
GOLF.COM G-Mac Week: It’s Your Turn To Learn

EXCLUSIVE!
It was a pleasantly sunny and asks if he could give me a few says. “I’ll use his tips until I hang
Wednesday in Central Florida, pointers.” Shocking? Sure. Nerve- up my spikes.”
typical for Orlando in mid- wracking? Absolutely. “I just about Watch the transformation of
spring. Carlos Melendez (left), a fell over when I turned and saw Melendez—and the other everyday
practicing attorney and master of his face,” Carlos admits. “I was so players featured in this story—
the unplanned fade, was working starstruck I could barely make a during G-MAC WEEK on Golf.com.
through a bucket on the North backswing.” Anxiety transitioned Our digital team has amassed five
Shore G.C. range, failing to fly into confidence as the 2010 U.S. McDowell-fueled days of lessons,
anything straight against the Open Champ’s setup fix instantly gear tips, and more. With a few
backdrop of powder-blue skies. helped Melendez, a 25-handicap, clicks, you’ll save strokes and learn
“It was a normal practice day,” start striping it like a 12. “He was how the 12-time worldwide winner
Melendez says, “until Graeme friendly, and I could tell he really has become an international golf
McDowell taps me on the shoulder wanted me to improve,” Melendez icon. The action starts July 21.

THERE ARE GREAT
SHOTS AND THERE ARE
GREAT ROUNDS.
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© The Professional Golfers Association of America 2014 All Rights Reserved.

No part of this document may be reproduced without written consent from The Professional Golfers Association of America.
Please drink responsibly. Belvedere Vodka 40% ALC./VOL. (80 PROOF) 100% neutral spirits distilled from rye grain.
©2014 Imported by Moët Hennessy USA, Inc., New York, NY.
This year marks the third time
that the Wanamaker Trophy
will be awarded at Valhalla.
GARY KELLNER/PGA OF AMERICA VIA GETTY IMAGES
A
lthough Valhalla Golf Club, site of the
PGA Championship, has not yet turned PGA Championship,
30, it already boasts a jam-packed history. August 7-10, 2014
The track has a knack for mythic moments: Valhalla Golf Club,
Louisville, Ky.
Brooks vs. Perry! Woods vs. May! Nicklaus
vs... Ali? Stay tuned for more major drama.

BACK in
BLACK
Few players have fought back from more swing
calamity more often than HENRIK STENSON,
who was once mired in a slump so terrible that
he took to hitting shots with his eyes closed.
With the year’s final major upon us, is the
Swede finally ready to win a big one?
Interview by Josh Sens Portrait by Brian Smith/Corbis Outline
enrik Stenson is one of Stenson claimed the FedEx Cup and the
GOLF
The
MAGAZINE
INTERVIEW
H golf’s top practical jok-
ers. But three years ago,
the game pulled a cruel
prank on him: Stenson’s
swing deserted him, and he plunged
from fourth to 230th in the World Golf
Ranking. He couldn’t have won his club
Race to Dubai, the first player ever to
nab both titles in a season. Once best
known to American fans as the man
who had stripped to his skivvies on na-
tional TV, Stenson exposed himself as
something else: a talent capable of Tiger-
like dominance. Now 38 and recover-
championship, let alone a Tour event. ing from what he calls “the hangover”
Stenson was reduced to practicing full of last year’s success, Stenson hopes to
shots with his eyes closed. It was the sort gain the recognition that comes with
of death spiral from which some stars capturing a major crown. With the PGA
never escape. But somewhere along the Championship approaching, he sat down
way, the Swede reclaimed the controls. with Golf Magazine in his Orlando home
A win at the 2012 South African Open to reflect on his resurgence, his quirky
ended a 42-month victory drought and sense of humor and the prospects of a
ignited a torrid run that was as impres- former underwear model winning the
sive as Stenson’s fall was swift. In 2013, Wanamaker Trophy.

After a monster
2013, Stenson has
set his sights on
bagging Sweden’s
first men’s major.
HENRIK STENSON: GOLF MAGAZINE INTERVIEW
Your countrywoman, Annika

Sorenstam, has 10 majors. Coming 1 2
into the PGA Championship, do you
feel any special pressure to become
the first Swedish man to win a biggie?
I would love for that to happen, but it’s
much more important to me to win a major
than to be the first Swede to do so.
In 2011, no one was talking about you

winning your first major—you were
in a terrible slump. How did you pull
yourself out of that tailspin?
By the end of that year, I was fed up with
playing poorly. I said, “Enough. I’ve got
AP PHOTO/JOHN BAZEMORE
AP PHOTO/JOHN SUPER
to do something about this.” I just wasn’t
having it anymore. It helped that I’d been
through a bad slump before. In fact, it was
much worse than 2011.
How so?
3 4
From 2001 to 2003, things became
pretty bad. I was hitting it sideways. At “I was hitting it
the 2001 European Open, I walked off
the K Club after nine holes. I was playing sideways. I walked
with Sandy Lyle and Miguel Ángel off at the K Club. It
Jiménez. We started on the 10th hole and
I had to hit two provisional balls. We
was a gradual spiral, a
were looking for my ball on every other combination of mental
hole, and I shot something like 43 on and physical factors.
AP PHOTO/MICHAEL DWYER
FRED KFOURY III/ICON SMI

the first nine. I said, “Guys, just focus on
your games. This isn’t doing me or you
It became a big mess.”
any good.” I wished them good luck and
walked off. Five years later, I was back
at the K Club, playing on the winning
Ryder Cup team. another and another and another, then [Laughs] Nothing like that. And no lying
you start looking more at the hazards and on a couch watching metal balls clack
It must be brutal to suddenly not be the trees, and the fairway gets narrower. back and forth. One thing I did was hit
able to do what you once were able to Then it becomes a mental battle, and the long shots with my eyes closed. It’s sort
do—like if I woke up and suddenly had mental gets tangled with the physical. It of like the putting drill where you look
lost the ability to write a sentence. becomes a big mess. at the hole when hitting. If your practice
Well, I haven’t read this piece yet. swing is fine but something changes
[Laughs] Seriously, though, it’s not like Many golfers never emerge from that kind when the ball’s there, you’re reacting
I won a tournament and then woke of slump. What was the key for you? differently when you look at the ball.
up the next day and couldn’t play golf. A lot of hard work with my swing coach,
Every rise and fall takes time. It was Pete Cowen, and freeing up my mind Did you have the driver yips, too?
a more gradual spiral, a combination with the help of my mental coach, Torsten In 2001, I was really struggling off the tee.
of mental and physical factors. No one Hansson. I don’t know if it falls under what’s called
develops the yips when they’re making driver yips, but it was a disturbance in
every 4-footer. It’s when you miss them What does mental-game coaching the system. I was hitting it so wide that
repeatedly. Similarly, if you hit one bad involve for you—no electroshock I couldn’t hit into those places today if I
drive, you reload and go on. But if you hit therapy, we hope? tried to.

You hit a lot of terrific shots last was at when he was shattering all those
year after emerging from the second records. Also, everyone else has caught
big slump of your career. Did you dig up. There are more guys out there who
out of that hole the same way? can win.
Yes, a lot of hard work. I’d made the
journey before and knew I could again. Is Tiger the best player ever?
I say yes. I never saw Jack in his prime,
Was there any one moment when but to me it’s not just 18 versus 14 majors.
you thought, Yes! I’m back! Tiger has done it in a tougher era, and
At the [2013] Shell Houston Open, I some of the shots he’s pulled off are so
birdied four of the last five holes to spectacular. Did Jack make a 15-footer
finish second. Hitting good shots under on Torrey Pines to get into a playoff and
pressure when I needed them most was then limp around on one leg to win it? I
a big confidence boost for me. wasn’t around to watch [Jack], but Tiger
has just had that little extra bit.
Late last year, it looked like you might
never miss a shot again. Can you help Let’s talk about your life off the course.
us mere mortals understand what it You have a rep as a practical joker.
feels like to be in that kind of zone? I’ve always had a sick sense of humor. I’m
Well, Torsten, my mental-game coach, a Dumb and Dumber kind of guy. Growing
has a theory that if you feel like you up in Sweden, my friends and I were always
haven’t played as well pulling pranks. One time our neighbor
1: Europe’s as you could for a long bought a TV that used the same remote
first FedEx period of time, you control as ours, so we’d stand outside his
Cup champ.
almost want to get house and change the channels when he
2: Stenson
revenge. Once I got was watching something. The guy would
finished second
to Mickelson at going, I didn’t want be yelling at his TV, so frustrated that he
the 2013 British. to stop—I was sort was ready to throw it out the window. It
3: Holing out at of like the Energizer was hilarious.
Deutsche Bank Bunny.
last September.
And you’ve continued to prank fellow
4: Celebrating
’09 Players win
You won two Tour Tour pros. Got any all-time favorites?
with son Karl. titles last September, Once I was in Switzerland, staying in a
including the Tour hotel that had these V-shaped balconies
Championship at set close together, so it was easy to get from
Did you ever think about walking away East Lake, and you became the first one balcony to the other. Carl Pettersson
from competitive golf for good? European to win the FedEx Cup. and Olle Karlsson were staying in the
No. There were tough times, but golf What was the highlight? next room. I could hear them talking. I
is my passion. Giving up was never an I remember I went out with Tiger on the thought, “I can give them a good scare.”
option. And I had a lot of support. My first day at East Lake. He’s leading the I put on a hoodie, pulled it tight over my
wife, Emma, played at the University of FedEx Cup and I’m second, and I played head and crawled over to their balcony.
South Carolina. She knows how difficult such a great front nine. I shot 6-under The window was open, and I ripped open
this game can be, and she supported me and beat him by nine. It wasn’t his best the blinds, burst into their room and
as I put in the hard work. I enjoy working day, of course, but it’s not often you play yelled, “Give me the f---in’ money!” They
on my game. When I started playing as a with Tiger and he winds up being the practically jumped out of bed. One of them
kid, I never thought, “Hey, I could make sideshow. The stars were aligned. was reaching for the nightstand lamp to
a living at this.” I simply picked up a club throw at me.
and fell in love. I loved hitting the perfect Granted, Tiger is not as dominant as he
shot, of envisioning what I wanted to do— was. What’s your take on his decline? Here’s something not so funny: In
and doing it. I haven’t lost that. I enjoy Injuries and numerous operations. When 2009, you learned you were a victim of
sticking a wedge to a foot as much now as you’re injured, no one will play their best, Allen Stanford’s Ponzi scheme. There
I did when I was a kid. never mind the incredible level Tiger were reports that you were taken

