I, like many of you, enjoyed watching the 2013 Masters. It was a great win for Adam Scott. I always watch professional tournaments looking for tips I can apply to my own game. While there are things the pros do that we should not, there are just as many things we can apply to our own games.
Here are some thoughts of mine from the 2013 Masters.
Downhill putts will break more than uphill putts. How many times did the pros not play enough break on make-able downhill putts and the ball broke below the hole? I’m not talking about long putts that they were trying to lag putt. On those putts the wanted outcome is leaving the ball below the hole to have an uphill putt on their next one. Granted, the greens at Augusta were insanely fast, especially on Friday and Saturday, but to see professional golfers continually not play enough break on putts they were trying to hole was interesting. It serves as a great reminder for high handicap and beginner golfers who generally do not play enough break to begin with. While the greens will not be as fast as a professional event, remember that downhill putts will take more break than uphill ones.
On Sunday, as a steady rain fell, the greens became consistently slower. Many pros were slow to adjust and putt after putt came up short of the hole. This brought a couple of thoughts to mind. First, I was somewhat surprised how long it took some pros to adjust. Second, it reminded me of the saying that you won’t make a putt that doesn’t reach the cup. Again, I’m not talking about the times when lag putting the ball up to the hole was the best approach. Rather I’m talking of the times where the pros were expecting to make the putt. There were several putts on Sunday that were a revolution or two from going in the hole. Who can say how that affected the outcome. Adam Scott had it figured out by the time he reached the 18th hole and the playoffs sinking the two biggest putts of his career. When you have a putt you are expecting to sink, make sure you get it to the hole.
Finally, the sportsmanship between Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera was enjoyable to watch. I’m sure the fact that they were teammates on the 2009 President’s Cup team and consider themselves friends had something to do with it. More so I believe it points to the outstanding character of these two competitors. Take a cue from Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera the next time you’re competing in your flight of your club championship or in your weekly league. Compete hard but maintain the utmost respect for your competitor, win or lose.
I plan on posting my observations on other tournaments as the season progresses. There is always something to learn from watching the best golfers in the world.