Want to finish a round strong?

[RoverRick]

"I do not often blow up on the golf course, but when I do, I do it is with style."

 

Miguel Angel Jimenez, was not having a particularly good tournament, +3 going into the final round.  He was having his worst round of the weekend and was now plus 10 with just one hole to play.  I am sure he was thinking just finish strong and come back next week.

 

It was not to be. After 4 balls in the water in route to a 13 on his par 4 finishing hole, he started on the back and had a final round 88.

 

When I read this last night I recalled my 12 I made on a par 4 with 4 balls in the water, and felt really good about it, now.  Mine, however, was on the opening hole.  I actually had a great round starting on the third hole, but starting off with blow up hole is tough.

 

Obviously, we need to focus on each shot as though it is the most important shot of the round.  THIS SHOT is the most important shot of the tournament and it is the only one we can do anything about.

 

I have advocated before to concentrate on the process not the results while on the course.  But this just goes to show you than even the pros have bad holes.

[fozcycle]

I was playing in a 2 day tournament recently, when on the second day, I Birdied the Par 5 #4, when I put 2 in the water on a Par 3 145 yard #5.  My third shot went straight for the hole then I heard a thud....it plugged in the bank just short of the green.  I climbed down the embankment slammed my SW into the mud and the ball popped out towrds the hole.  It landed 8 feet short of the hole. I made the putt for a 7 on the Par 3.......I knew then that the tournament was over for me....but I rallied to finish the front then shoot a 42 on the back.  I ended the ournament with a 85/92......and was proud to have been able to recover on the course from the disastrous Par 3.

[JBones]

Not sure this is where you wanted this thread to go, but I'm taking it there anyway.  You have to be conditioned to finish a round strong.  You could shoot -2 for 14 holes, but if you are poorly conditioned, you will never be able to finish strong.  Rick, you saw that at Mirimichi.  I was wore out from traveling, but I played 15 holes (starting with the 9 on the little course) at about +5 which was great on that course and then I just wore out and played the last 12 in about +15.  I get where you are going though, it's not the end of the world if you have a bad hole or two.

[RoverRick]

Not sure this is where you wanted this thread to go, but I'm taking it there anyway. 

 

I really had no idea where to take it. or even where to put it. Tour Chatter, Everything Else, Mental Lessons???  I think I started this story in all of them.  Last night I was just going to post a link, but them remembered that this was The Most Interesting Man in Golf,  who seems almost unflappable out as he meanders through life.  Winning on several tours, competing with men half his age or more, yet he can go out on the final hole of tournament where he really has no pressure, and just blow up and put 4 holes in the water.

 

It happens.  Move on and make THIS SHOT the best you can.

[JBones]

I really had no idea where to take it. or even where to put it. Tour Chatter, Everything Else, Mental Lessons???  I think I started this story in all of them.  Last night I was just going to post a link, but them remembered that this was The Most Interesting Man in Golf,  who seems almost unflappable out as he meanders through life.  Winning on several tours, competing with men half his age or more, yet he can go out on the final hole of tournament where he really has no pressure, and just blow up and put 4 holes in the water.

 

It happens.  Move on and make THIS SHOT the best you can.

I meant taking it towards conditioning.  This might be more about mental conditioning though, than physical conditioning.

[Mr_Theoo]

I meant taking it towards conditioning. This might be more about mental conditioning though, than physical conditioning.

I think it's more physical than mental. With enough rounds played you'll find yourself in certain situations where you can draw from a past experience but if your body isn't condition you won't be able to execute the shot.

[RoverRick]

I think it's more physical than mental. With enough rounds played you'll find yourself in certain situations where you can draw from a past experience but if your body isn't condition you won't be able to execute the shot.

 

I could not disagree more.  This weekend we had the first of the cooler weather hit, and I do not adjust to climate changes like I used to.  I did not feel all that great all weekend and if I had any sense I would gone home and gone back to bed.  Instead I played 18 on Saturday and 27 holes on Sunday.

 

I sprayed the ball all over the course, however on Saturday, I mentally was able to have a really good round.  On Sunday, I was not mentally with it, and played poorly.  However, I did decide I wanted to finish strong, and ended the round with 5 pars on Sunday.

 

Actually, I was obviously going to lose the bet and the only way to win was a hole-in-one on 17.  We play that if you make a hole-in-one you are the automatic winner.  It has happened twice in 5 years.  I took dead aim on 17 and spend a few extra seconds focusing, and the ball landed 5 feet short in line with the flag and then jumped to the left.  I had a tricky 8 footer, but I did everything I could to make that shot.  And I finished strong.  This motivated me to go for it on 18 and I hit another great couple of shots to get a GIR.  Sadly I missed both birdie putts, but still, it was mental that allowed me to make the physical shot.