Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Why doesn't Harrington win these days? The 

fear of failure factor's gone, says Padraig


FROM THE PGA TOUR.COM
By MIKE McALLISTER
Padraig Harrington was sitting in a director’s chair on a podium against the long wall of the Pebble Beach Room, one of several meeting venues at the Lodge at Pebble Beach. Behind him was a large photo of the nearby 18th hole. To his right stood Jim Nantz, the voice of golf at CBS. To his left sat a couple of fellow PGA Tour pros, Ryan Palmer and David Lingmerth. 
To the far left stood Nantz’s broadcast boothmate, six-time major winner Nick Faldo.
CBS holds this annual private cocktail event each February, to celebrate both the start of its broadcast year and the amazing location hosting that week’s TOUR event. A handful of players are brought in for a Q and A with Nantz and Faldo. It usually evolves into light chit-chat about each player’s games, goals for the new season, and so forth.
Harrington doesn’t do light chit-chat.
As talkative and as introspective as any player on TOUR – he once won the Golf Writers Association of America’s ASAP Sports/Jim Murray Award for media cooperation -- Harrington’s gift of gab is much appreciated by all those who engage with him. He says what’s on his mind, and he doesn’t mind explaining his thought process in great detail.



So Harrington launched head-first into an answer when Nantz asked the 44-year-old Irishman a question about the importance of ending his seven-year drought on the PGA TOUR by winning last year's The Honda Classic.
 He gave an in-depth description of the issues that had kept him out of the winner’s circle, baring his soul in a way that didn’t seem painful, but more like therapy.
Then he said this about his current mental approach to the game.
“The buzz just isn’t there.”
Then he added this.
“The fear isn’t there anymore.”
And then a little more.
“There’s no fear factor – and the fear does really help.”
At that point, the room had fallen silent, hanging on Harrington’s words. When he finished, at least one person let out a small gasp. Another said in hushed tones, “Wow, that’s telling.”
Forty-eight hours later, Harrington was asked to expound on his thoughts and the fascinating career that he’s carved out – three major victories in a 13-month span, followed by a drop-off in wins and a series of swing changes that he says unfairly labelled him as a bit of a mad scientist who dared tinker with major championship form.
As usual, he was more than willing to peel back the layers. Given that Harrington enters this week’s The Honda Classic as the defending champ – his first title defense on TOUR since the 2009 PGA Championship, the year after his last major win – it won’t be the last time somebody asks him a question. Most definitely he has never feared speaking his mind, even if the topic is fear itself.


HE’S NOT ALONE
“A lot of players will say the same thing -- once you’ve peaked in your career, maybe got to the goals you wanted, everything afterwards, well, it’s very hard to get up and get going for it. Excited. Butterflies in the stomach. Nervous. The adrenaline. We all know how many guys have won one major and never been the same afterwards. It’s because they’ve achieved their goal in life. … You get something in your head, you’d be amazed how wherever you think you belong, you tend to end up. Whether it’s being a journeyman pro or winning a couple of times on TOUR, making a Ryder Cup, winning a major – you kind of set your stall out and you end up there.”


IT EVEN HAPPENED TO JACK
“It’s very important in golf – you have to have that intensity. I remember Nicklaus saying the same thing when they asked him about his career. He more or less retired when there were no butterflies on Thursday morning.”


FOCUS ADJUSTMENT
“When you’re at your best, you’re fearful and nervous going into a shot. It makes you narrow your focus. When you’re at your worst, you’re relaxed going into the shot. Then you become fearful and nervous as you’re over the ball. That’s kind of what changed. I’m too relaxed. I get up in the morning and say, ‘I’m gonna play great today. I’m gonna win today.’ Whereas 15 years ago, I’d be, ‘I’m gonna lose my card. It could all disappear.’ I don’t believe it’s going to disappear now.”


NO GRAND EPIPHANY
“It wasn’t like the David Duval one, where, geez, this is not what I thought it was going to be. I played my best golf in 2009. Statistically, it was my best from tee to green. But performance-wise, 2009 was without a win. Statistically, 2012, I hit the ball the best. But my golf game hasn’t changed hardly at all in that time. I don’t putt as well. The (new rules on clubs' grooves, which went into effect in 2010) maybe did me a bit of harm, no doubt. But I still end up hitting the same amount of greens, same amount of fairways every day."


