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MASTERS MADNESS
MY 5 KEYS FOR BETTER
US OPEN PREVIEW 20-page guide to the game’s toughest major
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POULTER TALKS TWITTER
BALL-ST RIKING! BY LUKE DONALD
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ADAM SCOTT’S SWING
MASTERS MADNESS
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INSIDE WOBURN
Tiger’s rules fiasco and Tianlang’s slow play penalty explained
IAN POULTER
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VIETNAM
“Why I’ve quit Twitter!”
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TOP 100 SCOTLAND
JULY 2013
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ADAM SCOTT MASTERCLASS: WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM HIS PERFECT SWING PLANE
10 Things The key issues on our radar this month
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Great expectations Where and when to catch the world’s finest on home soil this summer... Winter is finally over and summer has reached Britain again. This we know because, from May 23-26, the world’s top golfers will arrive on British soil to tee it up in the BMW PGA Championship. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. After six months of being forced to watch the game’s elite teeing it up on TV only, you can finally get out of the house and witness their excellence in the flesh. Sadly, we can’t promise you sunshine, but we can promise you drama as the likes of Lee Westwood, Ernie Els, Justin Rose and two-time defending champion Luke Donald battle to win the European
Golf World July 2013
Tour’s flagship event. Last year, Donald finished 15-under to relegate Justin Rose and Paul Lawrie to second place and defend the title he won in 2011. This year, Donald will attempt to follow in Colin Montgomerie’s footsteps and become just the second man to win the event in three consecutive years (Monty’s came in 1998, 1999 and 2000). “It’s a huge event and the West Course suits my game very well,” says Donald. “I’ll go there with high expectations.” So will we, Luke. So will we. For the summer’s other key tournaments, see opposite.
10 Things
The rest of the best... JUNE 27-30
THE IRISH OPEN
Carton House, Maynooth, Co Kildare Last year’s winner Jamie Donaldson Likely stars Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley, Thorbjorn Olesen, Darren Clarke Ticket prices Adults: from €31 per day, from €71 for a season ticket; Over 60s from €21 per day, from €51 for a season ticket; Under 16s free Website tickets. europeantour.com
JULY 11-14
ABERDEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT SCOTTISH OPEN Castle Stuart, Inverness
Last year’s winner Jeev Milkha Singh Likely stars Luke Donald, Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington, Louis Oosthuizen, Nicolas Colsaerts, Angel Cabrera, Paul Lawrie, Martin Laird Ticket prices Adults: from £31 per day, from £71 for a season ticket; Over 60s from £21 per day, from £51 for a season ticket; Under 16s free Website tickets. europeantour.com
JULY 18-21
THE 142ND OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP Muirfield, East Lothian
MAY 23-26
BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP Wentworth Club, Surrey
Last year’s winner Luke Donald Likely stars Luke Donald, Justin Rose, Lee Westwood, Ernie Els, Martin Kaymer, Ian Poulter, Paul Lawrie Ticket prices Adults: from £36 per day, from £71 for a season ticket; Over 60s from £21 per day, from £51 for a season ticket; Under 16s free Website tickets.europeantour.com
Last year’s winner Ernie Els Likely stars Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Brandt Snedeker, Dustin Johnson, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson Ticket prices Over 21s: £65 per day, from £240 for a season ticket; 16-21 year olds from £25 per day; Under 16s free Website www.theopen.com
AUG 29-SEP 1
ISPS HANDA WALES OPEN
The Celtic Manor Resort, Newport Last year’s winner Thongchai Jaidee Likely stars Paul Lawrie, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn,
Thorbjorn Olesen, Matteo Manassero, Marcel Siem, Francesco Molinari, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano Ticket prices Adults: from £21 per day, from £46 for a season ticket; Over 60s from £11 per day, from £31 for a season ticket; Under 16s free Website tickets. europeantour.com
AUG 22-25
JOHNNIE WALKER CHAMPIONSHIP The Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire
Last year’s winner Paul Lawrie Likely stars Paul Lawrie, Colin Montgomerie, Francesco Molinari, Thomas Bjorn, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Darren Clarke Ticket prices Friday £5; Thurs, Sat, Sun TBC Website www.johnniewalker championship.com
SEP 26-29
ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP
Old Course St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns Last year’s winner Branden Grace Likely stars Branden Grace, Thorbjorn Olesen, Padraig Harrington, Ernie Els, Peter Hanson, Martin Kaymer, Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen, Colin Montgomerie Ticket prices Thurs-Sat free; Sun TBC Website www. alfreddunhilllinks.com
THE BEST OF THE REST LADIES BRITISH AMATEUR C’SHIP June 11-15, Machynys Peninsula, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire BRITISH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP June 17-22, Royal Cinque Ports & Prince’s, Kent THE SENIOR OPEN July 25-28, Royal Birkdale, Southport, Merseyside RICOH WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN Aug 1-4, Old Course, St Andrews
July 2013 Golf World
Great Scott
In a spectacular finish to the 77th Masters, Adam Scott became the first Australian in history to win a Green Jacket. Jock Howard was there to witness history.
