A Lesson Learned: Perspective helps with pressure

A Lesson Learned: Perspective helps with pressure










Jeff Coston, PGA June 30, 2013 11:15 PM


Last week, I competed in one of my favorite events - the PGA Professional National Championship. This past weekend, Inbee Park not only won the Women's U.S. Open but managed to make it her third straight major championship this year. I had a great chance to meet my goal - to finish in the top 20 and become the only grandfather in the field at this year's PGA Championship. I came up a bit short. Inbee had a chance to do something no woman has done in more than half a century - win the season's first three majors. She accomplished her goal convincingly.

This week's "A Lesson Learned" has to do with the pressure that comes with playing in your biggest event of the season or year. We all have them. Whether it's a high school tournament, a club championship or a U.S. Open qualifier, all golfers tend to point towards one or two events as the ones that will make or break their year in golf.

In order to peak at the right time, you have to do three things.
1.) Be mentally tough and able to control your emotions
2.) Be comfortable and confident in your own skin
3.) Have a great awareness of your abilities and potential

All golfers who compete at high levels understand the importance of these three items. But understanding and doing can be different things.

At Sunriver, in the final round, I was doing pretty well - I was five-under through the first six holes of the final round. I was in the top 10 at the time and right in position I had worked so hard to be in. Then I had a wait on the 8th tee and made a mistake with my tee shot which led to a double bogey. I made a couple more doubles and ended up one shot out of the playoff for the PGA Championship spots. I'm proud of my week but certainly, that finish was a bit disappointing.


Inbee Park was in the position she needed to be in. She played smart, didn't press or take unnecessary risks and relied on her strengths - including an outstanding putting stroke - to win at Sebonack. In the three most important championships so far this year, Park has risen to the occasion. That's 12 rounds where she has not let the pressure affect her enough to hurt her chance to win. That's crazy incredible.

For some quick perspective, Tiger Woods won three majors in a row in 2001 and golf fans may talk about that year forever. Park just did that and has a chance to win two more this year. That deserves a wow.

So back to dealing with pressure, how do you play your best when it counts the most?

I tell all my students that pressure is normal, pressure is part of the excitement, but there are always more important things in life than golf. Don't make the game bigger than life. Keep your focus but also keep your perspective. You'll then learn to enjoy the pressure that comes from golf - not suffer from it. Pressure can make you freeze up and lose, or it can help you overcome and conquer.

I've been in situations to win championships and I've come out on top - like earlier this year, I made the cut and tied for the low PGA Club Professional at the Senior PGA Championship. I've also come up short in championships. But I always know I'm going to work hard and put myself in position to compete again. Winning and losing is not the end of the world. And when you understand that - you're going to end up winning more than you know.

And Inbee Park understands that. She knows she won't win every time she tees it up. And what fun would that be - to not have the challenge and pressure to overcome. (If Park wins the next two majors, I rescind that last sentence.)

Golf is the greatest game in the world - you should enjoy every aspect of it, including the pressure. When you know that the next event is going to mean more than most, do all you can to prepare properly. Then remember that there are other things that matter in your life too.

Here's hoping you, your golf game and your week will be great. Have a happy 4th of July.

Jeff Coston is the PGA Teaching Professional at Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine, Wash. Coston has played on the PGA Tour, played in 3 PGA Championships, 3 Senior PGA Championships and one U.S. Open. You can learn more about Jeff Coston at his website.

Atricles Course: http://golfatn.blogspot.com/

Golf notebook: Floridian tops Open qualifying in England

Golf notebook: Floridian tops Open qualifying in England









Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange July 1, 2013 12:10 AMThe SportsXchange


--Brooks Koepka of West Palm Beach, Fla., kept his brilliant run going by shooting 65-64--134, 6 under par, to lead international final qualifying for the 142nd Open Championshipat Sunningdale Golf Club in Sunningdale, England.



Koepka earned his first berth in the oldest championship in the world one day after winning for the third time on the Challenge Tour, the developmental circuit for the European Tour, in the Scottish Hydro Challenge at Macdonald Spey Valley Golf Clubin Aviemore, Scotland.



"It was a long day," said the 23-year-old Koepka, a former All-American at Florida State who had only two hours of sleep before catching a flight from Scotland to England for the qualifier.



"It's awesome to play in the Open; it's what you prepare your game to play in. Any major is special, but the Open is up there. Everybody wants to win it."



Niclas Fasth of Sweden posted a score of 68-69--137 and tied for seventh with Scott Jamieson of Scotland, who came in at 71-66--137.



Among the non-qualifiers were Thomas Levet of France at 70-70--140, Paul Casey of England at 70-71--141, Tom Lewis of England at 66-75--141, Michael Campbell of New Zealand at 72-70--142, Paul McGinley of Ireland at 71-72--143, Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain at 72-71--143 and Peter Uihlein of the United States at 73-71--144.