HENRIK STENSON: GOLF MAGAZINE INTERVIEW
for millions of dollars. Have you ever for months. I still get asked to sign copies of
calculated your total losses from that? the photo. I’m fine with that, but when it’s
I haven’t. There are still people trying to “I damaged the locker. older men asking, I get suspicious. [Laughs]
sort through that entire mess. I honestly
don’t even know exactly what happened.
I’m not proud of it, but Your profile in the USA is bigger than
Was it a Ponzi scheme? When I found this game can get the ever. You’ve even got your own radio
out, I considered it sort of a write-off. If
some of that money comes back to me,
better of you. There’s show, on SiriusXM.
Yeah, they say I’ve got the face for it. I’d
great. It was a substantial amount, but a fire burning in love to have Bjorn Borg as a guest—he was
I’m luckier than most. It wasn’t ever this calm Swede.” a giant in Sweden when I was growing up.
something that was going to ruin me. I
had a few eggs in that basket but not all Has Annika ever given you advice?
of them. I lost money, but nothing that Just once. She said that when she was at
impacted my day-to-day life. There’s a fire burning in this calm Swede. her peak, she didn’t give herself enough
I’ve got a temper. That day, I was in the time to be happy. She told me to enjoy
Still, it must have been upsetting. Do locker room and had my carry-on with a my achievements. And I’ve done that.
you think it contributed to your slump? cardboard box on top. I tried to kick the The beginning of this year, I had a bit
No. I was angry, but I realized quickly box, but I kicked through it and hit the of a hangover from 2013. There were
that there was no point to that. It wasn’t shoe shelf in the locker with my shin, so many demands on my time, but I’m
going to make me any happier to dwell which didn’t give way. That really hurt. So starting to play well. I traveled 31 weeks
on it, and it wasn’t going to get me my then I damaged that locker and the shelf. I last year. It’s hard playing both tours.
money back. We take chances every day had swelling half the size of a tennis ball,
on the course: Lay up or go for it? In and I still have scar tissue. I paid for the With Tiger’s recent injury, the
this case, I put money into a bank and damage and got told off. But at the Honda No. 1 ranking is up for grabs and
thought it would be safe. That’s what this year, I was presented with the pieces within your reach. How important
annoyed me—not that I lost money, but of that shattered locker, and I signed, “This is that to you?
that someone gambled with my money was the best wood I hit all year.” I’m not It would be nice, and doing well in the
without my knowing. proud of what I did—banging up a locker is rankings is an indicator of some pretty
not exactly something you do at a First Tee prolonged success. That matters to me.
The big paychecks kept coming last clinic. But this game can get the better of But will I be No. 1 a year from now? It’s
year, but not everything went your you. It happened. I owned up to it. hard to say. It’s tight at the top. Hopefully,
way. You unleashed some fury on your I’ll be right there.
locker at the BMW Championship. Can Do you regret stripping down to your
we assume that was a rare outburst? underwear to hit a recovery shot from Which is more important to you—
the water at the winning a major or being No. 1?
2009 WGC-Cadillac A major. And if you win a major, chances
Championship? are you’re going to be pretty high in the
No, not at all. I’d hit rankings anyway. But even if I win the
one into the water PGA Championship, I can’t say it would
and had started to be a better season than what I had in
take off my pants so 2013. I won both Tour finals, both overall
that they wouldn’t titles. I walked away with five trophies.
get messed up. I It’s going to be very hard to top that.
just figured, well,
okay, I might as well If you were to retire tomorrow, would
keep going. I saved you be content with your career?
Five years later,
a stroke, so it was It’s been a great journey. There’s more I’d
worth it. It got me like to do, but I’ve accomplished more than
KYLE AUCLAIR/GETTY IMAGES
Stenson’s “strip
tees” remains a a lot more attention I could have ever dreamed. I’ve traveled the
defining moment than anything else world and played golf for a living. I would
in his career.
in my career. I was deserve a slap across the face if I wasn’t
still getting whistles happy with what I’ve achieved. n

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Louisville
Slugger
Not yet 30 years

old, Valhalla Golf
Club in Louisville,
Kentucky, already 1000-1300 Statues of Gahm
(right) and Nicklaus.
1986
boasts an enviable Hammer of the Gods Game On
tradition of hosting Valhalla is first Five years after conceiving
big-time events with referenced not in Valhalla, owner Dwight Gahm
thrilling, edge-of- Tiger’s yardage (pronounced “Game”) and his
JIM MANDEVILLE/NICKLAUS DESIGNS
your-couch finishes. book but in Norse sons Walt, Gordy and Phil open
Here’s a wire-to- mythology as a vast, the Jack Nicklaus–designed course
wire account of the spectacular Hall of to member play. Soon thereafter,
club’s rich history. the Slain, presided the layout enters the rankings as
over by the god Odin. one of the top courses in the U.S.

VALHALLA
PGA Championship host 1993

Valhalla has hammered plenty The Buyout
of home runs in its brief history, As part of an
investment strategy
from Tiger’s clutch victory over conceived by PGA
Bob May in 2000 to Team USA’s of America CEO Jim
rousing Ryder Cup takedown. Awtrey, the PGA
AP PHOTO/ED REINKE
purchases 25 percent
Behold, some of the venue’s of Valhalla. The idea is
major moments. to have the PGA own
and operate a select By going into TV, Perry may have spoiled his own ending.
By Joe Passov number of prestigious
clubs that can host the 1996
organization’s major Broadcast Lose
events, à la the PGA Kentucky’s Kenny Perry holds a two-shot lead
Tour’s network of TPC when he arrives at the 72nd hole of the PGA
courses. Three years Championship but snap-hooks his drive into
later the PGA will buy deep rough and eventually makes bogey 6.
another 25 percent Inexplicably, he agrees to join Jim Nantz and
of Valhalla before Ken Venturi in the CBS booth after finishing
becoming the club’s play early, where he stays for 40 minutes and
sole owner in 2000. watches Mark Brooks make birdie on No. 18
to tie him at 277 (-11). Perry fails to hit a single
practice ball before the sudden-death playoff,
which Brooks wins with a birdie on the first hole.
Tiger’s six-footer barely

caught the edge of the
RIGHT: BOB ROSATO/SI; LEFT: DAVID CANNON/ALLSPORT
cup, forcing extra holes.
Ali flashed his old form in

his meet-up with Jack.
1996
Champ Meets Champ
1992 With Kentucky hosting
Tournament Time its first golf major since 2000
Recognizing the strength and beauty the 1952 PGA, the Tiger Paws
MAIN PHOTO: GARY KELLNER/PGA OF AMERICA VIA GETTY IMAGES
of the new Valhalla layout, as well as presence of Louisville Nicklaus, 60, says “I’m basically ceremonial”
its natural spectator areas, the PGA of legend Muhammad Ali after shooting 77 in an opening-round pairing with
America awards the club its first major: does not go unnoticed. Tiger Woods, who cards a 66. It would be Jack’s
the 1996 PGA Championship. Most On tournament eve, a final PGA Championship appearance. On Sunday,
striking is the par-4 13th hole, its green friendly shadow-boxing in a thrilling duel with Bob May, Woods curls in his
a veritable island fortified by stacked match breaks out must-make six-foot putt on the 72nd hole to tie May
rocks. Other standout holes include between Ali and Jack at 270 (-18). Tiger goes on to beat the journeyman
the split-fairway par-5 seventh and Nicklaus, two titans (one of Woods’s junior-golf rivals) by one in a
the risk/reward par-5 18th. with claims to the title playoff. For the first time since Ben Hogan in 1953,
“Greatest of All Time.” a player captured three majors in a calendar year.

VALHALLA
2004
Senior Moment “This is bigger than
With the PGA having anything I’ve ever been
surprised many by
sending the 2004
a part of,” Azinger said.
PGA Championship
to Whistling Straits in
Wisconsin, Valhalla’s
consolation prize
is the Senior PGA
Championship. In a
rain-delayed event,
with Valhalla playing
as a par-71, Hale Irwin
posts 276 (-8), birdieing
the final hole to beat
Jay Haas by one in
Haas’s debut on the
50-and-over circuit. It
is the seventh senior
BOB MARTIN/SI
major for Irwin, 58,

leaving him one back
of Jack Nicklaus. Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger, far right, approached the event as if he were a general.
2011
2008 Holmes and Watson
BOO S.A.! BOO S.A.! If J.B. Holmes was one of the stars of the
U.S. Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger deploys a leadership strategy he learned 2008 Ryder Cup—the Kentuckian went 2-0-1
from watching a TV show about the Navy SEALs: He puts his 12-man team to tie Weekley for the best record among
into three “pods” of four to facilitate bonding and allow for more natural the Americans—it’s elementary that Tom
best-ball and four-ball pairings. It works, as the Americans take a 9-7 lead Watson would triumph at the 2011 Senior PGA
into the Sunday singles matches, where Boo Weekley rides his driver like Championship. He posts a 278 (-10) total and
it’s a horse (and beats Oliver Wilson 4 and 2), Anthony Kim thrashes Sergio beats David Eger in a sudden-death playoff by
Garcia 5 and 4, and Jim Furyk beats Miguel Ángel Jiménez 2 and 1 to birdieing the par-5 18th, the first extra hole.
clinch the Cup for the U.S., which wins by a lopsided score of 16 1/2–11 1/2. “If this is the last tournament I ever win,”
says Watson, 61, “it’s not a bad one to win.”
He hasn’t won since, although he’s come close.
DAVID CANNON/GETTY IMAGES
Watson
AP PHOTO/ED REINKE
flexed his
muscle to
Weekley went 2-0-1 and was a crowd favorite at the 2008 Ryder Cup. win the
Senior PGA.