THINKING IN PLURALS
“I was always impressed by Phil Mickelson. When he was struggling to win majors, when anybody asked him at a press conference – this is early 2000s; I’ve been listening to this – he says, ‘I’m going to win majors.’ I copied him on that. In my head, if somebody asked, ‘Are you the best guy not to have won a major?’, I’d say, ‘Yeah, I’m going to win majors.’ I made sure it was never one. Obviously, three was in my head somewhere.”


FULL CUP OF MAJORS
“Maybe three was my limit. It obviously wasn’t Tiger’s limit. I suppose we end up where we think we belong a lot of the times. It’s amazing what the subconscious does. Whatever’s deep down inside us and we believe that’s our status, that’s where we end up. … Just go look at any of the players, any of the group who’ve won majors, one major, whatever. It just seems that we have this preconception this is what we’re meant to do. Thankfully, I didn’t stop at one."
PH-847-Little
Padraig Harrington holds up the Claret Jug after winning the 137th Open Championship. (Warren Little)
 
DON’T BECOME THE PERSON YOU WERE
“I’m trying to become somebody new. I don’t think you can become the person you were. If you look at Faldo – he won his last major at 38 years of age. Why didn’t he keep playing well after that? What happened to him? The game obviously did pass him by in terms of length, but his intensity went too. It’s not intensity of trying hard; it’s a certain amount of b----. Maybe it’s a certain amount of innocence too. It’s nice to be young and naïve. I’ve seen it all before. I’m definitely a little bit more cynical than I would’ve been 20 years ago.”


STRESS-FREE DINNER
“You pick out a hole. A really tough driving hole. Out of bounds. Some water. I’d be thinking about that hole the night before. I’d be worried about it. How am I going to get through this hole? And when I get to it, I’d be panicking … but when I get to hit the tee shot, I’d have narrowed everything down to what I’m going to do. Whereas now, I’m not going to be thinking about it the night before when I’m having dinner.”


MIND GAMES
“I could write the book when it comes to sports psychology. I’ve read it all. I’ve worked with all the guys and I really believe in it. I love it. I’m fascinated by it. I’m interested in it. I love looking at other people and figuring out where their head’s at, what they’re doing.
 

"But when it comes to me, I’m still trying to find a way. But there isn’t a scenario where I’m going to be the same person I was.”

FUTURE RYDER CUP CAPTAIN?
“I would hope my experience will help. It’s harder in a given week. I suppose there are pearls of wisdom you can give maybe during the year. But you’ve got some pretty hot players the week of the Ryder Cup who’ve played well that year. So generally, you’re just letting them at it. But if I see guys the odd time around the locker room, I’d be quite happy to chat with people about where their head’s at, things like that. “
PadraigRyder-847-Greenwood
Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington celebrate their Ryder Cup victory in 2014. (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
NO MORE SECRETS
“Twenty years ago, if I thought I had an idea, I’d keep it myself. It was a secret. Now, I don’t believe in that. I’ll tell anybody anything, share anything. It’s up to them to do what they will with it. It’s amazing how you mellow out over time.”


IF HE HAD A DO-OVER
“I wouldn’t be so open. I got myself pigeon-holed into somebody who kept changing from who I was in 2008. But I stayed the same person I was in 2008. When I won in Carnoustie, I played with a draw. When I won at Birkdale, I played with a fade. I was always moving. My game has always been like that. But it’s more hassle than it’s worth. I’m sorry I dug that hole for myself and I got pigeon-holed like that. It’s a long way from who I am.”


THE FUN TIMES HAVE SHIFTED
“I have a terrible time on the golf course compared to what I would have had years ago because it’s frustrating. I have more fun off the golf course than I did six years ago. I would’ve been far more stressed off the golf course six years ago. Now, I’m more stressed on the golf course because I’m not performing.”