TIGER’S RETURN
Tiger: Is he really back? After three victories in his first six starts of the season, we’re finally seeing glimpses of the Tiger of old. But with no major since 2008, is the World No.1 really back to his best? By John Huggan.
C
omparing Tiger Woods with Tiger Woods and Tiger Woods and Tiger Woods has been a compulsory and almost obsessive constant part of golf during the past two decades. Unlike his predecessors atop the game he dominated like no other around the turn of the century, the 14-time major champion has consistently made substantial changes to a succession of winning swing formulas. First there was the young Tiger, lithe, loose-limbed and incredibly long off the tee. He took the 1997 Masters by a record-breaking 12 shots. Apparently, he wasn’t good enough. Next up was Butch Harmon’s bigger, stronger Tiger, who won four majors in succession during 2000 and 2001, amassed Tour titles at an unprecedented rate and seemingly never missed a meaningful putt. He wasn’t quite good enough either. Then there was Hank Haney’s pre and post-knee surgery Tiger. Although less aesthetically pleasing to many, this version was hardly less effective, winning six more major titles. Again, not quite the real deal. And now there’s the older, wiser and seemingly more relaxed “Sean Foley Tiger”, one who, after a prolonged period of relative ineffectiveness, has worked his way back to World No.1 with a series of victories this season and who appears to be rapidly regaining the proficiency of his forerunners. Whatever else that can be said about Tiger, the man does not lack bravery when wearing his spikes. It is hard to imagine anyone else having the sheer guts and bloody-
Golf World July 2013
mindedness to take a winning formula and tear it up over and over again. Ben Hogan did it once. Nick Faldo did it twice. Jack Nicklaus never did. But Tiger has radically changed his method at least three times and has, until now, won majors every time. “In any person’s life, desire is key, as is pride,” says former Open and Masters champion Mark O’Meara, the man who played more golf with the young Tiger than any other. “Tiger has always had a lot of pride and his desire seems to be back. He’s accustomed to winning. When he wasn’t winning, I don’t think he was enjoying himself too much. But that was the heavy price he paid. When you live with the kind of intense level of expectation that he does, it brings with it an unbelievable pressure. We expect him to be up there. When he’s not, we’re like, ‘what’s wrong?’” So what’s wrong with Tiger Woods? Not too much, based on his play in the early part of this year. After an unproductive but surely highly compensated trip to Abu Dhabi – where he missed the halfway cut courtesy of an inadvertent rules violation – he won three times in five events on the PGA Tour. Although all parts of his game appeared to be operating at close to full capacity, it was Woods’ putting that has stood out. After taking a lesson from close friend and frequent Presidents and Ryder Cup partner Steve Stricker, Woods started making “everything” en route to victory at Doral and Bay Hill and hasn’t stopped since. Perhaps even more significant, however, was the manner of those Woods victories, each following a familiar formula. There was a distinct feeling of déjà about the final day at the Cadillac World Golf Championship at Doral. After building a
LUKE DONALD: BETTER BALL-STRIKING
Swing Key 1 SET WEIGHT UNDER THE BALLS OF YOUR FEET My main focus at the set-up is to feel balanced and ready to swing. The address position lower body angles that Pat and I have worked on over the years – flexed knees over the centre-to-balls of my feet – allow me to feel both those
Pat says... LEARN FROM LUKE’S SET-UP ROUTINE Golf World July 2013
sensations. My weight distribution here, however, just favours my right foot. I like that slight feeling of tilt because it gives me a little head start in turning my upper body behind the ball during the backswing.