LOOKING BACK
Off the Radar

Twenty-five years after he
short-circuited to lose the
1989 PGA Championship,
Mike “Radar” Reid still
stripes it down the sprinkler heads
and wonders what might have been
By Cameron Morfit
M
ike Reid won the The shot came up woefully
1988 World Series short, leaving Reid with rough-
of Golf when Tom ly 15 feet for par, and he pro-
Watson missed a ceeded to miss the putt, his ball
BILL WAUGH/AP; HEADSHOT: STAN BADZ/PGA TOUR

30-inch putt. At the 1989 Mas- racing some three feet past the
ters, Reid held a one-shot lead hole. “I turned around,” says his
on Sunday, but he three-putted then caddie, Chuck Mohr, “be-
14 and hit his third shot into cause he usually marks those,
the water at 15 to finish sixth. but when I looked back I saw
Of course there are shockers, that he had started his routine
and then there are shockers, like to finish the putt. I wanted to
Greg Norman at Augusta (1996 stop him, but it was too late.”
Masters), Jean Van de Velde at Says Reid, “I was just too keyed In 1989, Reid lost late-Sunday leads in two majors.
Carnoustie (1999 British Open),
and Phil Mickelson at Winged He laced his approach to seven Reid would win the 2005
Foot (2006 U.S. Open). Major feet from the pin—then missed Senior PGA and the 2009 Jeld-
meltdowns, all. Call it the Triple “That was my the birdie try. It was over; Payne Wen, but calls senior majors
Frown. Reid at Kemper Lakes chance,” Reid Stewart walked away with the “not remotely on the same par”
(1989 PGA), on the other hand, Wanamaker. as regular majors. He says he’s
rarely gets a mention. says today. Reaction was swift, begin- happy. He plays full-time on the
Reid, a soft-spoken family
man out of BYU, had a two-shot
“The summer ning with Jack Nicklaus con-
soling Reid in the locker room,
Champions Tour, has moved
from Utah to Maryland, and
lead when he arrived at 16, then came and left the Golden Bear saying he’d spends his free time visiting
lost his drive to the right and like a stranger never felt so bad for anyone historic sites and museums.
into the water. “I pushed the tee in his life. Reid would get fan “I thought it was a stepping
shot,” he admits, “and the wind in the crowd.” mail, including a letter from stone,” he says. “It seemed like
caught it.” a man in Scotland. “He was a lot of great players had stum-
He would eventually make a watching it in the middle of bled trying to win a major and
15-foot sidehill putt for bogey to up to get the hole behind me.” the night in a pub,” Reid says, learned from it. But that was
keep a one-shot lead. Reid’s bogey putt horse- “and he fell off a barstool and my chance. That summer came
His tee shot at the par-3 17th shoed around the hole and injured his hip really badly. He and left, and it passed me like
wasn’t terrible. It hit the green, came out. He’d lost three shots wrote, ‘I feel your pain.’ It was a stranger in the crowd.” And
in fact, but then kept going—all in a span of 15 minutes. funny—although maybe not if he could have one shot back?
the way into the woolly back “I’m one down now, aren’t for him.” “It would be the second shot
fringe. “I’ve never seen fringe I?” he said, walking to 18. Mohr says the two never at 17. In that situation, around
like that,” says Reid, now 60. “Yeah,” Mohr said, “but you talked about the loss. Reid the green under pressure, I
“I’d developed a shot that was can birdie this hole.” bounced back to win the 1990 learned what a lot of guys learn:
like a sand shot, but unfortu- Reenergized, Reid striped Casio World Open in Japan, but It’s good to get the ball on the
nately, I quit on it.” his drive down the fairway. they split soon after. ground as fast as possible.” n

TRIUMPH AFTER TRAGEDY
Will Robins had Robins (with

wife, Amanda,
dreams of life as and daughter,
Madeline) was
a touring pro, but meant to do great
things—just not
after he and his as a Tour star.
wife nearly died
in the 2004 Indian
Ocean earthquake
and tsunami, golf
has shaped him in
ways he could never
have imagined
By Alan Shipnuck
Portraits by Robyn Twomey
Some Calm Af
fter the Storm
ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
101
At first he thought they were under

attack. Two years earlier, terrorists
had bombed a resort in Bali, and now,
on Ko Phi Phi Don—an island off the
coast near Phuket, Thailand—Will
Robins feared it had happened again.
People raced through the hotel lobby.
The air filled with panic.
Robins, an aspiring 26-year-old Tour pro on
his honeymoon, grabbed his bride, Amanda, 27,
by the hand, and they jumped over the front desk
and hid in an office crowded with metal shelves.
“It was absolute mayhem,” Robins says. “We’re
inside the hotel, and people are running for their
lives. Next thing you know, it’s like the loudest
explosion you’ve ever heard, but it never stops. It’s
a boom that just keeps going.” About 250 miles
away, in Indonesia, a 9.3 magnitude earthquake
had triggered a tsunami. Now, a wave two stories
high was slamming into Ko Phi Phi Don.
“The ground starts to shake, violently,” Robins Robins believes of the area’s famous tracks. He talked his way onto
continues. “Amanda and I are on our knees, we’re traditional teaching the golf team at Monterey Peninsula College and
dogma is too technical.
holding each other, and I’m yelling at the top of He helps his students
into a caddie gig at Cypress Point, where he found
my lungs, ‘I love you!’ And she shouts, ‘This is it, hone their natural swing himself in high demand.
isn’t it?’ And that second, the room just implodes shape and save strokes Robins met Amanda through mutual friends.
around us. A chunk of cement wall cracks me on on and around the greens. They saw each other off and on for 18 months, until
the head. I can feel my skull, like, liquefy. Amanda he proposed in December 2003. Says Robins, now
is shot through the ceiling by the force of the water. 35, “I had no ring, no flowers, we’re in a muddy
I had her hand, and one second later, she’s just field in England, I get down on one knee...”
gone. I still don’t know what’s happening—it’s fear, “It was very romantic,” says Amanda, 36, roll-
panic, sorrow—every emotion you can imagine. ing her eyes.
So I start talking to myself: ‘This is not how Will They were married in the summer of 2004, but
Robins dies. This is not how I die.’ But I’m under they delayed their honeymoon until December.
water inside a room that’s tumbling over and over “We were waiting for the good weather,” Will says
again, and if you could imagine 50 people with ruefully. The couple arrived with no hotel reser-
baseball bats cracking you over and over, that’s vations and just winged it. They fell in love with
what it feels like. And very quickly I go from, Thailand, and toward the end of their three-week
‘This is not how I die’ to ‘F---, this is how I die.’ trip they discovered Ko Phi Phi Don. On the morn-
It’s the emptiest feeling. Not fear, just sadness. ing of December 26 they had a tough decision to
I know it’s all over. I remember thinking, You’ve “I had make: Should they have cocktails on the beach,
lost your wife, you’re not going to make it through or rent a boat and explore the rest of the island?
this. Just inhale the water.” Amanda by It all changed in an instant.
the hand,” “I’m a person of faith,” Robins says of the tsu-
ill Robins has led a charmed life. Robins says, nami’s initial wave, which stole away his wife and
W Growing up in Warwick, England,

he was a gregarious kid entranced
by golf. His family had friends on
the Monterey Peninsula, so when he was 16 he
came over for the summer, and, typical of his luck,
“and one
second later,
she’s gone.
held him trapped under the water amid the hotel
wreckage. “And I believe that God gave me the
resolve to keep fighting. I mean, I’m not going to
inhale the water. My lungs might explode, but I
won’t breathe the water in. And the second I make
his hosts’ connections helped get him onto many Just gone.” that decision, bang! I get spit to the surface. I’m

can’t help your family—we’re going to die here in
front of you, you have to save us.’ But I said it in a
voice of shrieking death, and he gave up his family
and he basically said, ‘Okay, I’m going to go for it
and help you guys.’ I didn’t know it then, but nine
years later, Marcus would become the godfather
to my daughter.” (Mellberg eventually found his
family members, injured but alive.)
Will and Amanda were shuttled from the boat
to a barge, then a dive boat and finally a fishing
trawler, each packed with the injured. It took 12
hours to reach the overwhelmed little hospital
in Phuket. A photo of their bloodied arrival at
the hospital ran in the Times of London; Will’s
brother James spotted the picture, the first sign
that Will and Amanda were alive. Her parents
ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