ONLY ABOUT WINNING
“I hear guys come along and they’d be telling you that they finished seventh in this tournament, in this major. I have no idea how I performed in the majors, what position I finished in. Last year at The Open, I don’t even know where I finished. All I know is I had a chance to win and that’s all I care about. I want to have a chance to win and I want to win. 

"I get value out of trying to win, but I don’t get any value out of anything else. It doesn’t do anything for me if I finish eighth. It’s not a bad performance, but it isn’t going to change my record, is it?

THE HONDA BUZZ
“What gave me a great buzz is I played well under pressure. Lovely. It was exciting to play well under pressure. Loved that. Loved the idea that I got a chance. That does me a world of good and it keeps me going. It would be a lot worse if I was getting those chances and blowing them, but I’m actually getting better if I do get myself in that position.”

RETIREMENT? NOT YET
“I love the game of golf. What’s not to love? This is just the greatest thing ever. This IS retirement. Put it like this – the rest of the working world would love to retire doing what I’m doing. It would be good if I took that attitude and laid off myself a little bit. But I’m loving what I’m doing. I’m fascinated by it. I love being out here playing.”


FINAL VERDICT
“The only thing that can change my C.V. at the end of the day, when they wheel me out somewhere at 80 years of age and they announce me into the oratory is when they say, ‘Padraig Harrington, five-time major winner.’ That would be different. But it’s going to be very hard for me to make that huge step. I’ve overachieved at three.”
Padraig-847-Redington
Harrington won two majors and Player of the Year for the European and PGA TOUR in 2008. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Labels:


NEW FINAL QUALIFYING VENUES ANNOUNCED FOR  147TH OPEN IN 2018

RandA NEWS RELEASE
Four of the UK’s finest golf courses will become Final Qualifying venues for The 147TH Open in 2018.
Qualifying for golf’s oldest and most international Major Championship will take place at Notts (Hollinwell) in Nottinghamshire, Prince’s Golf Club in Kent, The Renaissance Club in East Lothian and St Annes Old Links in Lancashire from 2018 until 2021.
The new venues cover the north-west, central and southern regions of England and Scotland to make the qualifying events as accessible as possible for players. They will replace the current venues - Woburn, Royal Cinque Ports, Gailes Links and Hillside - where this year there will be twelve places in total available from these venues with a starting field of 288 players.
Among those who secured their places at Final Qualifying in 2015 for The 144TH Open at St Andrews were two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen, Irishman Paul Dunne, who went on to lead the Championship after the third round and played in the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team, and his fellow Walker Cup player American Jordan Niebrugge, who went on to finish tied sixth and win the Silver Medal as the leading amateur.
Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R and A, said, 
Final Qualifying is a hugely important part of The Open Qualifying Series and provides a gripping spectacle as leading Tour players compete with club professionals and elite amateurs for places in the Championship. 
"The success that Jordan and Paul enjoyed last year shows just what is possible for those who qualify and gives players a huge incentive to follow in their footsteps.
“We very much appreciate the support we have received at the current Final Qualifying courses and look forward to moving on to four outstanding new venues in 2018.”
Notts (Hollinwell) has hosted professional Tour events, including the Dunlop Masters, and was the venue for the Brabazon Trophy in 2015. Matthew Fitzpatrick won the Boys Amateur Championship there in 2012.
Gene Sarazen became the Champion Golfer of the Year at Prince’s, when it hosted The Open in 1932. The course has also been joint host of The Amateur Championship on two occasions and will do so again in 2017.  It hosted the Curtis Cup in 1956 and the 2006 Ladies' British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship and this year it will host the St Andrews Trophy (20 and 21 July) and the Jacques Leglise Trophy (26 and 27 August).
The Renaissance Club opened in 2004 and, along with neighbouring Muirfield, will host the Boys Amateur Championship this year.
St Annes Old Links has been a qualifying venue for The Open on many occasions, most recently in 2012 and has held a number of elite amateur events including the English Women's Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship last year.

