Junior Golf: U.S. Open Takeaways

In this Monday Mulligan let’s see what we can learn from this most recent U.S. Open.

Photocredit:jennleforge.com

Here are some takeaways:
Even a tough course can give up a lot of birdies when it is softened by rain and there is little to no wind. This was the case Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
As the course dries out and the wind picks up, everything changes. Now the course can begin to play like the designers and selection committee intended. This was the case yesterday. Erin Hills was tougher than it had been.
There will always be a winner. Sometimes there’s a playoff, but usually 1 player rises to the occasion and handles the tough conditions and serious pressure better than everyone else. Brooks Koepka did this yesterday.
Winners handle pressure better. They perform better under it. When Brooks was asked about the pressure of being in contention for a U.S. Open title, he said he couldn’t imagine being under more pressure than he was at the previous Ryder Cup. They’ll all tell you that the pressure of playing for one’s country and teammates is much greater than playing for yourself! So Brooks had already experienced, in his mind, which is what counts, more pressure than he would feel currently.
Patience on the golf course counts, particularly in tough conditions. One of the announcers mentioned that Rickie Fowler started swinging all out with his irons during yesterday’s round and this was the point where he lost his game just enough to get out of contention. Anyone remember the “swing easy when it’s breezy”?
When it’s going good, don’t change it. Brooks was in the zone, hitting fairways and greens and making putts. This is a winning combination. When all the others near the top of the leaderboard stumbled for a hole or 2, Brooks stayed confident with his game and kept on making good shots.

What does this mean for your son/daughter and their junior golf career? To begin with, the more they play tough courses in tough conditions, the more confident they will become. They will begin to understand that everybody is playing the same course in the same conditions and whoever stays calm and patient will have a chance to win.

They will realize that a winner will always be crowned, no matter the score, as long as it’s the lowest and no matter how good, bad or ugly the golf course is. Hey, a win is a win!

Photocredit:pgatour.com

He/she will start to realize that there is always pressure. It can come from any and all directions and how your youngster handles that pressure will have a huge impact on their score. Depending on your kiddo’s personality, his/her ability to deal with pressure will manifest itself differently.

There are times that your child will play better than others. Encourage them to relax, stay confident and keep on doing what they’re doing. Enjoy it!

Hope you enjoyed watching Brooks win his 1st major. It was great viewing!

See you on #1 tee with confidence… Sam

Junior Golf: It’s U.S. Open Time

Today, in this Wednesday Waggle, we’re taking a quick look at the week. It’s the 2nd men’s major championship of 2017 and that means it’s U.S. Open time!

Photocredit:Golf Digest

Erin Hills Golf Course, 35 miles north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the site, hosting the 1st ever U.S. Open to be played in the state.

Let’s skip right to a very important point if you are at all serious about junior golf and golf, in general. Please make sure your TV package includes the channels which carry golf tournaments and add any of the following that you are missing: Golf Channel, NBC, CBS, ABC, ESPN and the ESPN2’s, etc, Fox, FS1 and related channels and TNT.

This week it’s Fox’s turn to host another U.S. Open after a shaky start with clumsy announcers 2 years ago, although slightly improved last year. The players and the course make the event and solid golf broadcasters are certainly important but there will be tons of excitement no matter the quality of the announcers. So Thursday and Friday the tournament is on FS1 from 10:00am-5:00pm, central time. Saturday and Sunday it’s on regular Fox from 10:00am-7:00pm and be sure to record at least 2 hours after 7:00pm, just in case.

This playoff situation is a bit different. If 2 golfers are tied at the end of 72-holes, they return the next day for an 18-hole playoff. If 3 or more golfers are tied at the end of 72-holes, they go into a sudden-death playoff.

Why is this tournament important for a junior golfer? It’s 1 of only 4 major championships annually and it is also regarded as the Men’s National Golf Championship of the United States. Yes, the winner is the National Champion! Sounds pretty good, right?

Photocredit:Golf-Wisconsin 

Now if you want to rev your kiddo up a bit, boy or girl, and you, your spouse and the rest of the family, record The Greatest Game Ever Played. This is based on the true story of how young Francis Ouimet overcame prejudice and huge obstacles to defeat the greatest golfers of the age and win the 1913 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. It is a great movie and will have your whole family ready to golf play some golf. This is inspiring, truly inspiring! It airs 2x this Friday on The Golf Channel. Record it, it’s worth it!

So please make sure you have all these channels in your television package. Likely you have the Fox channels, so you can enjoy this week’s major. And get the TiVo! Most of the tv we watch is recorded, it is so convenient and saves a lot of time.

The players are already complaining about the insanely long rough, so the USGA mowed it down a bit. But 1 of the trademark characteristics of a true U.S. Open venue is long, tough rough. It would be nice to be able to find your ball, however.

OK, turn on the tv and set up your recordings. It’s U.S. Open time!

See you on #1 tee ready to stay out of that long rough… Sam