Stranahan, who was a fitness fanatic long before Gary Player and was nicknamed "The Toledo Strongman," had been a patient in the hospice facility for about a week, said his son, Lance.



Stranahan claimed 51 amateur titles, including the British Amateur in 1948 and 1950 when it was still considered a major championship, and lost to Sam Urzetta on the 39th hole in the final of the 1950 United States Amateur at Minneapolis Golf Club.



"Frank was a very close friend and a good guy," Arnold Palmer said when he was told of Stranahan's death. "I enjoyed my relationship with Frank very much, going back to my amateur days when we competed against each other on quite a few occasions.



When Stranahan turned pro in 1954, he had already won four times on the PGA Tour, at the 1945 Durham Open, the 1946 Kansas City Invitational Victory Bond Golf Tournament, the 1948 Ohio Open and the 1948 Miami Open.



During his amateur days, Stranahan finished second to Jimmy Demaret in the 1947 Masters, runner-up to Fred Daly of Ireland in the 1947 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool and second again in the 1953 Open behind Ben Hogan at Carnoustie.



Born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1922, he learned to play the game at the famed Inverness Golf Club, where he was taught by the club pro, Byron Nelson. Stranahan's father, R.H. Stranahan, founded Champion Spark Plug.



Stranahan, who attended Harvard, the University of Miami and the University of Pennsylvania, was proceeded in death by his wife, Ann, and sons Jimmy and Frank Jr.



The USGA and R&A ruled on May 21 that anchored putters will be banned beginning with the 2016 season.




"As we have seen over the past few months, the Rules of Golf can affect recreational golf in addition to play at the elite level. The PGA of America will continue to confer with the PGA Touron the subject of Rule 14-1b, and the PGA of America will reserve any public comments on this matter until after the PGA Tour Policy Board meets on July 1."



--Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, one of the best young women's golfers in the world, withdrew two days before the start of the U.S. Women's Open at Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., because of a right shoulder injury.



However, she phoned the United States Golf Association to withdraw from the tournament with enough time that the first alternate, amateur Hannah Suh of Daly City, Calif., could take her place in the field.



Ariya slipped while running down a hill chasing her sister with a bottle of water.



If her shoulder is better, Jutanugarn plans to play in a Monday qualifier for the Marathon Classic, which will be contested July 18-21 at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio.



Even though she is not a member of the LPGA Tour, she has made quite an impact on the circuit this season while getting into tournaments through Monday qualifying and sponsor's exemptions.



A rookie on the Ladies European Tour, she captured the Lalla Meryem Cup at Golf de l'Ocean in Agadir, Morocco, by three strokes over Beth Allen of Ventura, Calif., in March.



Martin, 41, who has blood-circulation difficulties because of Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome, won a 2001 Supreme Court decision against the PGA Tour that allowed his use of a cart during tournaments because of his disability.



"I've never felt more discriminated against or unfairly taken advantage of in my entire life," Martin told Golfweek magazine.



However, when he was observing play on the sixth hole, Pawlak approached him and said that USGA rules prohibited spectators from using golf carts, so Martin relinquished the cart.



Martin said Mike Davis, the USGA's executive director, apologized to him after Martin called to discuss the incident.



Martin gave up the cart and was told to seek a single-rider cart at the clubhouse, but none was available, so he left the course.



In the USGA's 2013 "Qualifying Manual," a section addresses carts at USGA events: "Golf Carts/Scooters for Spectators -- Golf carts will not be provided to spectators (including club members) at any USGA Qualifying location or the Championship proper, regardless of availability at the site or condition of spectator. The USGA makes scooter transport units available at most Championship sites on a first come, first served basis. Offering to take a 'disabled' person to a couple of selected spots on the course to view play as it comes through that area is acceptable and should be encouraged. No one will be shuttled to view play hole by hole, regardless of their condition or relationship to a player in the event."



Martin played the PGA Tour in 2000 after having qualified in 1999 by placing 14th in earnings on what was then the Nike Tour. Martin returned to the developmental tour for the 2001-03 seasons, then played a reduced schedule from 2004-06.

Atricles Course: http://golfatn.blogspot.com/

Course Source: Angeles National, Stoke Park

Course Source: Angeles National, Stoke Park









Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange July 1, 2013 12:10 AMThe SportsXchange


IN THE PUBLIC EYE: Angeles National Golf Club in Sunland, Calif.



Even though the area had become a dumping ground, the course was created only after a 15-year battle with bureaucrats and environmentalists.



Angeles National, with the basic design created by Steve Nicklaus -- son of the greatest golfer of all time -- plays to a par of 72 and measures 7,140 from the back, or theNicklaus Tees. However, there are four sets of tees to make the course playable for golfers of all abilities.



Players who receive permission to play from the Nicklaus Tees receive a special introduction from the course starter similar to what you hear on the PGA Tour.



HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Ben Krug.



Judging from the response of golfers in the area who have flocked to the course at the base of the Angeles National Forest since it opened, that might not be far from the truth.



