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| David Toms |
Lessons Taught and Learned at the
Michelob Championship
By Jeffrey A.
Rendall, TravelGolf.com Staff Writer
Williamsburg, VA - For one week in most years, the PGA Tour stops
in Virginia to play the Michelob Championship. Though a minor event
on some pros' calendars, it successfully demonstrates on an annual
basis the great golf that the Old Dominion can offer.
It also teaches the average golfer turned first-hand spectator
the difference between professionals and the weekend warrior.
As one of the late season PGA events (and not part of the unofficial
'Tiger tour'), it typically is contested by those looking to shore
up a good year--or by those looking to add some dough to their season
totals in hopes of making the top 125 on the money list--and therefore
assuring a tour card for next year without going through the perils
of Q school.
Notable exceptions include World No. 3-ranked David Duval, who
won the event two of the past three years--and Jim Furyk, a consistent
World Top 15 performer--both who took part and brought along large
fan followings in the process.
The tournament is unofficially hosted by two time US Open Champion
and Virginia native Curtis Strange, as he is the resident touring
pro for the Kingsmill Resort-- which hosts the event on its Pete
Dye designed River Course.
Kingsmill and its three championship courses along the banks of
the James River, share the local Williamsburg golf spotlight with
the world renowned Golden Horseshoe Resort, and helps to highlight
Virginia as an excellent current as well as an up and coming golf
destination.
The event can also be seen as a prelude to the President's Cup--which
will take place on the shores of Lake Manassas in Northern Virginia
less than two weeks after the final putt drops in the cup in Williamsburg.
Those looking to walk in the footsteps of the pros are out of luck
when it come to playing the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, however,
as it is very difficult for anyone but the President and club members
to gain access to that beautiful track.
As I noted in my
Virginia Oaks review--you can see RTJ across the way on several
holes at Virginia Oaks--but for most of us, that's as close as we'll
get.
This shouldn't be a downer, however. There's plenty of excellent
public golf to be played here in the Old Dominion where we won't
have to pony up huge sums for memberships or snuggle up to a member
to gain access. Kingsmill and Williamsburg Golf in general demonstrate
this amply.
Within a half hour's drive are a number of excellent public tracks
that will be all too happy to ink your name on the tee sheet and
treat you as if you're a 'member for the day.' And statewise, Virginia
has two of Golf Magazine's 18 Gold Medal resorts in the entire United
States-- the Golden
Horseshoe and The Cascades, so golf travelers will have more
than enough notoriety to choose from.
While I wouldn't describe the atmosphere at the tournament as
having major championship tension, there is a certain charm to attending
one of the smaller events on the PGA tour.
For example, it wasn't difficult to find a good vantage point from
which to view the players. Never once did I have to fight for a
good spot on the ropes to see a finely played shot or putt. The
players actually were close enough to make eye contact and to say
'thanks' for a complimented good shot.
But anyone who's been to a PGA event gets some of the flavor of
life on tour. I think it would be more useful at this point to give
some of this writer's keen observations on how and why PGA tour
pros are 'different' than the average player, of which the latter
group I call home.
Differences Between 'Them' and 'Us'
They don't waste shots. A big part of my scores every round are
penalties. Pros just don't get 'em. Of the two days I observed (granted
I could only observe one group at a time, and couldn't be everywhere
at once), the only player I saw take a penalty stroke was Jim Furyk
on the 18th on Sunday, when he hit his tee ball into the hazard
on the left side of the fairway.
Pros have consistent swings, sure, but they also use their golf
smarts to give themselves some margin for error. If there's certain
death to the left, then if they miss at all, they miss right.
They Swing Easy. This is a malady I've tried to cure in my twenty
years of playing the game. I've never quite been able to shake the
urge to try and rip the cover off the ball. I guess it goes back to
my days in Little League, but my mind seems to only understand--the
harder you swing, the farther it goes. Nothing could be further from
the truth.
When I was standing at the mid point in the fairway on the 18th
hole, watching each group in succession tee off from a distance--I
could swear that they all looked as fluid as David Duval.
I had to consult my pairings list numerous times to see who they
were, mainly because they all appear to swing so effortlessly--yet
the ball flies so far. It seems to defy common sense.
They Have a Short Game. Professional golfers aren't intimidated
by the short game. They realize that the tournaments are won and
lost by how well they can get the ball in the hole from around the
greens. The old saying "Drive for Show, Putt for Dough"
couldn't be more true. With the new technology, it's not a rare
occasion for even someone like me to hit a drive in the 270 range
(and sometimes even straight). But when it comes to finishing out
the hole, that's a different story.
Every dubbed chip, every bunker shot left in the trap, every three
putt from 15 feet--adds up. Pros don't do this. The best of the
players have the best up and down percentage. I'd argue that the
single element that makes Tiger Woods so much better than everyone
else is his ability to get out of trouble around the greens. And
make the putts.
They Love to Practice. How many times have you arrived at the
course five minutes before your tee time and gone right from the
pro shop tee sheet to the first tee? You decide that warming up
isn't that important, and take solace from your unwritten rule that
will grant a mulligan on the first tee if you go at it 'cold.'
Pros come early. They stay late. They practice the non 'fun' shots,
like half sand wedges and chips. They putt to get it right--not
to two putt. They go from the 18th green right back to the practice
tee to iron out whatever quirks they had in their swings that day.
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| Phil Mickelson |
They'll be like Phil Mickelson at the Colonial and putt nothing but
three foot putts for an hour until they don't miss any. In contrast,
the average golfer sees the 18th green as a perfectly manicured carpet
that leads directly to the 19th hole.
They Don't Lose Their Cool. Finally, pros take the good with the
bad--or most do, anyway. They remember that a good round will still
probably have 70 shots in it, so why get all bent out of shape over
one? Puts things in perspective.
I like to think that my trip to the Michelob Championship will
help make me a better golfer. It certainly succeeds in promoting
the best that Virginia golf can offer. And a couple days spent watching
the best in the game may have given me some ideas on how I might
become a little less 'average.'
Michelob Championship
October 5-8, 2000
Kingsmill Resort's River Course
Williamsburg, Virginia
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