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Golf Distance Vs Accuracy of Tee Shots
A great day for team Mickelson winning the 2005 PGA Major. Phil finished
off the 2005 PGA Championship with a birdie putt on 18 to win by one
stroke.
How did he lead the tournament all week and end up winning it?
I had made some predictions on what it was going to take
to win
this year's PGA Championship. Recalling, I said distance off the tee,
accurate
shots into the green, great short game play, putting, and a high level of
golf
fitness.
I was partly right with my predication and partly wrong. The area I was
way off
on was the need for distance! Yes, that is right, Phil did not win this
tournament by bombing his tee shots 330 yards down the fairway. What he
did was
hit a fade off tee for the purpose of placing his tee shot in the fairway
(sound
familiar?).
When Phil hits a fade he loose about 20 yards off his tee shots and
averages
somewhere around 280-290 on his drives. Well below what some guys were
hitting
this week. Phil went for accuracy off the tee and sacrificed distance, and
guess
what? He won the tournament! I think this is a prime example of how
important
accurate tee shots are to posting low scores. I am sure you all watched
the
tournament this weekend and saw how thick the rough was, and how difficult
it was
to hit out.
The rough at Baltusrol was a huge penalty and probably took away any
chance of
birdie if you ended up in it. I know players felt they were better off in
fairway
bunkers than the rough and that should tell you something!
So what else gave Phil the victory? A stellar short game helped him with
the
victory; if you need a reminder, take a look at his chip shot for birdie
on the
18th Monday morning. Putting was also a huge factor. He made some great
birdie
putts and par saves. When you win by one stroke, as often is the case in
Majors,
every shot counts!
Finally, his high levels of golf fitness made a difference. The heat index
hovered around 105 over the weekend, and in that weather if you are not in
shape,
you.re done! Think about it. He was walking 5 miles a day, swinging a club
hundreds of times, and needing the highest level of mental focus on every
shot.
To do that the body must be finely tuned and ready to play!
Every amateur can learn from the events of this last weekend. Accuracy is
as or
more important than distance off the tee. A stellar short game is needed
in this
game, and a high level of golf fitness can slam the door on your
competitors!
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