Labels:


Banchory quiz night, silent auction for 4-ball 

tee times to raise money for flood-hit courses

FROM ANN SMART
Banchory Golf Club secretary
You probably have read about the efforts to try and raise money for the golf courses that have been affected by the flooding (Ballater, Deeside, Peterculter and Paul Lawrie Golf Centre).  
Banchory Golf Club are planning a quiz night on March 25 for fund-raising.  Along with this we have a silent auction for four-ball tee times, donated by many clubs across Scotland.  
Reproduced below is an info sheet Dean Vannet has been sending out to all clubs in Scotland and wondered if you could share it on your web page.  Anyone from any club can put a bid in for the items.   
This is purely for the courses as we have already had a fund-raiser for the Ballater homes affected by the flooding,  raising £2,497.
 

STORM FRANK FLOOD FUNDRAISER
AT
BANCHORY GOLF CLUB
FRIDAY 25TH MARCH

RAISING FUNDS FOR THE WORST AFFECTED GOLF FACILITIES:
  BALLATER / PETERCULTER / DEESIDE / PAUL LAWRIE CENTRE

SILENT AUCTION ITEMS BELOW

GOLF CLUB FOUR-BALL TEE TIME VOUCHERS

·       PETERCULTER Face Value £160
·       STRATHAVEN Face Value £148
·       FERENEZE  Face Value £112
·       PANMURE Face Value £340
·       DRUMPELLIER Face Value £160
·       BLAIRGOWRIE  Face Value £260
·       BRORA Face Value £236
·       CRUDEN BAY Face Value £420
·       MORAY Face Value £340
·       CRIEFF Face Value £140
·       EDZELL Face Value £180
·       STRANRAER Face value £160
·       ABOYNE Face Value £140
·       NEWBURGH–ON -YTHAN Face Value  £160
·       ABERDOUR Face Value £160
·       ST ANDREWS / CASTLE COURSE – Face Value £560 (Includes Breakfast on arrival)
·       DEESIDE – Face Value £280
·       HILTON PARK – Face Value £140
·       ROYAL ABERDEEN – Face Value £480
·       BANCHORY – Face Value £140
·       KINTORE – Face Value £108
·       CRAIL (Balcombie Links) – Face Value £260
·       HAGGS CASTLE – Face Value £220 

PERSONALISED CHINA VOUCHER – CARRELL DESIGNS £60

TITLEIST VOKEY WEDGES SM5 (6 OF) 1 x 56, 5 x 60 degree lofts (Sold Individually) Face Value £89.00

STAR PACKAGE #1
VILLA IN TENERIFE
(One Week's Use)

·       4-bed 3-bathrooms detached villa on 8th hole of Amarilla golf course, Tenerife.
·       Overlooking Amarilla Golf Course –  golf not included
·       5 minutes from Golf del Sur 27 hole resort
·       Bbq, Tepanaki grill,  Pizza oven
·       Pool,  Double garage
·       Porsche Cayenne car (INSURED ANY DRIVER)
·       Caretakers looking after house
·       Safe,  golf clubs available

STAR PACKAGE #2
ROYAL DORNOCH
·  
  FOUR-BALL AT  ROYAL DORNOCH
TWO NIGHTS' ACCOMODATION FOR FOUR
 IN PRIVATE HOUSE IN DORNOCH
·        FACE VALUE - £700

PAUL LAWRIE SIGNED SHIRT (FRAMED)

144TH OPEN CHMPIONSHIP FLAG – ST ANDREWS
SIGNED BY THE CLEVELAND / SRIXON TOUR PLAYERS 

Labels:

Carnoustie pair miss cut in South Africa

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Will Porter, last year's Scottish U18 boys' match-play champion, and his Carnoustie colleague, Jamie Connelly both missed the second-round cut in the Cape Province Open stroke-play championship over 72 holes at Kingswood Golf Estate, South Africa today (Wed).
Porter, with rounds of 78 and 72 for  150 and tied 100th position in a field of more than 200 competitors, missed out by three strokes.
Connelly shot 83 and 79 for 162.
South Africans occupy the leading five places at the halfway mark, spearheaded by Herman Loubser with 65 and 71 for eight-under 136. He is a shot ahead of four compatriots in joint second place.
England's challenge is spearheaded by Jamie Bower (Meltham) with scores of 71 and 67 for 138 and a share of sixth place.
Compatriot Alfie Plant comes next in joint 15th place with scores of 72 and 68
Nic Elliot (Tandridge) had rounds of 73 and 72 for 145 and is tied 52nd.
Paul Kinnear (Formby) made it through on the limit mark of 147 with rounds of 77 and 70 for joint 64th place.