Lower body stability during the backswing is crucial. If you allow your lower body to drift laterally away from the target, your upper body will compensate by leaning back the other way. This doesn’t just create imbalance
and inconsistency, it also prevents the upper body from rotating efficiently behind the ball. As we will see later in this piece, Luke’s solid set-up here will allow him to powerfully coil his upper body in the backswing.
Swing Key 2
HOLD FIRM FOR EFFICIENT BACKSWING COIL Under Pat’s guidance, I‘ve worked hard over the years to ensure that my lower body provides support and stability throughout the backswing. That’s a big key to the sequencing I talked about earlier. One of my main thoughts during the early part of the swing is to avoid lateral movement. In other words, I want my right leg to hold its address position with no sliding away from the target. Many amateurs struggle to create this resistance, but if you can, you’ll reap the rewards with an instant improvement in your ball-striking.
Pat says... AVOID A LATERAL SLIDE Lower body stability during the backswing is crucial. If you allow your lower body to drift laterally, your upper body will compensate by leaning the other way. This creates imbalance and prevents the upper body from coiling efficiently behind the ball. Here’s a great way to help you feel the correct separation that should occur between the upper and lower body in a good swing: Swing back to a position where your left arm is parallel to the ground. Hold the position. From here, work your hands and arms back to the top while your feet and knees move forward towards the target.
The Majesty of Merion
Widely regarded as one of the finest tests of golf anywhere on the planet, this fantastic parkland course in Havertown, Pennsylvania has been a fitting stage for some of the game’s most iconic moments.
MERION COURSE GUIDE
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et on 120 acres of prime Pennsylvania parkland, Merion East is by no means the United States’ oldest course. Nor is it the most visually spectacular or, indeed the most difficult. But it may very well be its most cherished, and it is without doubt one of its best. Despite the lack of a major championship since 1981, when Australia’s David Graham shot a near flawless 67 in the final round to win the US Open, this venerable inland links has hosted more national championships than any other club. While Merion is often lauded for the brilliance of its routing and for the emphasis it places on controlled and skilled shotmaking, its historical significance is equally poignant. It was at Merion’s 11th hole, for example, that Bobby Jones famously completed the final leg of the Grand Slam in 1930, while the 18th hole was the setting for golf’s most enduring and iconic image – an imperious and perfectly-balanced Ben Hogan captured by the legendary Life Magazine photographer Hy Peskin, a split-second after launching a 1-iron into the heart
of the green. A couple of decades later, in 1971, a flamboyant Lee Trevino took down Jack Nicklaus in his prime, outscoring the Golden Bear by 68 to 71 in an 18-hole US Open play-off. Often described as a three-act play, combining “the drama” (holes 1-6), “the comedy” (holes 7-13) and “the tragedy” (holes 14-18), Merion East is a refreshing testimony to the fact that a course does not need to be monstrously long to host a major championship. In fact, Merion will play at just 6,996 yards in June, making it the shortest US Open venue since 2004. What Merion lacks in length, however, it more than makes up for in guile. Architect Hugh Wilson, who spent seven months in Scotland researching the great British courses before crafting the East Course in 1910, leveraged every nuance of the landscape to create a series of compelling and strategic holes. The course’s bunkers – the white faces of Merion – are among the most treacherous you will find anywhere, while meandering brooks, large elevation changes, false fronts and slick, undulating greens combine to present a challenge that is as stern today as it has ever been. We are in for quite a treat...
A commemorative plaque marks the spot where Ben Hogan struck his legendary 1-iron approach on the final hole of the 1950 US Open.
st Greatiesh Brit ses cour
By Royal appointment Woburn’s three courses may be lacking in age, but that doesn’t mean they’re short on experience. Alistair Tait heads down to the woods to investigate.
