Kevin, Jerry and I had a wonderful time at the PGA Championship on Wednesday. I spent the morning walking the course (a.k.a. on a Tiger hunt) and was surprised at its size. Very long, very big.
Hazeltine members sure have a sweet practice facility too -- double-ended range with huge teeing grounds, plus practice chipping/pitching greens and bunkers on both ends. Tons of fairway space too for mid-range wedge shots. Forget the course; if I was a member here I could spend all day in the practice area.
We spent several hours watching players chip and pitch. Some observations:
-- They all wear gloves. Only person I saw without a glove was Justin Leonard. Oftentimes you hear them talking about how they don’t wear a glove around the greens -- you know, for better feel -- but almost all of them do wear them. Do as I say, not as I do.
-- They all chip with sand wedges. Again, lots of talk in the pop golf media about "chip with your 9 iron" and "get it on the ground as soon as possible." Not here, not with the best in the world. All were hitting little low spinners with sand wedges, whether it was from just off the green or from 40 yards away.
-- Most of them employ "purposeful" throwaway for many chip/pitch shots. Stuart Appleby was hitting lob shots over a bunker and, over and over, threw the clubhead right past his hands. These guys have such educated hands that they can pull off these shots time and again, but the average player should steer clear.
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