O/T-Tommy Armour III and the 8th

[David Stamm]

Today showed vividly why missing to the right side of the 8th green makes for a difficult recovery.


I was quite disappointed with his reaction, but not surprised. I've admired his long iron game ever since seeing him play at Torrey a few years back. But this kind of behavior from a man who is supposedly a mentor to Pat Perez, and will qualify for the Champions Tour this year, looks unseemly. I understand frustration, but to disrespect the golf course is inexcusable.

[Neil_Crafter]

David
What was that reaction?

[David Stamm]

After finally getting up to the pin after 5 attempts, he buried his club into the shaved bank of the slope leading up to the green surface.

[David Neveux]

Tommy spiked his club head into the fairway just short of the green.  The club was stuck in the ground, and he left it for his caddy to wrench it out.  It was unprofessional but sometimes in the heat of battle, your frustrations get the better of you.  

[Joel_Stewart]

I watched him last week at the AT&T on Friday at Poppy Hills.  He was paired with Fred Couples and Justin Timberlake.   I forget who is amatuer partner was.  After 2 holes I was convinced he was washed up and a hothead.  Justin Timberlake may have beaten him as a 4 handicap.  Regardless he is not someone I will seek out to watch.

[Bill_McBride]

Purely by chance,I was standing behind the green at #8 when TA3 had his train wreck. He was entitled to be a tad frustrated, the first four flops from down in the barranca were on the green - briefly - before trickling back down into the barranca. The gallery couldn't see his club stick. Somehow he was able to calm down and make a 10'er for snowman.

To me the safe play to that right front pin has gotta be left fairway. 

[mike_beene]

He has been around my club off and on for years.Not defending the hard living,but the guy is very nice around the golf course and club from everything I have seen.Even shared Mac OGrady with some when they worked together.He has a brother named Sandy who has a good eye for the swing.I guess we allget frustrated with the game,especially when the ball keeps coming back.WWJDD(What would John Daly do?)Seems he walked away at Pinehurst hitting a moving ball.If Tommy had torn a green up that would be totally different.

[David Stamm]

Purely by chance,I was standing behind the green at #8 when TA3 had his train wreck. He was entitled to be a tad frustrated, the first four flops from down in the barranca were on the green - briefly - before trickling back down into the barranca. The gallery couldn't see his club stick. Somehow he was able to calm down and make a 10'er for snowman.

To me the safe play to that right front pin has gotta be left fairway. 

And I think that was the intent. The pin location would dictate the fw taken. To me, it wouldn't matter if the right fw was 2 clubs shorter if the angle from the opposite fw provided an easier approach.

[Kyle Harris]

Boneheaded club selection will do that. Tried to hit the same flop shot 4 times... Bump and run, baby.

[David Stamm]

Boneheaded club selection will do that. Tried to hit the same flop shot 4 times... Bump and run, baby.

Agreed. What was that definition of the word insane?

[mike_beene]

I kind of had a flashback to Mickleson at Torrey last year.But remember from sienfeld  "Serenity now,insanity later"

[Pete Lavallee]

Boneheaded club selection will do that. Tried to hit the same flop shot 4 times... Bump and run, baby.

Kyle,

Are you free to teach how to bump and run, uphill through Kikuyu; I'd pay big money to own that shot!

[Kyle Harris]

Boneheaded club selection will do that. Tried to hit the same flop shot 4 times... Bump and run, baby.

Kyle,

Are you free to teach how to bump and run, uphill through Kikuyu; I'd pay big money to own that shot!

Stand a 7-iron up near vertical so little of the sole has to cut through the grass. Be aggressive, be-e aggressive.

[mike_beene]

I do think Kikuya is the toughest grass to play short shots out of that I have seen.Was a bump and run really an option.It doesn't take much of that grass to smother a very firm shot.

[Pete Lavallee]

Boneheaded club selection will do that. Tried to hit the same flop shot 4 times... Bump and run, baby.

Kyle,

Are you free to teach how to bump and run, uphill through Kikuyu; I'd pay big money to own that shot!

Stand a 7-iron up near vertical so little of the sole has to cut through the grass. Be aggressive, be-e aggressive.

Kyle,

With all due respect, you are  either a short game wizard or have little experience with Kikuyu. It's not the strike that's hard, it's getting the ball to jump through the stuff; it just just smothers the first bounce and all you end up with is a bump and sit.

[Kyle Harris]

Boneheaded club selection will do that. Tried to hit the same flop shot 4 times... Bump and run, baby.

Kyle,

Are you free to teach how to bump and run, uphill through Kikuyu; I'd pay big money to own that shot!

Stand a 7-iron up near vertical so little of the sole has to cut through the grass. Be aggressive, be-e aggressive.

Kyle,

With all due respect, you are  either a short game wizard or have little experience with Kikuyu. It's not the strike that's hard, it's getting the ball to jump through the stuff; it just just smothers the first bounce and all you end up with is a bump and sit.

The bank looked like it was cut short? How else would the ball keep rolling back to his feet? I am talking about chucking it into the bank.

[Bill_McBride]

Boneheaded club selection will do that. Tried to hit the same flop shot 4 times... Bump and run, baby.

Kyle, I suspect you haven't played on kikuyu before.  It's like frickin' velcro, hard to get a club through at 2", much less bump a shot up a steep bank.  He played the right shot, just tried to get too cute and then got frustrated and tried 4 more times.  He was on in 7 and made a 10' putt for 8. 

Scott McCarron was down there with Armour and took his medicine.  Pitched 15' past the hole and just missed the putt, took his bogey.