Equipment TAYLORMADE DADDY LONG LEGS
An extension of TM’s popular Spider range, the Daddy Long Legs putter follows the trend for extreme-weighted models designed to offer greater stability. Claimed to offer the feel and performance of an anchored putter, but with a standard-length shaft, it features a 16-piece clubhead made from eight different materials, a Pure Roll face insert and a 15-inch grip weighing almost twice that of a standard grip. This weight distribution moves the balance point of the club closer to the player’s hands, making it easier to control the clubhead and square it at impact. The extra long grip (35-38 inch) also allows players to choke down, and thus take full advantage of the counter-weighted design. £159, taylormadegolf.com
Launch monitor
A round-up of the latest golf equipment, gadgets and accessories. POWAKADDY CART BAGS
Specially designed to fit into any PowaKaddy trolley – although they also work with all other models – the latest range of PowaKaddy cart bags come in three designs: Sport, Deluxe and Premium. The Premium (£159) features 14-way, full-length club dividers, four side-mounted storage pockets, an easygrab top handle, and a keylock base system which ensures the bag remains securely mounted on the trolley. The Deluxe model (£129) is made from nylon and also features a 14-way divider, while the Sport model (£99) is a lightweight, durable design with 11 full-length dividers and nine pockets. Colour options include black, white/red and black/silver/white. £99-£159, www.powakaddy.com
Golf World July 2013
SILHOUETTE GLASSES
Put your rivals in the shade, and give your eyes some vital protection from the sun with a pair of Centre Court sunnies from Silhouette. Although they sound like they’re designed for tennis, they’re great for golf, with the green lenses intensifying the colour of the grass and making the ball easier to see. As well as offering 32SPF protection from harmful UV rays, the lenses have an extra curve to prevent glare, and can be adjusted to your face shape. £239, silhouette.com
ODYSSEY TANK
The heaviest putter Odyssey has ever produced, the Tank’s built-in counter balance increases resistance to twisting at impact and during the stroke by up to 40 per cent. The added weight encourages a pendulum stroke and prevents the wrists from breaking down, making it ideal for nervy or tentative putters. Also featuring Odyssey’s new White Hot insert, the Tank is available in four shaft length options (34, 36, 38 and 40 inches). £139, odysseygolf.com
MOTOCADDY M1 PRO
Small on space but big on functionality, the M1 Pro weighs 10.5kg and folds down to a size not much larger than a walk-on suitcase. Features include a dual grip with handle height adjustment, integrated accessory station, USB charging port, adjustable bag supports, and 45m distance control. Powered by a 230w motor, it comes with either an 18-hole lead battery (£399), or a lightweight lithium version available in both 18 and 36-hole options (£549/£599). Finished in black or alpine matt. £399-£599, motocaddy.com
MIZUNO GEMEN DRY STYLE
Featuring a premium synthetic upper, the Dry Style is a highly breathable shoe with a powerful and stable swing base courtesy of its Infinity Wave plate and IG4 spikes. The Infinity Wave plate borrows technology from Mizuno’s running technology, producing the durable cushioning that lessens fatigue on long rounds. The Infinity Wave plate has the added advantage of inbuilt lateral stability, while a new rounded heel support lifts and cradles the foot. £159, golf.mizunoeurope.com
July 2013 Golf World
3 steps to perfect plane What you can learn from Adam Scott’s swing. By Ian Clark. At the 2013 Masters, Adam Scott showed the world that his technique can stand up to the most intense pressure. His ability to keep the club moving on a perfect plane throughout his swing was a huge key to his success at Augusta. If you can keep your swing on plane, there is no need to manipulate the face into a square position at impact – and that means not just consistency, but solid performance under pressure. So what do we mean by staying on plane? If you look closely at this sequence, you’ll notice that in every shot, either the clubhead or the butt of the club points at the target line. This exemplary technique starts with great posture and weight distribution at address – weight under the arches of both feet and spread evenly between toes and heels – and it stays there until the final stages of the followthrough. Because Adam swings in perfect balance, the club is never thrown about. Contrast this with a player who starts with too much of their weight on their toes. The first thing that happens in the backswing is a shifting of the weight to the heels. This rocking motion kills good plane. Feeling pressure under the arches of your feet through the swing is your first step to swinging like Adam, but there is plenty more you can learn from golf’s newest Master. n Ian Clark is a fellow of the PGA and Director of Golf at World of Golf, Surrey. Visit www.ianclarkgolf.co.uk
Golf World July 2013
STEP 1 TILT FROM THE HIPS FOR PERFECT POSTURE
See here how the rear of Adam’s belt is tipped upwards so that the buckle points at the ground. This gives his upper body the correct amount of forward flex with his chest facing down to the ball. When he adds a touch of knee flex – never knee bend – to the mix, he creates that correct 50/50 heel-toe balance through his feet.
