Anyone who was lucky enough to witness the conclusion of the 2008 US Open last weekend was treated to one of the most enthralling and exciting major championships of modern times.
The South Course at Torrey Pines, California was the venue, an 18-hole playoff on the Monday ensued as the tournament went to a fifth day. The previous evening, American journeyman Rocco Mediate sat in the clubhouse with a one stroke lead with just one group left out on the course. The problem was, in that group was a certain Eldrick 'Tiger' Woods.
Great players have a habit of doing extraordinary things and needing a birdie to force a playoff, Woods dug deep and conjured up a magical birdie with a 15ft putt on the final hole of a thrilling fourth day to bring everybody back on Monday for another 18 holes.
At 158 in the world rankings, Mediate was one of the biggest outsiders ever to take part in a playoff, but after being three behind through 10 holes, the underdog found himself on the 18th green with an 18ft putt for the title. He missed, Woods holed his putt for another 18th hole birdie to force sudden-death. How important the 'flat-stick' is to a golfer!!
Woods sealed a dramatic victory at the first extra hole to clinch his 14th major title, one step closer to Jack Nicklaus's record and a win made all the more remarkable as this was his first tournament since April following knee surgery.
Tiger's rehabilitation from the operation had been fast - too fast. He struggled through the pain barrier all week and 48 hours after lifting the trophy, he announced that he will miss the rest of the season, requiring further surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left knee and a double stress fracture of his left tibia.
The US Open is the ultimate test of patience, skill and a complete examination of a player to produce the champion golfer at the end of the week. The courses are set up with narrow fairways, penal rough and firm, ultra fast greens.
The first rule to shooting low scores is to 'keep the ball in play'. Most mid-teen handicappers play perhaps a dozen good holes and then 'blow-out'.
Working towards good basics that reward you with a more consistent swing is no guarantee of hitting great shots, but what it will do is make your 'misses' that much better. By doing this you are more likely to eliminate some of the big numbers - double and triple bogeys. If you can get round 18 holes with no worse than a bogey you are well on the way to better scores.
The bottom line is that to capitalise on improvements in your ball striking you have to work on your short-game skills. The reason most club players get stuck around the 20 mark is that they don't spend enough time working on their skills inside wedge range - I call this 'the scoring game', and this is where golf gets serious!
Mathematics has never been my strong suit, but the figures do seem compelling: Putting accounts for almost 50 per cent of the shots you hit during the course of a round. When you add in chipping, pitching and bunker shots, you're looking at probably 80 per cent of the game! These skills are too important to be ignored.
Our new Colin Montgomerie Course at the Royal Golf Club will feature large, undulating greens, run-off areas and pot bunkers, making the short game even more important to help you make your score.
Don't miss the summer sale starting in the Riffa Views' Royal Golf Club shop at Country Mall, Budaiya Highway, which starts tomorrow.
