Big Play with Mitchell Spearman

WHO: JoeDurant

WHAT: Tee shot tothe right of the green

WHERE: 203-yardpar-3 15th hole at Disney World's Magnolia course

WHEN: Final roundof the Funai Classic

WHY

Durant--not TigerWoods--is the best ball striker on Tour, according to the stats. Since 1999,Durant has been fourth, on average, in greens hit in regulation and sixth indriving accuracy, while Woods has been 11th in GIR and 126th in driving. Howdoes Durant achieve golf's best strike? He keeps his hands neutral in thebackswing, then bows or bends his left wrist at the start of the downswing andkeeps it that way through impact, assuring crisp contact with a forward leaningshaft and a descending blow.

MITCHELL'STIP

Bow the LeftWrist To Hit It Crisp

Great ballstrikers like Hogan and Trevino all bowed their left wrist through impact. Tolearn the feel of a bowed left wrist, hit shots by starting in the impactposition. At address, push the shaft forward and put your hands ahead of theball. Then swing. If you can get a crisp hit and a low ball flight you're doingthe drill correctly.

Mitchell Spearmanteaches at Manhattan Woods Golf Club in West Nyack, N.Y.

... AND ANOTHERTHING

"Justin Rosewon't win until he learns to keep his good play going on the weekend andimprove his fourth-round scoring average rank of 140th."

[This articlecontains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]

The Long Goodbye

On Oct.13--Friday the 13th, no less--Arnold Palmer hit two straight balls into thewater on the 4th hole during the first round of the Administaff Small BusinessClassic in Spring, Texas, withdrew from the tournament and announced hisretirement from competitive golf. "To stand out there and not be able tomake something happen is very traumatic in my mind," said Palmer, whoplayed out the round without keeping score. "When the people all want tosee a good shot and you can't give them that good shot, that's when it'stime." The announcement put a cap (we think) on 12 years of farewells fromthe King. Herewith is a rundown of the send-offs, ranked by their emotionalimpact.

Event	Final-Round Score	MoneyQuote	Sentimentality Rating
1994 U.S. Open	81	"That's about all. Thank you very much."	Ol' Yeller in Old Latrobe
1995 British	75	"I guess it's over."	Brian's Song from the Swilcan Bridge
2002 Masters	89	"This is it. The writing is kind of on the wall."	20th high school reunion
1990 British	71	"It's appropriate."	A Mitch Albom novel
2004 Masters	84	"I'm through. I'm done. Cooked. Washed up."	22nd high school reunion
1994 PGA	74	"My intentions are not to play in any more PGAs."	A birthday card from your grandmother
2005 Senior Open	81	"I'm done."	Sunset over Key West
2004 Bay Hill	79	"I'll miss playing. There's no doubt in my mind about that, but we allmove on."	Leafing through an old photo album
2006 Administaff	WD	"To know it's over is tough."	Beef of the Month Club for Valentine's Day

>>>ANSWERS <<<

Who Am I? ... C)Mark McNulty (left)

Trivia JohnHuston is the only American to win the Chrysler Championship. He won theinaugural event in 2000 with a 13-under-par 271.

GOLF MAGAZINE TOP 100

TEACHERS POLL

Are you bullish on the FedEx Cup format?

Yes ... 53%

No ... 47%

"Yawn, yawn, yawn. It's too contrived. The majorsare what pique fan interest. "

--T.J. TOMASI, NANTUCKET GOLF CLUB

FOUR PHOTOS

CHARLIE NEIBERGALL/AP (MCNULTY); SAM GREENWOOD/WIREIMAGE.COM (DURANT); PGA TOUR (FEDEX CUP LOGO); ERICK W. RASCO

PHOTO

ERICK W. RASCO (BACKGROUND; SPEARMAN, 4)

Address

PHOTO

ERICK W. RASCO (BACKGROUND; SPEARMAN, 4)

Right

PHOTO

ERICK W. RASCO (BACKGROUND; SPEARMAN, 4)

Wrong