Instruction
STEP 2 LEFT ARM MOVES ACROSS THE CHEST
Adam’s left arm is across his chest when parallel to the ground. This allows him to keep the connection between his arms and body, and to keep the club on plane. See how the butt of the club points to the ball-target line. Don’t fall for the misconception that the left arm should aim down the target line at this stage.
STEP 3 WEIGHT MOVES LATERALLY
Scott’s right heel remains grounded as he approaches impact. His back foot merely rolls across towards the left – a move that keeps his weight under the arches of both feet and allows him to transfer weight laterally. If the right heel rises, the weight shifts to the toes and the shaft angle steepens – leading to a much weaker impact.
July 2013 Golf World
TOP 100 SCOTLAND
18 Machrihanish
17 Western Gailes
Designer: Old Tom Morris. £65 all week (£95 a day). 01586 810213. The harsh winter took its toll on the greens here, but while that makes it difficult for it to rise up the rankings, that shouldn’t stop you visiting. It’s often lauded for its sensational opener, but there are better holes out there – with names such as ‘Balaclava’, ‘Punch Bowl’ and ‘Rorke’s Drift’, how could there not be?
Designer: Unknown. £130 all week (£175 a day). 01294 311649. Laid out in a rough figure of eight, Western Gailes is hemmed in by the sea on one side and the ubiquitous railway line on the other. The club continues to evolve with work carried out on 31 bunkers in the past year to ensure this 1897 classic remains in the same echelon as Ayrshire’s superstar names.
16 Cruden Bay
15 Gleneagles (King’s)
Designer: Archie Simpson. £90 all week. 01779 812285. Value doesn’t come into our rating criteria but a round for £90 here is an amazingly attractive proposition – if you believe, as we do, that this is one of the most entertaining courses in Scotland. It offers all the quirks many of us adore about links golf along with some of the most fearsome dunes in Scotland.
Designer: James Braid. £160 (visitor), £120 (hotel guest). 01764 662231. James Braid’s 1919 moorland classic retains many fans within our panel, even if it has fallen slightly in our list. Don’t mistake it for a charming little resort course either – if you spray it here you will be severely punished by rough, gorse and heather. It retains the kind of aura which many others can only dream of.
13 Royal Aberdeen
12 North Berwick
Designers: Archie Simpson/James Braid. £120 all week. 01224 702571. Raised its profile and prestige further with an outstanding hosting of the 2011 Walker Cup. New bunkers and a new Martin Hawtreedesigned green on the 15th have stiffened the test. Opens with one of golf’s most daunting tee shots, played from underneath the noses of members sitting by the clubhouse windows.
Designer: Unknown. £90 Mon-Fri; £95 SatSun. 01620 895040. Beginning and ending in the town like Moray and the Old Course, North Berwick has a magnificent collection of par 4s and terrific short holes. The iconic ‘Redan’, also known as 15, was copied by Pete Dye at Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course, but we might just prefer 13 and 14, ‘Pit’ and the aptly-titled ‘Perfection’.
Campbeltown, Argyll. Par 70, 6,462 yards.
Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. Par 70, 6,615 yds.
Aberdeenshire. Par 71, 6,910 yards.
Golf World Scotland’s Top 100
Troon, Ayrshire. Par 71, 6,899 yards.
Auchterarder, Perthshire. Par 71, 6,790 yds.
North Berwick, East Lothian. Par 71, 6,464 yds.
www.golfbreaks.com 0845 688 5404
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Prestwick
Prestwick, Ayrshire. Par 71, 6,544 yards. Designer: Old Tom Morris. Mon-Fri £130; Sat-Sun £155 (£185 day rate). 01292 477404. A day on the links of Prestwick should be as much an essential golfing pilgrimage as a visit to St Andrews. The birthplace of The Open and one of the most distinctive courses on these shores, Prestwick has long had its day as a championship venue but it remains a beguiling experience for any club golfer. As well as some of the most special and memorable holes in Scotland, it also has a wonderful clubhouse where savouring the lunches as well as the historical artifacts is as much a part of the experience as ‘Cardinal’, ‘Elysian Fields’ or ‘Himalayas’.
Scotland’s Top 100 Golf World