I remember where I was when Chip Beck shot 59 in Las Vegas in 1991. I had come in after nine holes to quickly grab something to eat before heading out for the back nine. This was at Windstone Golf and Country Club, just outside of Chattanooga. Beck was about to play the last, needing a birdie to shoot 59. Which he duly did. Buoyed by what I had just witnessed I then went out onto the course and tried to emulate the birdie-making machine by trying to shoot 29 over the closing nine. I think I mustered a 35.
Shooting 59, can you imagine how exciting that must be, to have a shot at it? Some people may be delighted to achieve that number for nine holes. Twenty-six years ago I thought I had witnessed something akin to man walking on the moon or Torville and Dean’s perfect Bolero. We still have a few days left in January and the sub-sixty club now has two new inductees.
Those two being Justin Thomas and Adam Hadwin.
Not exactly household names, yet they have broken 60 and joined an exclusive club. Which again shows how deep the talent is on the Tours around the world.
The article in January covering Graeme Storm’s horrific Portuguese debacle followed by a New Year playoff win in South Africa is testament to this.
It’s like the mystique of the 59 has now lost its lustre; this is somewhat down to the lack of rough accompanied by billiard table like surfaces.
The New Year has ushered in a new era where the pros have a new target, and it’s 57. It’s almost unfathomable that this will be the next milestone.
Next time you go and play, count your shots (gross) and see where you get to on the course with 59 shots, then imagine you are playing a 6700+ yardage. Wherever you hit your 59th shot take a moment to realise that two people, this year, have just holed out to finish.
What’s just a little bit scarier is that shooting 59, 13 under for one round, doesn’t necessarily win you the tournament. Adam Hadwin finished second.
Sunday night in front of the TV, past the watershed, usually means I have the remote to myself with every channel available to my index finger. I kid myself that I am doing crucial background work to enhance my coaching.
In truth, unless something really catches my eye on the golf channel, I spend my time blissfully channel hoping.
Whilst watching the golf on Sunday night and seeing Hudson Swafford grab the tournament by the scruff of the neck by closing out birdie, birdie, birdie, par to win by one, it became obvious that the guys who are so good were actually abiding to the very same putting routine.
Next time you see them go through their shot routine watch carefully. It’s right there in plain sight.
Very simple yet hugely effective. They stand directly behind the ball, not looking at the hole but focusing their attention on the intended line the ball needs to take to get to the hole. They then put the ball down, sometimes getting a line on the ball pointing along the intended line.
Then very carefully before taking their address (this is the most important part of the routine), they make sure that the putter is perfectly aligned towards the intended line of the putt. Then they meticulously take their position over, the ball making sure the putter continues to be aligned with the intended line.
From that moment on all they concentrate on is rolling the ball along the intended line, or over a specific spot on the green. Pace of the putt now becomes the most important factor.
Taking time is the key here, no rushing or complacency.
Take your time to read the putt, then make sure you are perfectly aligned to that line, the line which will take the ball to the hole. Do this and you have just improved your whole putting routine.
Now I’m not saying that you will be shooting 59s in the near future, over eighteen holes, but you should find yourself knocking a few shots off your scoring average. Good luck out there.