CAPE PROVINCE OPEN STROKE-PLAY TOURNAMENT
Kingswood Golf Estate, South Africa
LEADING SECOND-ROUND SCORES
par 144 (2x72)
136 H Loubser (SAf) 65 71

SELECTED SCORES
138 J Bower (Eng) 71 67 (T6)
140 A Plant (Eng) 72 68 (T15)
145 N Elliot (Eng) 73 72 (T52)
147 P Kinnear (Eng) 77 70 (T64)

MISSED THE CUT (147 and better qualified)
150 W Porter (Sco) 78 72
162 J Connelly (Sco) 83 79


TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

CLICK HERE

Labels:

Fergus Bisset scores first NE Alliance win over

16-hole Montrose Winter Course with a 58

JOEL HOPWOOD REPORTING 
Despite the greenkeepers' best efforts, Montrose Links fell victim to the frost today. After a 45 minute delay for further inspection, it was decided that play would be over Montrose Links' Winter Course. 
With no greens in place on either the third or 12th, this fixture was reduced to 16 holes. 

Fergus Bisset (Banchory) scored his first win of the North-east Alliance season with a three-under-par 58 for the 16 holes. He made birdies at 4, 6, 12 and 13 (*usually 5, 7, 14 and 15). His only dropped shot came at the seventh (usually the eighth).

Kevin Duncan (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) finished in solo second place with a two-under  59. His bogeys came at 1, 11 and 14 (*usually 1, 13 and 16) - which he offset with birdies at 7, 9, 12, 15 and 16 (*usually 8, 10, 14, 17 and 18) 
Paul Lawrie Golf Centre stablemate Greg McBain and Laura Murray, now playing out of Kippie Lodge, and David Leslie (Bon Accord) finished a shot further back with matching 60s - completing the top 5.

Today's Class 1 prizewinners were David Fleming (Portlethen) with a fantastic nett 56. Les Fowler (Royal Aberdeen) and Gavin Chalmers (Alford) were one shot further back with nett 57s. Mike Duncan (Murcar) had a nett 58 and Scott Mackie (Kemnay) once again finished in the top 5 with a nett 59. 

In Class 2 - the winner had the low nett of the day, Craibstone's Willie Beattie managed a nett 54! He was two ahead of Graham Moir (Oldmeldrum) - who's nett 56 was a further shot ahead of Richard Ruddiman (Royal Aberdeen), Donald Lawrie (Aboyne) and Raymond Brown (Kemnay) who completed the top 5.

ALL THE SCRATCH SCORES
Par 61 (16 Holes) – 87 Players
TOP 6 SCORECARDS BENEATH SCOREBOARD

58 F Bisset (Banchory)
59 K Duncan (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre)
60 G McBain (Paul Lawrie GolfC), D Leslie (Bon Accord), L Murray (Kippie Lodge)
61 D Fleming (Portlethen)
62 S Kiloh (Portlethen)
63 C Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC), G Munro (Fraserburgh), C Nelson (Mackenzie Club), G Chalmers (Alford), L Vannet (Craibstone)
64 K Zeynalov (Portlethen), S Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC), J Nicolson (Hazlehead), L Fowler (Royal Aberdeen), S Mackie (Kemnay), T Mathieson (Murcar Links), P McLean (Paul Lawrie GC)
65 J Borthwick (Craibstone), S Finnie (Royal Aberdeen), W Beattie (Craibstone), B Ritchie (Inverallochy)  
66 M Duncan (Murcar Links), A Campbell (Murcar Links), S Macneil (Aboyne), K Beveridge (Kippie Lodge), M Merchant (Newmachar), A Stuart (PLGC), J Duff (Newmachar)
67 B Nicolson (Hazlehead), S Shand (Kemnay), C Goodwin (Duff House Royal), K Nicol (Paul Lawrie GC)
68 D Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen), G Moir (Oldmeldrum), R Reid (Tarland), D Booth (Tarland), M Forster (Newburgh)
69 J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen), A Graham (Aboyne), K McGillivary (Craibstone), P Morrison (Oldmeldrum)
70 R Ruddiman (Royal Aberdeen), W Skene (Deeside), D Bisset (Banchory), J Scott (Peterculter), J Crawford (Craibstone), J Stewart (Banchory), S Griffiths (Duff House), R Brown (Kemnay), C Cassie (Nigg Bay), S Hanson (PLGC)
71 D Lane (Deeside), D Townsley (Peterculter), J Forrest (Northern), A Gall (Deeside), G Esson (Portlethen)
72 A Clark (Newmachar), B Skene (Peterculter), D Lawrie (Aboyne), R Lamb (Newmachar), D Mackay (Hazlehead), L Roger (Royal Aberdeen), H Roulston (Stonehaven)
73 M Lawrie (Kemnay), N K Parker (Murcar Links), J Hosie (Kemnay), L Duncan (Craibstone), T Boyle (Portlethen)
74 M Rogers (Kemnay), I D Smith (Hazlehead), H Macnaughton (Cruden Bay), D Wright (Northern), N Chisholm (Kemnay), S Ross (Hazlehead)
75 D Nelson (Aboyne), J Murray (Banchory), P Cheyne (Northern), G Mackie (Caledonian)  
77 T Collie (Kemnay), M Brown (Kemnay)
78 M Winton (Caledonian), M Rendall (Stonehaven)
79 S Allison (Deeside) 
86 R Davidson (Caledonian)  
No Returns:

D McKay (Caledonian)

HANDICAP PRIZEWINNERS

Class 1 – D Fleming (Portlethen) (5) 56; L Fowler (Royal Aberdeen) (7) bih, G Chalmers (Alford) (6) 57; M Duncan (Murcar Links) (8)  58; S Mackie (Kemnay) (5) 59
Class 2 - W Beattie (Craibstone) (11) 54; G Moir (Oldmeldrum) (12) 56; R Ruddiman (Royal Aberdeen) (13) bih, D Lawrie (Aboyne) (15) bih, R Brown (Kemnay) (13) 57

BEST SCORECARDS:

MONTROSE LINKS SCORECARD 
PAR 61 (16 Holes - 3rd + 12th CLOSED)
4-4-4-3-4-4-3-4 (30)
4-4-3-4-5-3-4-4 (31) = 61

FERGUS BISSET (BANCHORY)
4-4-4-2-4-3-4-4 (29)
4-4-3-3-4-3-4-4 (29) = 58

KEVIN DUNCAN (PLGC)
5-4-4-3-4-4-2-4 (30)
3-4-4-3-5-4-3-3 (29) = 59

GREG McBAIN (PLGC)
4-4-3-3-4-4-4-5 (31)
4-4-3-4-4-3-3-4 (29) = 60

LAURA MURRAY (KIPPIE LODGE)
4-4-3-4-4-4-3-4 (30)
4-4-3-4-4-3-4-4 (30) = 60

DAVID LESLIE (Bon Accord)
4-4-5-3-4-4-3-3 (30)
4-4-3-4-5-3-3-4 (30) = 60

DAVID FLEMING (Portlethen)
4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4 (32)
4-4-3-4-4-4-3-3 (29) = 61

KEY:      PAR
                BIRDIE
                BOGEY
                DOUBLE BOGEY

The next three North East Alliance fixtures are generously sponsored by Golf Monthly. 

The North-east Alliance's remaining fixtures are listed below:

March 2 Duff House Royal
March Portlethen (Round 1, NE Alliance championship)
*March 16 Craibstone (Round 2NE Alliance championship)
 Last counting event for Brimond Bistro Order of Merit final tables.
March 17 NE Alliance Fourball Betterball Pro - Am
March 23 McDonald Ellon (does not count for Order of Merit final tables)    

Labels:

Copyright © Colin Farquharson

If you can't find what you are looking for.... please check the Archive List or search this site with Google