Notes from The PGA Championship

Status
Not open for further replies.
J

Jared Willerson

Super Moderator
I got to spend all day yesterday at the PGA championship. Here are a few observations

1. Nobody cares about this major. This felt like a Nationwide event. Honestly, it is more exciting every year at East Lake and the Tour championship

2. The players HATE a lot of the redesigned holes

3. Charles Howell, Padraig Harrington & Keegan Bradley were LOST on the range. Charlie Howell looked like an amateur. Everything was pull hooking badly and he wasn't hitting it high at all. Funny thing was he was practicing and chatting with Toms. I wanted to yell at David to give him Manzellas #, he really needs the help. Harrington looked equally lost trying to squat real low and spring up and hit it. I don't think pure TPI is the answer for him. Bradley has no idea how he does it but he was working the hardest to try and find something

4. Karlsson was striping everything. Toms hit it well, Love looks golden on the range. Woodland is the longest player I have ever seen. He is longer than Quiros by a lot.

5. Mcilroy warms up like a kid. A few wedges, a couple of irons, some drivers, a few pitches and putts and he is ready to go...20 minute warm up before the round

6. The area around the chipping/pitching green is absoltely devoid of divots. Everybody simply brushes the ground. Same thing out of the sand, they take as little sand as possible, barely a scrape.

7. Watching ishikawa was sad he couldn't keep it anywhere near in front of him all day. I have never seen a player at that level struggle so bad.

8. Speaking of chipping and pitching...out of the rough is where the art comes in, having a ball on top of the rough is tough. The tendency to hit it too high on the face is the biggest problem these guys fight

9. The Georgia PGA section were great hosts. Had a real nice conversation with Danny Elkins.

10. I was with my man John Dochety all day. We had a great time sneaking into the clubhouse ;)
 
Last edited:
J

Jared Willerson

Super Moderator
A few more items

Sean Foley was the most jittery instructor on the range, he was bouncing between his players all the while looking like he was about to take the beating of his life when Woods got to the range, he was visibly nervous.

I couldn't believe how many instructors were there actually working on stuff with their players. Ain't it time to just play fellas?
 
mgranato

mgranato

New
Excellent observations, J. I got a lot of good video of the pitching area on Wed and noticed the exact same thing. Nothing like seeing a tour pitch by a tour pro.:) Got good video of Mickelson pitching and chipping.

I was surprised by the swing coach thing too. Kuchar's coach is now working with Cink. They were hitting beside each other and Cink was hitting big push hooks with his PW and 9 iron. He was swing so far to the right it was sad. The coaching fixes were equally as surprising.

My wife has only been to the Augusta, she kept saying, "this doesn't feel anything like the Masters." :)

I'll try to post the video later tonight.
 
C

cwdlaw223

New
Hopefully BMan will include a discussion on why the tour players don't take divots from 40 yards in his upcoming short game video I believe he's making.
 
J

Jared Willerson

Super Moderator
Interesting that you felt the same way about the atmosphere. John and I were hoping it was just us.

Anyway, the stuff I saw instructors working with students on the range, was just weird. I have never seen that at any other event I have gone to after the tournament was underway.

I love the sound any tour player makes when they hit it. It is just a nice soft "click"....has to be the most satisfying sound a man can hear.....other than a satisfied woman.
 
Richie3Jack

Richie3Jack

New
I'm not there, but lived in ATL for 9 painful years. I think part of it is that East Lake is a staple now with the Tour Championship and it's not too far away from now. It's also in city and is pretty easy to get to. I remember in 2001 living about 4 miles from AAC and wanting to strangle most of the people there between the driving, the parking and the shuttles. I don't think people are really into driving into Duluth (now John's Creek) to watch golf. And the bigger reality...it's not college football so most don't care.

Please give CHIII Brian's phone number. His ballstriking stats are quite poor, but in the meantime he's developed into a good putter and chipper (funny how that happens). Could wind up with another Steve Stricker.







3JACK
 
johnnymarlboro

johnnymarlboro

New
Awesome stuff guys! I love these Manzella forum investigative reports!

I hope he is making that short game video, I can't wait! I can never seem to figure out the just brushing the grass with my lob wedge, or sandwedge on chips and pitches. I always seem to take at least a little divot, or skull it. Not really any inbetween there.

I think hearing "the test says negative" from a woman is also a pretty satisfying sound.
 
faux_maestro

faux_maestro

New
johnnymarlboro said:
Awesome stuff guys! I love these Manzella forum investigative reports!

I hope he is making that short game video, I can't wait! I can never seem to figure out the just brushing the grass with my lob wedge, or sandwedge on chips and pitches. I always seem to take at least a little divot, or skull it. Not really any inbetween there.

I think hearing "the test says negative" from a woman is also a pretty satisfying sound.
Click to expand...

:cool:
 
jpvegas1

jpvegas1

New
Great Post

Enjoy getting the inside info and your posts. I went to the '89 PGA at Kemper Lakes and it had a very subdued feel, not at all like a major.

BTW is B-manzella there. I thought I spotted him (playing to the camera) in the gallery following Tiger.
 
B

Brian Manzella

Administrator
I am home.

David and I went there last Monday and had a good day of work.

It is a long, hard course.

Both PGAs at Valhalla felt like majors.
 
K

Kevin Shields

Super Moderator
The 3 guys you said were horrifying (Bradley, Howell, and Ishikawa) shot 64, 68, and 72. Hmmm, alot more to golf than hitting it.

I hit balls next to Joe Daley at a sectional US Open and my caddie was literally making fun of him it was so bad. I think he even topped one.
Guess what? He qualified for the Open that day. It was wild.
 
jenhaoyen

jenhaoyen

New
IMG_20110812_182732.jpg
 
J

Jared Willerson

Super Moderator
Kevin, to my credit, Ishikawa did shoot 85 yesterday. I followed him and I felt sorry for him

There is more to the game than hitting it for sure. Guess Howell found a little something too. His play surprised me.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top