19th Hole
Rory McIlroy says amateurs can lower their scores by 10 strokes if they follow this tip
“If I were to caddie for like an average player, I really feel like I could take five to 10 shots off a round very easily.”
So says a certain Rory McIlroy, four time Major winner and former world number one.
Sure, it sounds obvious given who he is and what he has done, but it all makes perfect sense and recreational players might wish to take heed and get more competitive at this weekend’s medal.
Speaking during an interview with with Piers Ward from golf instruction site ‘Me and My Golf’, McIlroy expands on the statement.
“I think effective golf sometimes can be pretty boring, or in people’s minds, it can be pretty boring,” McIlroy said. “Playing the shot that you know you can play, or that you can pull off at least eight times out of 10. I think I see, I see amateurs so much trying to play outside of their comfort zone and trying to take on shots that they think they should hit instead of keeping the ball in play, you know, managing their games a little better and that will produce lower scores.
“And yeah, sometimes it’s fun to take on shots that you might be able to pull off, but I think it’s even more fun to just shoot better scores. You know, I think that it’s a — there’s so many other parts of the game that you can do really well at. And yeah, just managing your game a little better.”
As I write, Rory is just inside the cut-line at the DP World Tour opening event in Abu Dhabi but has recent memories of practicing what he preaches.
At the Wells Fargo Championship last May, a tournament he eventually won by a single shot, McIlroy needed to manage his play.
His drive on the 72nd hole went left and into a penalty area, but, on the advice of caddie, Harry Diamond, instead of trying a swing from an awkward sidehill lie, perhaps outside of his comfort zone, with water a few feet away, McIlroy took a penalty stroke, dropped into a better spot and walked away with just a bogey five. Perhaps the move that won the trophy?
“Harry was awesome out there today, especially that decision on the last,” McIlroy said. “I was ready to get in there and try to play that with a lob wedge, and he was sort of like, ‘Let’s take a step back, let’s think about this. Where’s the best place you’re hitting your third from?’ So he sort of calmed me down and slowed me down a little bit and said, ‘Pal, let’s just think about this a little bit.’”
The interview finishes with the best five-word advice.
“Understanding your limitations is huge,” Ward says.
“Exactly.”
More from the 19th Hole
- John Daly explains Tiger Woods beef from 2019 PGA Championship
- Tiger used Earl’s ‘disruptive tactics’ on Charlie at 2021 PNC
- 20-handicap player achieves feat never accomplished by PGA Tour pro
- LIKE249
- LEGIT44
- WOW10
- LOL12
- IDHT10
- FLOP13
- OB15
- SHANK41
19th Hole
‘I drove the living p*** out of the ball today’ – Jordan Spieth left frustrated by ‘bizarre’ current form after opening 73
On Thursday, Jordan Spieth shot an opening round 73 (+1) at the Valero Texas Open. In typical Spieth fashion, the 73 was relatively unconventional with circles and squares all over the scorecard.
On the front nine, Spieth four bogeys and two birdies to make the turn in 38 (+2). On the back nine, things got even more interesting. The three-time major champion made a double-bogey on the par-5 14th followed by an incredible hole-in-one on the par 3-16th.
? SPIETH ACE ?@JordanSpieth makes a hole-in-one on the 199-yard par-3 16th hole @ValeroTXOpen.
(Presented by @CocaCola) pic.twitter.com/kHZKIxKiIZ
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 4, 2024
After the round, Spieth said “I’m playing so much better than I’ve been scoring”.
He added that he “drove the living piss out of the ball today”, which caused frustration because one bad drive on 15 created a big number. Spieth then said, “my driving stats don’t look the way they actually feel”.
Jordan Spieth: “I drove the living piss out the ball today..”
(Via: @pmcdonaldCBS)
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) April 5, 2024
Spieth will try to put it all together in his second round on Friday morning at TPC San Antonio.
More from the 19th Hole
- The wild reason why Mark Wahlberg was initially denied entry to an Australian golf club
- 2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
- Edoardo Molinari reveals the latest PGA Tour golfer to turn down ‘good offer’ from LIV Golf
New here?
- LIKE10
- LEGIT3
- WOW0
- LOL3
- IDHT0
- FLOP4
- OB2
- SHANK2
19th Hole
Anthony Kim says doctors told him that he ‘may not have much time left’ ahead of LIV return
While speaking in with the media in his pre-tournament conference for LIV Miami, Anthony Kim revealed that he was told by doctors that he “may not have much time left” at some point during his twelve years away from professional golf.