arranged a medical evacuation to a hospital in
Bangkok, where for the first time in three days
they received pain meds stronger than ibuprofen.
They spent six weeks in the hospital undergo-
ing various surgeries. Kids from Amanda’s school
sent a thousand origami cranes, evoking a symbol
of health and happiness in many Asian cultures.
in the middle of the ocean, under bright blue Will and Amanda Counseling for post-traumatic stress would come
skies. I look around, and my wife is right there. were bleeding, broken later. Amanda is still wary of the ocean and re-
and barely able to
I literally just reach over and grab her arm, and stay afloat after they luctant to discuss what she calls “the accident.”
that’s when she starts crying and screaming: were slammed by “I’m not sure we’ll ever understand why we were
‘I’m broken, I’m broken, I’m broken.’ ” the tsunami’s crushing spared when so many others died,” she says. “I do
Of the 10,000 people on Ko Phi Phi Don, more first wave at believe everything happens for a reason. Maybe
Ko Phi Phi Don.
than a third perished in the tsunami. Across fourteen [daughter] Madeline is destined to do amazing
Indian Ocean nations, the death toll is estimated at things. Maybe through my teaching I can reach
283,000. Will and Amanda had survived the killer one child who otherwise would have lost their way.
first wave, but their ordeal was just beginning. He Maybe it’s so Will can bring joy to so many through
had sustained a concussion and a broken clavicle; golf. It’s possible we’ll never know the answers.
his right ear was hanging from his head. Dozens Surviving gave our lives a sense of purpose.”
of puncture wounds covered his body.
Amanda was cut up and her pelvis was shat- fter the tsunami the couple returned
tered—she couldn’t move her legs. As they bobbed
in the water, clinging to a kickboard that had
providentially floated by, they felt the force of
another wave gathering. “There’s no way we’re
surviving this one,” Will says. “Our bodies are
Will’s
lingering
injuries
A to their home outside Sacramento. Will
was intent on resuming his playing ca-
reer, even though every swing caused
shooting pain in his neck. To make ends meet he
took a teaching position at Empire Ranch Golf
trashed, we have no strength left to fight, and the ended his Course in Folsom, California, where he began to
water is full of wreckage. Surely we’re going to question traditional teaching methods.
get crushed and pulled under in the next wave.” playing “You’ve got a 29-handicapper who can’t touch
The boat materialized seemingly out of the salt dreams. his toes,” Robins says, “and he’s made to stand at
air—small, wooden and piloted by a Swede named “I’d get in the range for an hour working on swing positions
Marcus Mellberg, who was looking for his parents and being told to stay on plane. Even if he knows
and siblings. Will and Amanda begged for help; the shower what that means, his body won’t let him do it. It’s
Mellberg said he had to save his family. “Looking and just a waste of time. To me, being a coach means find-
back,” Will says, “it was the harshest thing I could ing what each player has inside and bringing it
have ever asked of any human being, and it’s the
cry from forward, not dictating a swing method that they
greatest miracle I’ve ever witnessed. I said, ‘You the pain.” have to conform to.”

Robins favored nine-hole playing lessons over

range sessions. He kept swing instruction simple,
emphasizing the art and craft of thinking your
way around the course. “I was just teaching the
way I knew how to play, which is to get the ball
on the ground, get it running, pick a club that you
can miss with, play for your miss, avoid trouble—
just basic scoring stuff I learned growing up in
England. Well, I had students going from shoot-
ing 100 to 85 in six weeks, and everyone is like,
‘Oh, my God, this is the most amazing stuff ever.’
And I was boggled—it was just basic golf to me.”
Robins developed a following as an instructor,
but he still yearned to play. A group of Cypress
members gave him financial backing, and in Febru-
ary 2006 he teed it up at Canadian Tour Q-School.
He still felt the effects of his injuries. “Every morn-
ing I got in the shower and just cried because of
the pain,” he says. “But I was like, ‘You’re alive, so
shut up and keep playing.’ ” He missed getting his nine-hole rounds focusing on strategy. If Emmy Doctors weren’t sure
card by two strokes. He finally let go of his dream to isn’t shooting in the low 90s at the end of their 10 Amanda would be able
to have a child after her
play the PGA Tour and fully committed himself to sessions, Robins will keep teaching him for free, injuries. Then she and
teaching. “It was a dark time,” he says. “I thought a deal he makes with all of his students. Will welcomed a healthy
I knew God’s plan for me, but I was wrong. What “People always say they want to hit the ball far- girl, Madeline, in 2013.
saved me was the enthusiasm of the players I was ther or consistently,” Robins says, “but really they
working with.” want to shoot lower scores. They just don’t know
Robins ministers to 300 students out of Empire how to. The feeling of a great shot is gone as soon as
Ranch and nearby Turkey Creek Golf Course, and you duff the next one. But when you take 10 strokes
he runs a thriving First Tee affiliate. He focuses off your score, that excitement lasts.”
on “the scoring zone” of 100 yards and in. Robins He has founded Will Robins Golf, certifying
has a special affection for high-handicappers. A other instructors in his methodology and licensing
recent playing lesson was with Sandy Emmy, a proprietary software that includes drills, videos,
spry octogenarian who plays to a 30 and says he stats and tools for managing the business. A half-
has only one goal: “To hit it longer.” dozen of his protégés haunt various courses in the
On the range, Robins gives Emmy some simple Western U.S. Among the believers is mini-tour
swing thoughts, and the student begins crunching player Isaac “Sasquatch” Sanchez, a popular com-
150-yard drives. Emmy shoots 54 for nine holes, petitor on The Big Break. “Will changed my life,”
a typical score for him. Robins maintains a pat- Sanchez says. “For 10 years people told me how
ter of encouragement and keeps his own brand to swing, and I was miserable. The funny thing
of stats. He gives a player like Emmy a “par” for about having Will as a coach is we never talk about
how many strokes it should take him to reach the my swing. Half of our ‘lessons’ are at Starbucks.
100-yards-and-in scoring zone—generally, two for He just wants to know what I’m thinking on the
a par 4 and three for a par 5. The goal is to get course. There’s something spiritual about the way Says one
down from there in no more than three strokes. he teaches. When I talk to him, I feel more peace-
“If a golfer can do that, he’ll shoot in the 90s ful about golf, and about life.” student,
and probably the 80s,” says Robins. In the park- Robins radiates contentment because he has “There’s
ing lot, Robins walks Emmy through his round: made peace with the wave that took away his
“Sandy, my boy, you hit the ball beautifully. On dreams. “It’s a great life,” he says. “It’s not any-
something
eight of nine holes you reached the scoring zone in thing I could have ever foreseen—it’s better. spiritual
regulation. The long game isn’t your issue. But look “Everyone has a tsunami in their life. Maybe about the
how many strokes it took you to get down from it’s cancer, or a bankruptcy, or the death of a
there: four, five, five, four.” On the spot, Emmy loved one. But there will always be a storm. The way Will
signs up for a 10-lesson package, half of which are question is how you deal with it.” n teaches.”

Chris:
Made possible by
an organ donor
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Health Resources and Services Administration to sign up, more about
Chris, and other stories.
THE SHOP
THE BEST NEW GEAR Edited by Rob Sauerhaft
Ping G30 Woods

DISTANCE MEETS FORGIVENESS IN AN AERODYNAMIC PACKAGE
By Michael Chwasky Photography by James Westman
P
ing engineers put great emphasis by-product is a higher MOI—1 percent setting hosel design (two more than the
on amassing knowledge through more heel-toe inertia; 2 percent more G25 has), which allows for loft adjust-
experimentation and study. Their top-to-bottom inertia—and greater ments of up to 1° in 0.5° increments.
approach to club design—understand- stability on off-center hits. Overall, the The G30 driver comes in a standard
ing the golfers’ needs and constantly head is 5 grams heavier than the G25, version (9° or 10.5°) as well as an SF
gathering data to root out engineering which also contributes to a higher MOI (Straight Flight) Tec model in 10° or
uncertainties—enabled the company and more momentum at impact. (A 12°. Added heel weighting in the SF Tec
to develop some of the most popular, lighter shaft with a higher balance point shifts the CG toward the heel, which
best-performing clubs of the past counterbalances the additional weight.) helps the face close more easily and
decade. And the beat goes on with Besides that, aerodynamic ridges on encourages a more inside-to-out swing
the new G30 woods, a powerful, more the crown (referred to as “turbulators,” path. Company testing found that the
forgiving update on last year’s G25. like those found on the wings of certain average shot curvature with the SF Tec
The G30 driver has a stronger, lighter aircraft) reduce drag during the swing, is 12.2 yards more leftward than a stan-
(by 4 grams) titanium face that allows which lets players generate faster head dard G30. Available in early August.
extra mass to be placed rearward. The speeds. Another key update is the five- $349, graphite; golf.com/ping
T
he G30 fairway woods (14.5°, 18°, 21°) have a Carpen-
G30 fairway ter 475 steel face that flexes more at impact than the
woods (right)
have an adjust- G25 and produces faster ball speeds. The G30 woods
able hosel; G30 also feature an adjustable hosel to tweak loft—up to 1° in
hybrids do not. 0.5° increments—while a marginally heavier head contrib-
utes to a higher MOI and increased forgiveness. The clubs
generate 2 mph faster ball speeds, four yards more carry and
15 percent tighter dispersion than the G25. $249, graphite.
The nonadjustable G30 hybrids (17°, 19°, 22°, 26°, 30°)
have a heat-treated, 17-4 stainless steel face that performs
similarly to a higher-strength steel face. The G30 delivers
1 mph more ball speed than the G25, with similar launch
and slightly less spin. The result: 2.5 yards longer carry.
The clubs also have a large sole pad, which contributes
to a lower CG and 3 percent higher MOI. $219, graphite.
For more information on any products in this section, go to golf.com/see-try-buy

PING G30
The G30 driver has

a lower, deeper CG
and a livelier clubface
than the G25 for hotter,
more forgiving shots.
The CTP plug—