[Kyle Harris]

Boneheaded club selection will do that. Tried to hit the same flop shot 4 times... Bump and run, baby.

Kyle, I suspect you haven't played on kikuyu before.  It's like frickin' velcro, hard to get a club through at 2", much less bump a shot up a steep bank.  He played the right shot, just tried to get too cute and then got frustrated and tried 4 more times.  He was on in 7 and made a 10' putt for 8. 

Scott McCarron was down there with Armour and took his medicine.  Pitched 15' past the hole and just missed the putt, took his bogey.

I've hacked through thick fescue, 419 and yes, Kikuyu with the shot in question. When you have less than one inch of leading edge cutting through (which is the point) it becomes a bit easier. Just takes practice.

Not trying to be too defensive about this - but when a PGA Tour pro can't execute a shot 1 in 5, it's either a goofy setup or poor club selection.

How are they able to gouge 3-irons out of the stuff?

[Bill_McBride]

Boneheaded club selection will do that. Tried to hit the same flop shot 4 times... Bump and run, baby.

Kyle, I suspect you haven't played on kikuyu before.  It's like frickin' velcro, hard to get a club through at 2", much less bump a shot up a steep bank.  He played the right shot, just tried to get too cute and then got frustrated and tried 4 more times.  He was on in 7 and made a 10' putt for 8. 

Scott McCarron was down there with Armour and took his medicine.  Pitched 15' past the hole and just missed the putt, took his bogey.

I've hacked through thick fescue, 419 and yes, Kikuyu with the shot in question. When you have less than one inch of leading edge cutting through (which is the point) it becomes a bit easier. Just takes practice.

Not trying to be too defensive about this - but when a PGA Tour pro can't execute a shot 1 in 5, it's either a goofy setup or poor club selection.

I just think he tried to get too cute and then wouldn't give up and take his medicine.  It's just difficult to get a clubhead through that stuff with finesse.  Maybe his lob wedge - if he carries one - has too much bounce.

How are they able to gouge 3-irons out of the stuff? With great difficulty!

[Kyle Harris]

Boneheaded club selection will do that. Tried to hit the same flop shot 4 times... Bump and run, baby.

Kyle, I suspect you haven't played on kikuyu before.  It's like frickin' velcro, hard to get a club through at 2", much less bump a shot up a steep bank.  He played the right shot, just tried to get too cute and then got frustrated and tried 4 more times.  He was on in 7 and made a 10' putt for 8. 

Scott McCarron was down there with Armour and took his medicine.  Pitched 15' past the hole and just missed the putt, took his bogey.

I've hacked through thick fescue, 419 and yes, Kikuyu with the shot in question. When you have less than one inch of leading edge cutting through (which is the point) it becomes a bit easier. Just takes practice.

Not trying to be too defensive about this - but when a PGA Tour pro can't execute a shot 1 in 5, it's either a goofy setup or poor club selection.

I just think he tried to get too cute and then wouldn't give up and take his medicine.  It's just difficult to get a clubhead through that stuff with finesse.  Maybe his lob wedge - if he carries one - has too much bounce.

How are they able to gouge 3-irons out of the stuff? With great difficulty!

Too much bounce was what I was thinking. Especially with the way it dug into the collar

[C. Squier]

No way you can play a bump and run from that spot w/ Kikuyu.  He attempted the shot that was necessary, he just didn't execute. 

A ball will roll on Kikuyu, it won't bounce. 

[Kyle Harris]

No way you can play a bump and run from that spot w/ Kikuyu.  He attempted the shot that was necessary, he just didn't execute. 

A ball will roll on Kikuyu, it won't bounce. 

Just to be clear... I am talking about bouncing it on the fairway cut bank.

[Bill_McBride]

No way you can play a bump and run from that spot w/ Kikuyu.  He attempted the shot that was necessary, he just didn't execute. 

A ball will roll on Kikuyu, it won't bounce. 

Just to be clear... I am talking about bouncing it on the fairway cut bank.

Kyle, from where Armour played his 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th shots down in the baranca, there is just too much shaggy bank before you get to the top where the bank is shaved, for a bump and run to work.  Scott McCarron played after Armour's first try and pitched up past the pin and settled for bogey.

[Kyle Harris]

No way you can play a bump and run from that spot w/ Kikuyu.  He attempted the shot that was necessary, he just didn't execute. 

A ball will roll on Kikuyu, it won't bounce. 

Just to be clear... I am talking about bouncing it on the fairway cut bank.

Kyle, from where Armour played his 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th shots down in the baranca, there is just too much shaggy bank before you get to the top where the bank is shaved, for a bump and run to work.  Scott McCarron played after Armour's first try and pitched up past the pin and settled for bogey.

Roger that. Didn't realize the collar was still so high - the camera angled obscured the bank and with the way the ball got to the bottom I figured it was a safe assumption.

My stance still stands... boneheaded decision ;-)

[C. Squier]

No way you can play a bump and run from that spot w/ Kikuyu.  He attempted the shot that was necessary, he just didn't execute. 

A ball will roll on Kikuyu, it won't bounce. 

Just to be clear... I am talking about bouncing it on the fairway cut bank.

I know.  My first chip at Riviera was an attempt to bump and run over FLAT fairway cut grass.  First point of contact, the ball bounced up a few inches and stopped.  Couldn't believe it.  An uphill bump and run is near impossible on the stuff.  Certainly not to the point a pro would be willing to take the random bounce over hitting a higher flop shot. 

[Tags:]

Tags: