Big Play
WHO
J.B. Holmes
WHAT
359-yard drive to set up the winning birdie
WHERE
438-yard, par-4 18th at TPC Scottsdale
WHEN
First playoff hole at FBR Open
WHY
Even though Holmes has a short swing, he generates massive power with his body rotation, not his arms and hands. The FBR was only his sixth top 10 in three years, and he'll probably remain streaky until he relaxes a bit and develops preshot routines for full shots, short shots and on the greens, and sticks to them. Now Holmes is too fidgety and he changes his preshot routine too much to be consistent.
JIM'S TIP
Bury a Ball to Blast Longer Drives
To maximize weight transfer and body rotation, and thereby power, practice pushing a ball into the turf with the ball of your left foot. At address, rest your left foot on a ball so it gently touches the bottom of your shoe. During the downswing, mush the ball into the turf. Doing so ensures proper weight shift and forces you to finish with your weight stacked over the left heel.
Jim Suttie teaches at the Club at TwinEagles in Naples, Fla.
Spitting into the Wind
Some critics maintain that too many Tour pros are scared of Tiger Woods, all but handing him the trophy before a tournament even begins and focusing instead on collecting a check. Maybe—but in the last two years a handful of players have mustered the courage to throw the gauntlet at Woods's feet, at least verbally. None of these testaments of bravado have translated into Tiger-taming, but take heart, rank and file: Those who have dared to speak up may be stuck in neutral, but they haven't been run off the Tour either.
IAN POULTER
1/30/08 "I haven't played to my full potential yet. And when that happens, it will just be me and Tiger."
RANK THEN 22nd
NOW 24th
Prospects Looks like court jester, speaks like one too
JASON DAY
1/5/08 "I'm trying to work toward taking that Number 1 spot from Tiger."
RANK THEN 176th
NOW 164th
Prospects He's got time; does he have game?
PHIL MICKELSON/BUTCH HARMON
6/6/07 "Tiger's got a big lead as Number 1, so ... it'll take a couple of years, but I think [Phil] can and ... will."
RANK THEN 2nd
NOW 2nd
Prospects The window is closing
RORY SABBATINI
5/10/07 "I think he's more beatable than ever."
RANK THEN 17th
NOW 8th
Prospects Been good, needs to be great
ERNIE ELS
4/6/07 "Tiger has such a big lead in the World Rankings.... I'm giving myself three years to approach him, and I really believe I can do it."
RANK THEN 5th
NOW 4th
Prospects Too much history
STEPHEN AMES
2/26/06 "Anything can happen, especially [given] where [Tiger's] hitting the ball."
RANK THEN 68th
NOW 27th
Prospects Not happening
... AND ANOTHER THING
"Hearing the Tour players complain about drug testing shows that guys are probably using stuff and are afraid of getting caught."
GOLF MAGAZINE TOP 100 TEACHERS POLL
Will Tiger Woods break Byron Nelson's record of 11 straight wins?
Yes 20%
No 80%
"This will be the only record that will stand the test of time, and Tiger."
—CHUCK WINSTEAD UNIVERSITY CLUB
NELSON
PHOTO
COURTESY OF CBS (HOLMES)
THREE PHOTOS
CARLOS M. SAAVEDRA (SUTTIE)
PHOTO
ERICK W. RASKO (BACKGROUND)
PHOTO
ROBERT BECK (POULTER)
PHOTO
ROBERT BECK (SABBATINI)
PHOTO
ROBERT BECK (AMES)
PHOTO
JONATHAN FERREY/GETTY IMAGES (DAY)
PHOTO
FRED VUICH (MICKELSON)
PHOTO
FRED VUICH (ELS)
PHOTO
AP (NELSON)