4 grams to 17.5
grams—is used by
Ping’s fitters to
achieve specific
swing weights
for various shaft
lengths and weights.
Ridges on the crown help

decrease drag during the
swing, so players can swing
the G30 faster than the G25.
TABLET EXTRA 360˚ SPINS

DOWNLOAD THE GOLF MAGAZINE APP
THE SHOP WEDGES
Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0

$130; golf.com/cleveland
With its larger, steeper grooves and a new face-milling pattern that increases the
volume of the micro-grooves, Cleveland’s latest offering produces 15 percent more
spin from the rough than its predecessor, the original 588 RTX. Three sole grinds—
indicated by one, two, or three dots on the sole—allow you to match the club to your
swing and playing conditions. The “one dot” grind, for firm conditions, has the lowest
bounce and the most relief in the heel, toe and trailing edge. The “two dot” provides
medium bounce and a moderate amount of relief. The “three dot,” for softer
conditions, has a constant sole width and the highest bounce. Each of the three
grinds is available in a traditional blade-style head or a slightly larger cavity back
with added bounce. For comparison’s sake, the 56° blade one dot has 8° bounce,
the two dot has 12° and the three dot has 14°, while the 56° cavity-back one dot
has 10° bounce, the two dot has 14° and the three dot has 16°. Available August 15.
Spin SIX BRAND-NEW

WEDGES DELIVER
PLENTY OF BITE
Doctors
B
ooming drives
earn the oohs
and ahhs, but they
don’t always translate
into lower scores. To
shave strokes off your
handicap, you’ll have to Callaway Mack Daddy 2 Tour Grind
get the ball closer to the $130; golf.com/callaway
hole on a more consistent Created by legendary wedge designer Roger
basis. That means finding Cleveland, the Mack Daddy 2 Tour Grind is forged
wedges that match both from soft carbon steel and offers a traditional
your swing and the course look and feel. Based on extensive work with
conditions, so pay close Callaway Tour pros, the Tour Grind has a straighter
attention to sole designs, leading edge than the original Mack Daddy 2 for
grinds, and bounce-angle sharper turf interaction. A higher toe gives it
options. For example, more of a teardrop shape as well. The grooves and
a sole grind with lots of laser-milled micro-grooves—the same as those
relief along the trailing on the existing Mack Daddy 2 wedges—combine
edge performs best in to provide 25 percent more spin and control than
firmer turf and sand, the old X Forged model out of the rough. The new
while less relief is better sole design features a shallower grind and less
suited for softer playing bounce than the standard Mack Daddy 2, which
conditions. Here are six makes this version a strong option in firm playing
great new options to conditions. There’s also more relief in the heel
help you get it up and and toe, so it’s easier to lay the clubface open for
down more often. By Michael Chwasky added versatility around the greens. Comes in
Photos by James Westman chrome (pictured) or a non-glare slate finish.
Go to golf.com/clubtest for more wedge reviews.

Tour Edge Exotics CB PROs
$100, steel; $110, graphite;
golf.com/touredge
Forged from soft carbon steel for
enhanced feel, the Exotics CB PROs
features extra-sharp, precision-
milled grooves (Tour Edge calls
them “Mongo” grooves) for
maximum spin. In addition, Renegar Rx14
each face is layered with 28 $145, steel; $165, graphite; golf.com/equipment
smaller micro-grooves that The leading edge is significantly lower to the ground than on
maximize face roughness many traditional wedges, which reduces the number of thin
for added spin and control shots and allows square-face shots from tight or downhill lies to
from tough lies. The be struck with more consistency. In addition, the sole features
beveled sole (reduced three bounce angles. The area closest to the leading edge (used
bounce in the heel and primarily on square-face shots) has 21° of bounce, while the
toe) makes it easier to intermediate area (15°) and trailing area (18°) come into play
execute shots with an when the face is open. The main grooves and micro-grooves
open or closed clubface (for additional surface roughness) are CNC-milled to produce
from a variety of lies or consistent spin rates. Available in a chrome finish (pictured)
turf conditions. Available with a steel shaft or a black finish with a graphite shaft.
in lofts from 50° to 60°,
the clubs come with a
lifetime warranty.
Titleist Vokey TVD

$160; golf.com/titleist
Wilson Staff FG Tour TC Black Both the TVD-M and TVD-K have a more rounded
$110; golf.com/wilson teardrop profile (lower in the heel, more rounded in
Featuring a non-glare, durable black finish, the FG Tour the toe) than standard Vokeys. In addition, new Spin
TC Black is offered in two sole designs—Traditional and Milled TX3 grooves are 7 percent larger in volume than
Tour Grind. The Traditional model features a moderate previous designs, for more spin. Developed with input
amount of width and camber, making it suitable for from pros including Adam Scott and Jason Dufner,
players with medium to steep attack angles. The the TVD-K (TVD stands for “Tour Van Design”) has the
thinner Tour Grind sole tends to work better for players widest, most cambered sole in the Vokey line, which
with shallower swings. Wilson officials say the milled makes it well-suited for the sand. TVD-M (above) has a
“Tour-Y” grooves (the angled sidewalls are shaped crescent-shaped “M grind” sole with moderate bounce,
like a Y) work best on full swings for mid- to high- so it’s a solid choice in a broad range of conditions.
swing-speed players. Laser-etched micro-grooves Personalization options available at Vokey.com include
between each deep groove provide added spin on partial toe stamps, shaft bands, grips, character styles and
swings. Available in nine loft/bounce combinations. more. TVD-K: 54° to 60° lofts; TVD-M: 50° to 60° lofts.

THE SHOP SHOES
Good for
the Sole
WITH DRESSY
STYLING AND
LIGHTWEIGHT
COMFORT, THE
NEWEST SHOES
WILL HELP YOU
LOOK GOOD AND  Adidas Pure 360
$250; adidasgolf.com
PLAY YOUR BEST A flexible, cushioned sole allows your feet to
By Michael Chwasky move naturally, while an external heel cage
provides stability. In addition, the Pure 360
Photography by Brian Henn features Adidas’s thinnest, softest leather
ever, along with a last in the forefoot that’s
I
f you still think you have to wider than in previous styles for added comfort.
choose between comfort
and looks when it comes to
golf shoes, odds are you aren’t An additional cleat in the
putting your best foot forward midfoot aids traction.
when you walk to the tee.
The latest models combine
classic looks with high-tech  Puma Neo Lux
materials and designs, and $180; cobragolf.com/pumagolf
they’re as comfortable as your Compression-molded cushioning in the
favorite pair of sneakers. Try midfoot and heel contributes to a comfortable,
on these luxury kicks and get secure fit, while a lightweight sock liner helps
ready to step out in style. limit foot odor. Low-profile replaceable spikes
and permanent traction nubs place you closer
Go to golf.com/equipment to the ground for more stability as you swing.
for more gear reviews.
Durable cleats
with radiused
ÒlegsÓ prevent
slipping.
 FootJoy FJ City
$160; footjoy.com
FootJoy based the shoe’s “Laser Last” on
thousands of digital scans taken with the
company’s laser-fitting system. The resulting
shape—fully rounded in the toe, standard width
in the midfoot, slightly narrow in the heel—is
The stylish Neo Lux designed to suit a wide range of foot types. Soft,
lets you pick from breathable leather offers comfort and durability,
four lace colors. while a padded insole provides shock absorption.

 Ecco Tour Hybrid Saddle
$190; eccousa.com
Ecco expands its Tour-proven line with the dressy
Hybrid Saddle. A waterproof leather upper and lining
manage moisture to deliver all-weather comfort.
The spikeless sole has 100 molded traction nubs
with 800 points of contact to keep you grounded.
Molded rubber
cleats provide
gripping power.
 Nike Lunar Clayton

$250; nikegolf.com
A soft, supportive foam midsole—it’s used in many
of Nike’s running shoes—delivers plenty of cushioning
and a springy sensation as you walk. The firm foam
used on the arch side of each shoe adds support,
while softer foam on the outside absorbs shock.
Snappy color
choices include
white with blue
and gray accents.
 True Linkswear Gent Wingtip

$150; truelinkswear.com
Like all True shoes, the Gent Wingtip conforms
to the shape of a human foot, with a larger toe
area for added comfort and easier balance. A
waterproof leather upper enhances the comfort
quotient. A thin, light, rubber outsole should
reduce fatigue while placing the feet closer to the
ground for stability and leverage as you swing.
The spikeless
Brogue looks cool
on the course or
around town.
 Callaway Master Staff Brogue

$130; callawayfootwear.com
A full-grain leather upper offers the look
of an old-school welted shoe with modern
The suede Gent runs conveniences. The soft, light midsole enhances
a half size smaller comfort, molded inserts provide breathability
than other True shoes. and cut down on sweat and odor, and durable
rubber nubs built into the sole aid traction.

THE SHOP TOUR PLAYER GEAR
1st
WHAT I PLAY
Derek Ernst Derek’s Total Driving
ranking on the PGA Tour, which
combines a player’s rank for driving
distance and driving accuracy.
WE LOOK INSIDE THE BAG OF THE Source: PGA Tour’s ShotLink, through June 11, 2014
PGA TOUR’S TOP-RANKED DRIVER
DRIVER FAIRWAY WOOD

Ping i25, 9.5° (adjusted to 10.45°), Fujikura Precursor Ping i25, 15° (adjusted
75 graphite shaft, X flex, 295 yards; $400/graphite to 15.2°), Fujikura Speeder
DEREK SAYS: “I put it in the bag at the end of last 8.2 graphite shaft, X flex,
year, in December, when I went back [to Ping] and 260 yards; $250/graphite
got fitted for all the new i25 equipment. I’ve been DEREK SAYS: “It has the
driving the ball really well this year. It goes new lines [on the crown]
straight and long, so that’s good.” like all the i25s, which is
pretty sweet for alignment.”
HYBRID
Ping i25, 19°, Oban Kiyoshi Purple
100 graphite shaft, X flex, 1° flat lie
angle; 235 yards; $220/graphite
IRONS PUTTER
Ping S55, 4-PW, KBS C-Taper Ping Ketsch CB (straight),
steel shaft, stiff+ flex; 38”, 3° loft; $230
$1,000/steel for 8 DEREK SAYS: “I’d used
4-iron: 215 yards a Ping Scottsdale B60 putter
5-iron: 205 yards since my sophomore year
6-iron: 195 yards in college. I won all my
7-iron: 180 yards college tournaments
8-iron: 165 yards with it, and went through
9-iron: 150 yards Q-School with it. I recently
PW: 135 yards switched to the Ketsch.”
DEREK SAYS: “I’m very
much a feel player, so I stick
with what I have and then I
feel it out. I may check lofts WEDGES
and lies once every month Ping Tour, 50°/SS, 120
or two, but that’s about it.” yards; 54°/SS, 115 yards;
58°/SS, 95 yards. All clubs
ERNST: DARREN CARROLL/SI; CLUBS, BALL: GUILLERMO HERNANDEZ
BALL have KBS C-Taper steel

Titleist Pro V1x; $48/dozen shaft, stiff+ flex; $130 each.
DEREK SAYS: “I’m playing the 2014 DEREK SAYS: “I put the 50° in at
Pro V1x. I’ve used the Pro V1x since Riviera [in February] to fill in a
I was 14 years old. That’s loyalty.” gap between my pitching wedge
and 54°. All my wedges have a
standard sole—the SS. I have
no special grinding on them.”

FOR THE TRULY OBSESSED FAN,
THE SI COVER COLLECTION.
sicovers.com
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Sports Illustrated® and SI are trademarks of Time Inc.

BEST TRIPS
WORTH YOUR MONEY THIS MONTH
Kidd Friendly
David McLay Kidd’s Gamble Sands is big, brawny—and a whole lot of fun
Gamble Sands
Brewster, Wash.
7,169 yards, par 72
Green fees: $85-$150
509-436-8323, gamblesands.com
SPEND YOUR
MONEY WELL
By Joe Passov
Photo by
Larry Lambrecht
W
hen native Scot David McLay Scottish roots and his breakthrough design dropping vistas of the river, then careens
Kidd set out to create a new golf at Bandon Dunes. It’s pure golf. No homes, to the left like the third turn at Talladega.
course for the Gebbers family, roads, cart paths or trees—just acres of wide, Thanks to the crispy, links-like turf, you can
one of the nation’s largest producers of firm fairways that lead to gigantic, equally reach the green with less than a driver, but
apples and cherries, you might have figured firm greens. Named for the Gambles, the your choices are so numerous that half the
the layout would incorporate trees. Not a original ranch owners who settled the place fun is the selection process. At three and
chance. The site where Kidd worked his in the 1880s, Gamble Sands is a dramatic, a half hours east of Seattle and two and a
magic is a huge sand plateau in the north fun-to-play spread, with holes that zigzag half hours west of Spokane, Gamble Sands
central Washington town of Brewster that over massive sand ridges allowing for is not on anyone’s beaten path. However,
overlooks the Columbia River and the dozens of ways to attack the greens. Most for a unique walking experience and an
snowcapped northern Cascades, and the engaging is the boldly bunkered, 301-yard, unforgettable golf romp through the high
finished product harks back both to Kidd’s par-4 second, which begins with jaw- desert, Gamble Sands is worth the detour.
The majestic Columbia River frames

the second hole at Gamble Sands.

BEST TRIPS
Ask Travelin’ Joe

HE’S BEEN WHERE YOU’RE GOING
we played a classic course

before it disappeared, but we
had also managed to spend
quality time together doing it.
It sounds like you’re off to
a great start on your own trip.
For the best à la carte stand-
alone courses, go with Aviara
($160-$245; 760-603-6900,
golfaviara.com), a public-
access offering at the Park
Hyatt Aviara Resort. Graced
with thousands of wildflowers,
this Arnold Palmer creation is
simply gorgeous. Another top
choice is Maderas ($170-$210;
858-451-8100, maderasgolf.
EVAN SCHILLER
Roger Rulewich’s Saratoga National com), an inland facility that

is plenty of golf for anyone’s game. wows with superb service
and a track strewn with oaks
Courses for Horses

and rock outcroppings. For
a scenic bargain along the
water, Coronado Golf Course
($20-$56; 619-435-3121,
Dear Joe: wallet), try the Saratoga Spa Ken, I have fond memories of golfcoronado.com) will
I’m headed to Saratoga Springs, Golf Course ($25-$61; 518- golf road trips with my dad. satisfy. But be forewarned:
N.Y., home of the famous horse- 584-2006, saratogaspagolf. Back around 1990, we played It’s a muni. A final option
racing track. What course in com), a New York State Park the old Tropicana course in is Barona Creek ($80-$160;
the area is a “must play”? layout minutes from the Las Vegas the week it closed 619-387-7018, barona.com),
—Les Solomon race course. The design is for good. We toasted our round a fun track that played host
Los Angeles, Calif. neither as sophisticated nor later that night, happy in the to the Nationwide Tour
as challenging as Saratoga knowledge that not only had Championship in 2007.
I’ve got one favorite and one National, but its 7,145 yards
long shot for you, both near ask for big, accurate hitting,
the legendary Saratoga Race and the price tag is a lot
Course. Gallop to the region’s lower. The bookend par 4s,
sure thing, Saratoga National the 460-yard first and the 450-
Golf Club ($65-$195; 518-583- yard 18th, will test whatever
4653, golfsaratoga.com). While level of game you’re bringing.
pricey during race season
(July 18 to Sept. 1), Saratoga Hello Joe:
National offers more than My 15-year-old son and I are
7,200 yards of rolling fairways planning a trip to San Diego.
full of framing forests, bold, I’ve already booked Torrey
lacy-edged bunkers and lots Pines South and will try to
of liquid peril, courtesy of walk on at Torrey Pines North.
BRIAN OAR
architect Roger Rulewich. If Any other suggestions?

you can’t handle that much —Ken Laidlaw
golf (or sticker shock to the Calgary, Alberta The LPGA Tour’s Kia Classic calls Aviara home.

THE TRAVELING GOLFER
AT YOUR SERVICE
THE GRAND
STRAND
FAMILY
MYRTLE BEACH GOLF HOLIDAY
PLAN
King’s North is one of the top five
Myrtle Beach courses where kids
can tee it up for free in August.
August brings the Golf.com 1. King’s North at Myrtle others afford views of the the border in North
World Amateur Handicap Beach National: Arnold Atlantic, and still others Carolina, this Tiger roars
Golf Championship, the Palmer’s lush trophy course skirt the marshes that edge with a 14-year-old Tim
world’s largest single-site sports “The Gambler,” the the Intracoastal Waterway. Cate design that features
golf tournament, to Myrtle unforgettable island-fairway Kids 16 and under play free. waterfalls, waste bunkers,
Beach, South Carolina. par-5 sixth, along with the pine-framed fairways
August is also a huge family par-4 18th, which features 3. TPC Myrtle Beach: Tom and coquina boulders
month in Myrtle, and 40 bunkers. Kids play free Fazio created this former ringing the lakes.
golf’s ultimate buddies-trip starting at noon Monday Senior Tour Championship
destination gives back to through Thursday and all site with consulting help 5. Heather Glen: This
parents in a major way: day Friday through Sunday. from Lanny Wadkins. Fazio’s Willard Byrd–designed 27-
Kids can play for free at artful shaping and a watery, holer in Little River melds
some of the Grand Strand’s 2. Tidewater: Uncommon risk/reward par-5 18th tempt Scottish links traits (such
top tracks. Here are the elevation change and all ages. No charge for the as pot bunkers) with oaks,
top five courses in Myrtle tremendous variety define children after noon. pines, ponds and lakes.
Beach that offer the wee this North Myrtle Beach Undulating terrain adds
ones (under 16 years old) layout. Some holes are 4. Tiger’s Eye at Ocean further beauty and interest.
the ultimate discount. etched into forested bluffs, Ridge Plantation: Just across Kids 17 and under play free.
DEAL
OF THE The Grove
MONTH London, England
London is home to some world- London, the former country
class golf and at least one world- estate of the Earls of Clarendon
class golf resort. The Grove has been converted into a
enjoyed a ÒHello, WorldÓ moment contemporary resort, with 217
in September 2006 when it guest rooms and a 7,152-yard
hosted the WGC-American course designed by Kyle Phillips,
Express Championship. To no who also delivered Kingsbarns
COURTESY THE GROVE
one’s surprise, Tiger Woods near St. Andrews. The rolling Great golf in the English
crushed both the course and the terrain is dotted with oaks, countryside is just 18
miles from central London.
field, but since then, the Grove chestnuts and black walnut
has matured into an outstanding trees. The par 3s stand out,
UK golf destination, close notably the fourth, with its Troon manages the Grove, night in a Superior West Wing
enough to London for guests to cruelly sloping green fronted so look for American-tinged room, one round of golf for two,
enjoy the city’s enticements, yet by a stream; the short uphill niceties to enhance the service breakfast in-room or at the
far enough into the countryside seventh, with the 18th-century package. Fancy carts await Glasshouse restaurant, and use
to resemble golf’s version of manor-house hotel in the those who are weary of the of the Sequoia Spa, gym and
Downton Abbey. background; and the huge walk. To take full advantage of pool. August rates start at $354
Situated 30 minutes up the 244-yard 13th, its ramp to the the Grove’s eclectic mix of old per person, per night, based
M25 from Heathrow Airport right ushering shots to safety. and new, book the Stay & Play on double occupancy. 011-44-
and just 18 miles from central The USA-based company package, which includes one 1923-296010, thegrove.co.uk

+ DIGITAL
Gary Player has played 90
of Golf Magazine’s Top 100
+
TAP HEADLINE
TO READ STORY
SLICE BUSTER SCORECARD

+DIGITAL Courses in the World. How
▼
BACK TO CONTENTS
COBRA’S HOT
NEW DRAW-
DIGITAL
BIASED DRIVER
The Sweet Spot
many have YOU played?

Adam Scott says he’ll
tee it up with whoever
DEEP A HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE GUIDE TO THE ponies up to purchase How long before “I’m starting
FEBRUARY 12, 2014

THOUGHTS WEEK’S HITS AND MISSES By Alan Bastable his Abu Dhabi bachelor
pad. (Fine print: Buyer
PGA of America
president
to putt as well
as I ever have. I
WITH... G-Mac is penning a monthly
must agree to a Ted Bishop have found the
SERGIO GARCIA column for BBC Sports, following
$100,000 nassau with
automatic presses and
lands his own
reality show?
secret.”
—Phil Mickelson,
in the footsteps of such Irish no strokes.) last summer
literary giants as O-Wilde, J-Joy
GOING PUBLIC and W.B. Yeatsizzle. “This is the
IS TWITTER worst putting
LEADING MAN A TRAP FOR

week I’ve had in
MISS SHANK! a year and a half.
TOUR PROS? It was horrific.”
HIT —Phil, last week
The next stop on the Jimmy Walker MEISTER OF Whatever
Barnstorming Tour? L.A.’s storied HIS DOMAIN Tiger Woods announced he
won’t play again until the
NAILED IT! happened to John
Riviera Country Club. How fitting, IT’S GOOD TO Honda Classic at the end
Merrick, defending
champion of this
because the Texan’s improbable season BE BERNHARD of February.
At which point
HIT week’s Northern
is playing out like a Hollywood script LANGER we’ll find out
Trust Open? This:
By Cameron Morfit if he can MISS 25 starts since
By Alan Shipnuck winning at the Riv.
Go to top100.golf.com to create your own

handle the One top 10.
pressure of
TONY & TIGER being the
cousin of
Clint Eastwood saves
THE CHAPTER Cheyenne
Pebble Beach’s tournament
director from choking on a D.A. Points ...
YOU’VE BEEN Woods. piece of cheese. Poor guy henceforth
WAITING FOR had Trouble With the Curd. D.Q. Points.
By Michael Bamberger
CLOCKWISE FROM BISHOP: LANDON NORDEMAN; FRED VUICH/SI; RINGO CHIU/ZUMAPRESS.COM; MARCO GARCIA/AP; GETTY IMAGES; MATT ROBERTS/GETTY IMAGES; KOHJIRO
KINNO; CORBIS
The
digital pegboard, and see how your total
measures up to your friends’.
Reviews Golf Magazine
Are In!
Top 100 Courses in the World
Gary Player
1 Pine Valley 51 Baltusrol (Lower)

“Well done, SI. Just 2
3
Cypress Point
Augusta National
52
53
Diamante
Morfontaine
fnished reading your new 4
5
St. Andrews (Old Course)
Shinnecock Hills
54
55
Portmarnock (Old)
Kingsbarns
digital format and you 6
7
Royal County Down
Pebble Beach Golf Links
56
57
Castle Stuart
Olympic (Lake)
hit it on the screws. 8
9
Oakmont
Merion (East)
58
59
TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium)
Royal Lytham and St. Annes
The format is clean 10
11
Muirfield
National Golf Links of America
60
61
Oak Hill (East)
Shoreacres
and easily intuitive.” 12

13
Sand Hills
Royal Melbourne (West)
62
63
Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin)
Bandon Dunes
—Richard Gregory, M.D., Fresno, Calif. 14 Royal Dornoch (Championship) 64 Southern Hills
15 Royal Portrush (Dunluce) 65 Oitavos Dunes
16 Pinehurst (No. 2) 66 The Golf Club
“I love it—a great mix of 17

18
Ballbunion (Old)
Turnberry (Ailsa)
67
68
Maidstone
North Berwick (West)
content throughout.” 19
20
Crystal Downs
Pacific Dunes
69
70
Royal Liverpool
Camargo
21 Winged Foot (West) 71 Kawana (Fuji)
—Heath Ropp, Ames, Iowa 22 Seminole 72 Barnbougle Lost Farm
23 Carnoustie (Championship) 73 Quaker Ridge
24 Fishers Island Club 74 Kauri Clifs
“I particularly liked the 25 Chicago 75 Ballyneal
equipment coverage. 26
27
Prairie Dunes
San Francisco
76
77
Waterville
Somerset Hills
And the fact that I can 28
29
Kingston Heath
Royal St. George’s
78
79
Shanqin Bay
Cruden Bay
open SI Golf+ Digital 30
31
L.A. Country Club
Royal Birkdale
80
81
Walton Heath (Old)
Harbour Town Golf Links
on my desktop 32
33
Friar’s Head
Riviera
82
83
Cabot Links
Inverness
computer is terrifc.” 34
35
Barnbougle Dunes
Oakland Hills (South)
84
85
Ganton
Medinah (No. 3)
—Vince Coppolecchia, Ridgewood, N.J. 36 Bethpage (Black) 86 European Club
37 Hirono 87 St. George’s
38 Cape Kidnappers 88 Old Macdonald
39 Sunningdale (Old) 89 Loch Lomond
Subscribe to SI Golf+ Digital 40 Lahinch (Old) 90 Old Sandwich
FOR FREE on Golf.com 41 New South Wales 91 Machrihanish
or download the FREE SI Golf+ Digital 42
43
The Country Club
Kiawah Island (Ocean)
92
93
Swinley Forest
Tokyo
app at the App Store.➜ 44 Royal Troon (Old) 94 Royal Melbourne (East)
45 Nine Bridges 95 Royal Porthcawl
New Issue 46
47
Casa de Campo (Teeth of the Dog)
Garden City Golf Club
96
97
Rye
Cabo del Sol (Ocean)
Every Wednesday! 48 Muirfield Village 98 Valderrama
49 Whistling Straits (Straits) 99 Royal Adelaide
(* Reviews excerpted from actual reader
50 Trump Int’l Golf Links Scotland 100 Durban Country Club
mail; edited for space and clarity.)
ROBERT BECK

Lessons
P R I VA T E
AUGUST 2014
FOR MORE INSTRUCTION THAT FITS YOUR GAME, GO TO GOLF.COM
Inconsistent putting is often

caused by a rising stroke that
forces the putter’s leading
edge—rather than the sweet
spot—to contact the ball. This
leads to poor distance control.
Place a
Band-Aid on
the leading
edge of the
putterhead to
promote a more
level stroke.
Put a Band-Aid on Your Putting Stroke

You’ve spent hours on the practice green cause both distance and direction problems.
POWER trying to fix your inconsistent putting, but To fix this flaw, attach a Band-Aid to the
HITTER nothing works. Your putts continue to either bottom third of the face, so that the bandage’s
You hit the come up short or blow by the cup. Worse, you top edge is just below the sweet spot. Then take
ball a long never know which miss will show up next. several practice strokes, trying to avoid making
way, but your
game needs If this sounds familiar, there’s a good contact with the Band-Aid. This forces you to
control and chance you’re flipping the putter up through keep the putter level through impact in order to
consistency. impact and contacting the ball with the make contact higher up on the face, resulting in
bottom half of the face, an error that can a purer, more consistent roll off the sweet spot.
Illustrations by GR AHAM GACHES August 2014 golf.com / GOLF MAGAZINE 105

SENIOR
PLAYER
You have
lost some
flexibility and
power, but
you can still
play well.
Pitching the ball from this

location to three different
pin placements requires
three different strategies.
3 Pitches to Attack Any Pin

If you’re like most golfers, you tinkering with the length of your swing.
automatically reach for your sand And guessing wrong can lead to bogey,
wedge when confronted with a short or worse.
pitch from 75 yards and in, regardless Here are three simple pitching methods
of the pin’s location. This can create that let you attack any pin without straying
too much guesswork—you’re constantly too far from your regular technique.
GOLF MAGAZINE / golf.com August 2014

FRONT PIN MIDDLE PIN BACK PIN
On short pitches, resist the With the flag farther Your setup should be the
urge to lob the ball at the back, you’ll want to land same as for a middle-pin
pin, a move that requires the ball on the front third shot, but you’ll need to
near-perfect execution to of the green and let it roll carry the ball farther in the
get it close. Instead, plan slowly toward the hole. air while getting it to roll
for a low shot, but use your Use your sand wedge just as far. This requires
lob wedge, which gives you and move the ball to the a less-lofted club (a gap
needed stopping power. center of your stance. or pitching wedge), a bit
Assume a very narrow Make a similar backswing more clubhead speed and
stance, with the ball as before, with no wrist a steeper angle of descent.
directly opposite the big toe hinge, but take your hands Hinge the club up so that
on your back foot and your back to waist height. Next, the clubhead is just above
weight over your front foot. turn your body through to your hands at waist height.
From there, simply make the target, maintaining a Then rotate your arms and
a pendulum-like putting relatively straight line at torso together and keep
stroke, keeping the arms impact between your left your hands ahead of the
soft and the wrists quiet. arm and clubshaft. clubhead through impact.
August 2014 golf.com / GOLF MAGAZINE

Tour Secrets for Maximum Power
We all want more power, but today’s EASY DOES IT
STRAIGHT technology can only grab you so To hit the ball well, you need to smoothly
HITTER many extra yards with your drives. transition from the top of your backswing
You keep the Most Tour pros rely on the following into your downswing. This lets your club
ball in play, three keys to help them make better travel on plane and from the inside on
but a lack of
distance puts contact and significantly increase your downswing, maximizing clubhead
pressure on their ball speed and distance. speed through the ball. One way to ensure
your game. a smooth transition is to simply slow
your backswing. If you take the club back
smoothly and steadily, you’re more likely
to complete your backswing and gather
yourself at the top. This lets you store the
energy needed for powerful drives; it also
reduces the chances of getting “quick,” i.e.,
rushing your swing and hitting thin shots.
A slow, steady backswing

stores energy at the top
and helps prevent
you from rushing the
clubhead down to impact.

