Big Play with Bill Britton
WHO: Greg Owen
WHAT: 26-inchlip-out
WHERE: 219-yardpar-3 17th at Bay Hill
WHEN: Final roundof the Bay Hill Invitational
WHY
To avoid mentalcollapses, trainer Teddy Atlas gave Mike Tyson a piece of advice that'sappropriate for all sports, including golf: "Be in the moment, not theevent." After staying calm all day, Owen was rightly upset after missinghis first putt at 17, a 40-incher for par, because his dream of winning a Tourevent was suddenly slipping away. But if he had simply stepped back andrefocused, he'd have holed his tap-in.
BILL'S TIP
On Short Putts,Use The Britton Rule
At the GreaterMilwaukee Open, I once got a one-stroke penalty on a tap-in because the ballmoved after I had grounded my putter. That led me to make a rule for myself toavoid blowing another tap-in. The rule is simple: If I have a putt that isn'tshort enough to tap in without grounding my putter (inset), I mark the ball,clear my mind and go through my putting routine.
Bill Britton, whoplayed on Tour from 1980 to '95, teaches at the Twin Brook Golf Center inTinton Falls, N.J.
... AND ANOTHERTHING
"True, thewatery 18th hole at Bay Hill is a dramatic closer, but the green is so narrowthat it's unfair."
[This articlecontains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]
Head-to-Head Quiz
Can you match the Tour player to his headcover? Didn't think you could, so hereare a few helpful clues.
PLAYER | CLUE | HEADCOVER |
A | Ernie Els This is a symbol of the continent he hailsfrom. | 1 |
B | Tiger Woods This one represents his caddie's nativeland. | 2 |
C | Pat Perez It's a play on his reputation as ahothead. | 3 |
D | Kirk Triplett He uses this one for his kids, who areCaddyshack fans. | 4 |
E | Dean Wilson It's the second-largest export of his homestate. | 5 |
F | Todd Fischer This sea creature is a play on his lastname. | 6 |
Answers A-3; B-6;C-2; D-5; E-4; F-1
GOLF MAGAZINE
TOP 100
TEACHERS POLL
Do you considerthe Players Championship a fifth major?
Yes ...40%
No ...60%
" With a studfield on a stud course, the Players is the fourth major. The PGA is a distantfifth."
--TOM PATRI TPGOLF SERVICES
SIXTEEN PHOTOS
COURTESY OF NBC (OWEN); ERIC W. RASKO (BILL BRITTON, 3); TODD BIGELOW/AURORA (BACKGROUND); ROBERT BECK (ELS, KIWI, FISH, GOPHER, BOXING GLOVE, LION); DAVID WALBERG (WOODS, WILSON, PINEAPPLE); STEVE GRAYSON/WIREIMAGE.COM (PEREZ, FISCHER); MARC FELDMAN/WIREIMAGE.COM (TRIPLETT); FRED VUICH (SAWGRASS)