Despite the landscape, there is ample driving room at Angeles National, and there is some undulation on the greens -- but they are not over the top. Golfers find the test challenging yet fair.



Book-ending the final four on the front side are two exceptional par 4s, the 459-yard (from the Nicklaus Tees) sixth hole, called "Hollow," and the 486-yard ninth hole, which is known as "Oak Tree." They are the most difficult holes on the front, requiring approach shots over a barranca, and perhaps the most challenging on the entire course.



On the back side, the 130-yard 12th hole, called "Valley," is deceptive because the narrow green is 42 yards from front to back and is surrounded by bunkers. The 494-yard 13th, known as "Wasteland," is a reachable par 5 with a waste bunker that juts out into the fairway from the right.



The well-bunkered 16th hole is a 537-yard par 5 that has been dubbed "Domino," followed by two strong par 4s. The 406-yard dogleg 17th, "Tujunga," tempts golfers to cut the corner over a large bunker, and the 416-yard finish, known as "Creek," is a slight dogleg left with a large lake fed by a creek to the left of the tiered green.



OTHERS COURSES IN THE AREA: Angeles National is one of several courses that opened in the foothills and valleys north of Los Angeles in a span of 10 years or so. Among the others are the Mountain and Valley Courses designed by Ted Robinson at Robinson Ranch in Canyon Country; TPC Valencia, which had two-time major champion Mark O'Meara on the design team; Rustic Canyon Golf Course, a unique links-style course in Moorpark designed by Gil Hanse and Geoff Shackelford; Lost Canyons Golf Club in Simi Valley, designed by Pete Dye and Fred Couples; Moorpark Country Club, designed by Peter Jacobsen and Jim Hardy; Sterling Hills Golf Club in Camarillo, designed by Robert Muir Graves, and Tierra Rejada Golf Club in Moorpark, designed by Robert Cupp.



WHERE TO STAY: The best hotels in downtown Los Angeles -- including the Westin Bonaventure, the DoubleTree by Hilton, the Omni Los Angeles Hotel, the Millennium Biltmore, the Hilton Checkers and the Los Angeles Marriott Downtown -- are about a 20-minute drive from Angeles National during non-commute hours. The Sheraton Universal, adjacent to the theme park in Universal City, also is about 20 minutes away.








THE LAYOUT: The legendary Harry Shapland Coltdesigned 27 magnificent holes on a revered piece of land, once owned by the family of William Penn, which has a recorded history dating more than 1,000 years.



In 1998, Stoke Park brought back nine holes that had been dormant since the land was used to grow potatoes during the lean days of World War II, recreating Colt's original 27-hole design.



Colt also designed the famed courses at Muirfield, Sunningdale, Royal Portrush and Wentworth in addition to Pine Valley, considered by many to be the best golf course in the United States.



Bond, played by Sean Connery, was driving his souped-up Aston Martin, which was auctioned off in a charity event at Stoke Park a few years ago.



Connery, an avid golfer, hit his own golf shots in the movie.



LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: Stand on the seventh tee at Stoke Park Club and you get the feeling you might be thousands of miles away. Like on the famed 12th hole at Augusta National Golf Club, one-third of dreaded "Amen Corner."



No. 7 is part of Stoke Park's own "Amen Corner," a fearsome foursome that can stack up with any similar stretch of holes in the world. First is the par-4, 422-yard fourth hole, a slight dogleg right, followed by the par-5 fifth, a 525-yard test that sweeps left through a row of trees, and then the uphill, 408-yard sixth hole.



There are other reminders of Augusta at Stoke Park, especially when the azaleas and rhododendrons are in bloom, most notably on the picturesque 156-yard 11th hole, where the tee shot through a grove of trees must carry a large pond.



Goldfinger miraculously "finds" his ball in the rough on No. 17, after Oddjob drops a new one out of a hole in his pocket, and wins the hole. However, Bond turns the tables on No. 18 below the famous Stoke Park dome.



Also in the area are Lambourne Club in Burnham, the Marriott Forest of Arden Hotel and Country Club in Warwickshire, Woburn Golf Club in Milton Keynes and Foxhills Golf Club in Ottershaw -- which is considered the most American-like club in England.



Stoke Park Mansion, which houses the hotel, clubhouse, restaurants and conference rooms, is said to have influenced the architects of the White House since the dome is similar and both edifices have an oval office.



Also close are the Bull Hotel, a 17th century coach stop in Gerrards Cross; Burnham Beeches Hotel, a magnificent structure of Georgian architecture on 10 landscaped acres in Burnam; Grovefield House Hotel, a charming Edwardian country house in Windsor; the Christopher Hotel, the only hotel in Eton; the Castle Hotel in Windsor, a two-minute walk from the front gate at Windsor Castle; and Sir Christopher Wren Hotel on the banks of the Thames River in Windsor.

Atricles Course: http://golfatn.blogspot.com/