Big Play with Steve Bosdosh
WHO: BooWeekley
WHAT: Missed39-inch putt
WHERE: 556-yardpar-5 18th hole at PGA National
WHEN: Final roundof the Honda Classic
WHY
Weekley's chokecould be a career killer. Plenty of Tour pros have lost by blowing short puttsand never recovered. They want to delete the bad vibes, but it's oftenimpossible. Weekley might never stop thinking about what he tossed away. Toavoid becoming another Doug Sanders, who was never the same after yipping awaythe 1970 British Open, Weekley must view his performance positively: He played71 awesome holes and missed one putt.
STEVE'S TIP
Shorten theBackswing On the Little Ones
On short pressureputts, players often take a backstroke that's too long, then decelerate throughimpact. Instead, take a shortened backstroke and accelerate going through. Topractice, put a tee behind the ball even with your back foot. Take the putterback short of the tee, then make a smooth forward stroke. The abbreviatedbackswing may feel too short, so resist making a jerky jab at the ball.
Steve Bosdoshteaches at The Members Club at Four Streams in Beallsville, Md.
... AND ANOTHERTHING
"Tough trackslike PGA National, which produce high scores and wild action, should be usedevery week, but players would complain because they don't like to lookbad."
MinorSensations
Mark Wilson'splayoff win at the Honda Classic marked the 200th PGA Tour victory by aNationwide alumnus, but it isn't the only new entry in the records of golf'sminor league. On Feb. 23, Ben Bates, 45, made the cut at the HSBC New ZealandPGA Championship, the 193rd time he had finished in the money, a feat thatpushed him past Steve Haskins for the record of most cuts made on theNationwide tour. If Bates, who's playing in his 15th season on the Nationwide(he played on the PGA Tour from 1998 to 2001), tees it up in 40 more events, hewill also break Haskins's record for the most career starts (370) on that tour.In honor of both Wilson and Bates, here's a peek at other notable achievementslisted in the Nationwide tour record book.
Category | Holder | When/Where | Record |
Earnings/Career | Chris Couch | -- | $984,975 |
Earnings/Year | Troy Matteson | 2005 | $495,009 |
Wins/Career | Matt Gogel, Jason Gore, Sean Murphy | -- | 6 |
Wins/Year | Sean Murphy | 1993 | 4 |
Consecutive Wins | Jason Gore | 2005 | 3 |
Seconds/Career | Chris Smith | -- | 9 |
Seconds/Year | Chris Smith | 2000 | 5 |
Top 10s/Year | Jerry Kelly | 1995 | 15 |
Consecutive Cuts Made | Chris Perry | 1993--96 | 31 |
Consecutive Bogey-free Holes | Heath Slocum | 2001 | 106 |
Longest Drive | Bubba Watson | 2004/Gila River Classic | 422 yards |
Oldest Winner | Dick Mast | 1999/New Mexico Classic | 48 years, 6 months, 17 days |
Youngest Winner | James Oh | 2003/Mark Christopher Classic | 21 years, 5 months, 27 days |
Oldest Player | Gary Player | 2006/BMW Charity Pro-Am | 70 years, 5 months, 28 days |
Youngest Player | Michelle Wie | 2003/Albertsons Boise Open | 13 years, 11 months, 7 days |
Oldest to Make Cut | Jack Nicklaus | 2003/BMW Charity Pro-Am | 63 years, 3 months, 13 days |
Youngest to Make Cut | Gipper Finau | 2006/Utah Energy Solutions | 16 years, 20 days |
GOLF MAGAZINE TOP 100
TEACHERS POLL
Was Ernie Els wise to switch clubs so close to theMasters?
Yes ... 19%
No ... 31%
Doesn't matter ... 50%
" It's the Indian, not the arrow, and Ernie is achief."
--KEITH LYFORD AUBURN COUNTRY CLUB
TWOPHOTOS
COURTESY OF NBC (WEEKLEY);
DAVID CANNON/GETTY IMAGES (ELS)
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
ERICK W. RASCO (BACKGROUND, TEE, BOSDOSH, 2)
PHOTO
ERICK W. RASCO