“I mean, you know, not to get too far into it, but when doctors are telling you that you may not have much time left, that’s a pretty rude awakening. I still think about it to this day when I’m out there and I get frustrated with my golf, you know, how far I’ve come. And other people don’t need to know the journey. I’m going to share it, and the people that find inspiration and strength from it, I hope it can influence them in a positive way. But yeah, it was — I got to a point where, you know, I may not be here speaking to you guys.”
Anthony Kim when asked about his low point over the past 12 years:
"I mean, you know, not to get too far into it, but when doctors are telling you that you may not have much time left, that's a pretty rude awakening. I still think about it to this day when I'm out there and I…
— Matt Vincenzi (@MattVincenziPGA) April 4, 2024
This week, “AK” is making his first start in the United States since his return. Kim has played in two tournaments in both Jeddah and Hong Kong and has finished 53rd and 50th.
Despite the poor results on the leaderboard, Kim shot a 65 in the final round at Hong Kong Golf Club, which is incredibly impressive considering he told David Feherty in an interview this week that he picked up a club for the first time three months before LIV Jeddah.
The 38-year-old credits his two-year old daughter, Bella, for saving his life and being his inspiration.
“I got professional help. I think that I didn’t deal with a lot of the trauma and whatever came from my life, and I buried it because I didn’t want to show anybody weakness, right. And I thought by showing vulnerability, that was weakness, and I’ve come to a point in my life where I don’t care if somebody thinks that about me or not.
“My daughter is all I care about, and I know it almost sounds corny for me to say but as long as she’s proud of me, I’m a happy man.”
Kim is set to tee it up for the first round of LIV Miami at Trump Doral on Friday.
*Featured Image Photo courtesy of LIV Golf*
More from the 19th Hole
- The wild reason why Mark Wahlberg was initially denied entry to an Australian golf club
- 2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
- Edoardo Molinari reveals the latest PGA Tour golfer to turn down ‘good offer’ from LIV Golf
New here?
- LIKE13
- LEGIT8
- WOW6
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP1
- OB3
- SHANK9
19th Hole
Notah Begay gives gloomy update on Tiger’s injuries ahead of 2024 Masters
While speaking with USA Today, Tiger Woods’ good friend, Notah Begay III, discussed the health of the 15-time major champion.
“He’s trying to formulate a strategy and approach that he can work within given the constraints that he’s presented with. And he’s got some constraints,” Begay said. “He’s got zero mobility in that left ankle and really has low-back challenges now, which he knew he was going to have.”
At Begay’s tournament he hosts that Tiger’s son Charlie played in, Tiger told him, “My ankle doesn’t move. So, something’s going to take the stress. I mean, the stress is going to transfer somewhere else.”
At the Genesis Invitational, that pain transferred to Woods’ back, causing him to withdraw from the tournament.
“For the past couple months, he’s been trying to find a way to recover,” Begay added. “He can play the golf. We always knew the question was going to be ‘Can he walk the 72 (holes)?’ That’s still up in the air. But can he recover, from one round to the next? That’s the biggest question that I really don’t know and he’s not going to know either until he gets out there and figures out whether the way he’s prepared for this year’s Masters is going to work for him.”
Last year, Woods made the cut at Augusta, but was forced to withdraw over the weekend due to plantar fasciitis.
The week will be sure to test Tiger, as Augusta National is one of the most difficult walks in golf.
More from the 19th Hole
- The wild reason why Mark Wahlberg was initially denied entry to an Australian golf club
- 2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
- Edoardo Molinari reveals the latest PGA Tour golfer to turn down ‘good offer’ from LIV Golf
New here?
- LIKE21
- LEGIT15
- WOW4
- LOL6
- IDHT0
- FLOP4
- OB2
- SHANK15
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
-
19th Hole4 days ago
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
-
19th Hole1 day ago
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Edoardo Molinari reveals the latest PGA Tour golfer to turn down ‘good offer’ from LIV Golf
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Charlie Woods finds it tough going on American Junior Golf Association debut
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago
Scottie Scheffler had an interesting response when asked how he ‘quiets the noise’ following Players victory
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Jon Rahm dealt fresh blow to hopes of qualifying for 2025 Ryder Cup