In the Northeast days are getting longer. The sun doesn’t set until after 7:00 pm, which is always a great and welcoming time of year. Except for the hour of sleep lost due to daylight savings.
As St. Patrick’s Day approaches it is time to dust off the golf clubs in the garage and get ready for spring golf. Temperatures may not be quite right for a round with friends yet, but every day brings us closer to the first round of the season.
This is the reason many golf fans tuned into the Players Championship this past weekend at TPC Sawgrass in Jacksonville, Florida. Watching the worlds’ best golfers take on a golf course which has a reputation of reducing the best players to lowly amateurs, at least for a moment or two, can be entertaining television. With water in play on seventeen of eighteen holes at TPC Sawgrass, it is a brutal test for any golfer, including the best in the world.
The last group on Sunday included Lee Westwood and Bryson DeChambeau. Ironically, they also made up the last pairing from the previous Sunday at Bay Hill in Orlando, site of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Bryson DeChambeau won the API by a shot and was viewed as the favorite by many heading into the final round at TPC Sawgrass.
Both players struggled to find a rhythm on Sunday and neither won. It was probably the best overall player in the world currently, Justin Thomas, who made the cut on the number Friday and came from seven shots back on Sunday to nip Westwood by one shot to claim the trophy at TPC Sawgrass. But it may have been the carnage along the way that left the biggest impression on golf fans.
DeChambeau actually cold topped a ball off the tee on the front nine. His tee shot literally went less than 100 yards and splashed into a water hazard. Drop and hitting three. On the same hole Westwood sliced a drive into an almost unreachable water hazard because it is so far right of the actual fairway. Drop and hitting three. From that point on the final group fought hard to put pars on the card.
Sound familiar? Drop and hitting …. Yes, something we all hear more than we would like on the golf course. But definitely not something world class players are accustomed.
Meanwhile, Justin Thomas found a groove that put some distance between him and the pack. Thomas went five under on holes 9 through 12. And by the time Thomas parred the island hole at 17, a par at 18 would ensure him the clubhouse lead at 14 under.
Unfortunately, Westwood, who performed admirably considering his off day ball striking, could not coax a five foot par putt in the hole at 17 to keep is hopes of a playoff alive. When the putt slid by the hole for a tap in bogey, Westwood’s bid to win came up short. DeChambeau never really factored in the mix. Although DeChambeau continued to hit some impressive tee shots and could have applied more pressure on Thomas near the end with a sharper short game. Ultimately, his bid to win back to back weeks came up two shots shy of Thomas at 14 under.
Westwood got a bit of revenge on DeChambeau, regarding the previous week at the API, on the 18th green as he holed a slippery 17 footer for birdie and claimed second place by himself. This earned Westwood a cool 500K more than DeChambeau who had to split third place money with Brian Harman.
As the pro circuit continues to rev up for the Masters, which will be played April 5 – 11, it has become time for all of us in the wintry part of the country to get out there and chase the ball around as well. So if you are looking for some instruction to get to a lower handicap or just enjoy the game more, this is the perfect time to find a PGA professional who can help you with your golf goals.
Golf is always more fun when played well. So get out and ready your game for the upcoming season. And don’t worry…even the best in the world top and slice shots from time-to-time. Happy green hunting!
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