After all the research that Dave Pelz did in the 1970s and 1980s on the short game, younger players still ignore its importance. Comments on another recent post got me thinking, and I can now predict that not only will Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia NOT win a major or any other event this year, they will fold under pressure of any sort.

Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia have outstanding long games. From tee to green they are wonderful exponents of the game. At the Honda, Donald began to collapse on consecutive holes by making bogey from 60 yards out IN ONE on a par four, then putting on a catatonic putting display that made me wince. Donald will hit the ball closer from 170 yards than from 45 feet or ten yards on nine out of ten occasions.

Sergio and Luke may practice the short game, but they do not understand its importance. In all fairness, they may not need to. If one’s goal is to catch Tiger, he or she will lead a solitary life, filled with loneliness and regret. What will catching Tiger do, other than strip away opportunities to experience all that life has to offer?

In case you still doubt the importance of the short game, remember that in 1973, the leading iron player on tour was Miller…Allen Miller. He hit the ball closer than anyone else, yet failed to win events due to faulty putting and less-than-stellar chipping and pitching. Soon he was off the tour, and only as a teaching pro in western New York has he learned the true value of the short game.

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