HIT THE POWER FADE
Under pressure, it’s easier to fade the
ball than to draw it, since there’s a To hit the power
tendency to “hold onto” the clubface fade, focus on
longer. That’s okay—as Masters winner keeping the logo
Bubba Watson demonstrates, a big cut is
a valuable birdie-making weapon. To hit on the back of
the power fade, aim down the left side of your glove pointed
the fairway, and as you swing the clubhead toward the target
through impact, keep the logo on the back of
your glove hand pointing at the target a little through impact.
longer than normal. This will delay the release
of your right hand long enough to ensure that
the ball starts slightly left of your target line
and gently curls back to the landing area.
Pro golfers often FIND THE RIGHT TEE HEIGHT

Most pros tee the ball down low
tee the ball so when playing their driver, so that
that it sits just only a fraction of the ball appears
above the top of above the top line of the clubface.
This encourages a slightly descending
the driver face, or level angle of attack and gives them
which creates a the feeling that they can control their
more level swing ball flight better. It’s important for you
path and gives to experiment with various tee heights
until you find something that not only
them better makes you feel comfortable, but that
shot control. also gives you the best combination
of high launch and low spin.

The New Way to Escape Bunkers
Getting out of a greenside bunker has and clubface only very slightly and
HIGH traditionally meant opening your stance swing the club back and through
HANDICAPPER and clubface and swinging along your on a more normal plane. This exposes
You have stance line. The problem with this the wedge’s “bounce”—the surface
potential
but must
technique? It can create an overly steep between the leading edge and trailing
solve some angle of attack, which exposes the club’s edge on the club’s sole—so that the
fundamental leading edge, causing it to dig, not glide. clubhead can properly move through
problems. The best way to escape a greenside the sand, rather than digging in. Here
bunker—and the method preferred by are some simple setup tweaks that will
most Tour pros—is to open your stance make you unbeatable from the bunkers.

GET SQUARE
First, choose your target line
based on the slope of the green
and where you want to land the
ball. (You’d be amazed at how many
weekend players neglect to choose a
specific target on the green.) Open
your stance slightly so that your feet,
hips and shoulders all point a few
degrees left of your target line, then
aim the leading edge square to your
target. Spread your feet a few more
inches apart than normal to help
quiet your legs and control the point
of entry in the sand, which should be
about two inches behind the ball.
Rather than opening your

stance radically, aim your feet,
hips and shoulders just slightly
left of the target and keep
the club’s leading edge square.
USE THE TRAILING EDGE

These aforementioned
adjustments will shallow out
your downswing path, so that
the clubshaft is traveling more
on plane (with a square clubface)
than outside in (with a wide-open
clubface). As a result, the trailing
edge will contact the sand before
the leading edge, causing the
clubhead to bounce through the
sand, as it was designed to do.
Keep your stance and clubface

more square to the target to
help the clubhead correctly
glide through the sand.

How to Reach Par 5s in Two
There’s a huge key to reaching par 5s the bag so that the grip end hangs
LOW in two: You must squeeze every ounce directly over your target line. Set up to
HANDICAPPER of distance from your fairway woods. a ball that’s about 12 inches behind the
You play well To do this, it’s vital to “sweep” the ball hanging shaft and swing, accelerating
but want to off the ground, so that the bottom of the clubhead down the line and
shave those the clubhead barely brushes the turf. underneath the grip. Hit several shots.
last few
strokes of This exposes the club’s true loft, which By missing the grip entirely as you
your handicap. maximizes carry and distance. extend into the follow-through, you’ll
To hone this motion with your ensure that you’re properly powering the
woods, lay your bag down parallel to clubhead through impact, and you’ll be
your target line, then place a club across hitting more greens in no time.
The hanging-shaft drill helps

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your woods. Hello, eagle putt!

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ADVERTISING & READER SERVICE
MAGAZINE
IN THIS ISSUE
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC of Tourism SOUTH CAROLINA
Casa de Campo www.ococean.com Myrtle Beach
Casadecampo.com.do/golf 800-OCOCEAN Golf Holiday
800-877-3643 www.golfholiday.com
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Ocean City Department 800-ITS-GOLF
Distances to Atlantic City (miles)
Philadelphia, PA Baltimore, MD Washington, DC Albany, NY Pittsburgh, PA Toronto, ON
New York City Harrisburg, PA Hartford, CT Boston, MA Montreal, QC Ottawa, ON
63 150 190 253 366 510
117 155 226 326 475 517

OWNING THE OPENS
I
n his long prime, any year Big Jack did Hogan, Trevino, Watson, open, gentle, patient, the opposite of
not win the Masters, he left Augusta haughty. Professionally, though, he
mildly depressed. Another chance Woods...Kaymer? If does bear some similarities to Tiger.
to win the Grand Slam—poof, gone. the U.S. Open champ He played Pinehurst the way Woods
In 2000-’01, Tiger Woods won the played Hoylake, with chasing irons and
so-called Tiger Slam. I hope you savored it, wins at Hoylake—and superior lag putting and all eyes on him.
because nobody is ever going to win four That’s not easy.
straight majors again, no matter where
no player is more Kaymer has not played Royal
New Year’s Eve falls in the run. The whole prepared—he’ll join Liverpool—Hoylake’s birth name. But
world plays golf now, and there are way too he feels like he has. He won the 2010
many elite players for one guy to rise above
elite company. PGA Championship at Whistling
the crowd in, say, April, and then again in Straits on a pseudo-links course. He
June and July and August, pressure and won the 2014 U.S. Open on a neo-links
scrutiny rising all the while. No matter course. He’ll be looking to complete
how good your golf and game plan might the Open Slam on a real links course.
be, TMZ will have other plans for you. He’ll be hoping the wind howls. The
And so, in this age of diminished tougher the better.
expectations, we throw down a new In their Open Slam summers, Woods,
gauntlet: the Open Slam. There’s only Watson, Trevino and Hogan had to shift
one man who can win it this year, Martin gears in a way that Kaymer will not. They
Kaymer, of Düsseldorf and the world. were like tennis players moving from
The Masters oozes clubby gentility, clay to grass. Kaymer has less distance to
and the PGA Championship bears the travel, but that’s not his fault. His job is to
stamp of Walter Hagen, but the game play the course presented to him. All the
has only two majestic events that truly USGA is doing is returning to the game’s
connect us to our golfing forebears: and bouncy—as Pinehurst No. 2 did British roots. At Pinehurst, Kaymer
the U.S. Open, in June, and the British in June. Well, Newport Country Club chipped with his putter all week long.
Open, in July. Win those two back-to- probably did in ’95—but that was 1895, That’s golf, too. At St. Andrews, Woods
back and go directly to the pantheon. when fairways were watered by the once putted from 70 yards off a green.
Take a belated bow, Ben Hogan (’53), rain gods. “I just enjoy playing courses the way
Lee Trevino (’71), Tom Watson (’82), The last time the British Open Pinehurst played this week, the way
Tiger Woods (’00). What was it like to visited Hoylake was in 2006, when a we played Whistling Straits,” Kaymer
own a summer? drought had turned the links into a said an hour after his victory, the
Since the end of World War II—and massive swatch of brown burlap. But sheen of perspiration still on his arms.
the rise of jet travel and the creation in recent months, greater Liverpool “They’re fast. There’s not much room
of a global golf village—only two has had regular rain, and we will for error. You have to be committed
events truly deserve to be called World see green. Eight years ago, Woods to your tee shots and iron shots. You
Golf Championships, and only that wept in the arms of his caddie after have to think a lot about strategy, where
foursome has won them in the same the final putt dropped, a display of you want to pitch the ball, because it
year. Kaymer, following his win at the emotion Steve Williams had never will release. I’m sure Hoylake is not
U.S. Open at Pinehurst, goes to the seen from Woods. There was so much going to be different.”
British Open at Hoylake looking to swirling in Woods’s mind: sorrow, It won’t be. Pinehurst and Hoylake
become No. 5. joy, satisfaction. His father, Earl, had were put on the docket to test a golfer’s
He’ll have a chance. Not just because died 10 weeks earlier, he had just head, along with some other body parts.
of his considerable skill and his more concluded a grinding four days of The player’s job is to solve the puzzle.
considerable intelligence, but because golf, and he had won, for the third Kaymer is 1 for 1, and he’s the only guy
nothing could prepare a guy for time, golf’s oldest championship. For who can go 2 for 2. He’s the only guy who
Hoylake better than playing Pinehurst a moment, we were all with him. can own the summer of ’14. The Open
ILLUSTRATION: KEITH WITMER
so expertly. No U.S. Open has ever Kaymer’s personality is nothing Slam is sitting there, in front of him,
played as linksy—as firm, fast, brown like Woods’s. Kaymer, who is 29, is going begging. —Michael Bamberger

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Adam Scott Steve Stricker Jason Dufner Webb Simpson
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LAUNCH IT LONGER THAN EVER

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