The Most Emailed Article at GolfDigest.com

I ADMIT THAT IT’S a trick question, but take a few seconds to give this some thought: What do you think is the most emailed article at GolfDigest.com?

Asking you to name the exact article is unfair, too much to ask. Just see if you can name the topic, issue, or person. Anything come to mind?

If I were guessing, I’d say Tiger Woods in a heartbeat. I’d be wrong.

The most emailed article at GolfDigest.com is “Dr. Bob Rotella: Inside the Golfer’s Mind.” Yes, the same Bob Rotella who helped 42-year-old Darren Clarke tame his putting demons, which helped the Northern Irishman win the Claret Jug, his first major championship.

Rotella is a longtime mental guru who has helped many a tour pro and countless other golfers. He knows the golfer’s mind. It isn’t pretty. It’s pretty creepy, actually. This is your brain. This is your brain on golf.

If Rotella can help you, or me, or Darren Clarke change a thought or two, he can help change our minds about this bedeviling game. And that can produce better results. (Hint: But don’t think about the results too much, or at all.)

From the popular article, following are Rotella’s “10 things a player must do in a competitive round.” Please note that he explains each of the following points in detail in the article.

1. Play to play great. Don’t play not to play poorly.

2. Love the challenge of the day, whatever it may be.

3. Get out of the results and get into the process.

4. Know that nothing will bother or upset you on the golf course.

5. Playing with a feeling that the outcome doesn’t matter is always preferable to caring too much.

6. Believe fully in yourself so you can play freely.

7. See where you want the ball to go before every shot.

8. Be decisive, committed and clear.

9. Be your own best friend.

10. Love your wedge and your putter.

What do you think? Have you tried any of these mental approaches on the golf course or in tournament competition?

I’ve definitely been guilty of playing not to play poorly, a scared, defensive brand of golf. I’ve done reasonably well at focusing on process rather than results. But that can break down if I realize I’m shooting a great score for me. I’m pretty good at being my own best friend. No use beating myself up if things are going badly. My little on-course pep talks are helpful.

What about you? Does any of Dr. Bob’s advice seem particularly helpful? Does any of it strike you as hopelessly unrealistic?

By the way, the second most emailed article is also by the good doctor: “Dr. Bob Rotella: My 10 Rules on Mental Fitness.”

Further proof that we’re all a bunch of mental cases. But that’s OK.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Photo credit: VancityAllie, Flickr, Creative Commons license)

North-South Amateurs Praise Pinehurst No. 2 Restoration

EARLIER THIS MONTH TOP AMATEURS teed it up in the 111th Men’s North & South Amateur Championship at Pinehurst, North Carolina. It was the most significant tournament at Pinehurst No. 2 since the storied golf course reopened in March following a full restoration by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore. A few of the amateurs share their thoughts about No. 2 in the above video. For the North & South, Pinehurst No. 2 played at 7,346 yards and to a par of 71.

Restoration Elements

Beginning in 2008, the $2.5 million restoration was undertaken to elevate the experience for members and resort guests, Pinehurst Resort said in April. The USGA was consulted throughout the process since it will conduct the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open at No. 2 on consecutive weeks in 2014.

Following are specific elements of the restoration.

• The wall-to-wall grass look synonymous with the modern era has been eliminated, leaving just two lengths of grass: greens and everything else.

• All rough has been eliminated from the course.

• Approximately 32 acres of grass have been stripped, returning natural areas of hardpan, sand, pine straw and wiregrass that were part of the original topography. More than 100,000 wiregrass plants were added.

• Fairways have been widened by almost 50 percent on average, offering more strategic options. Fairways also will be kept firmer, benefiting good shots and penalizing stray shots that continue to bounce into distressed areas, pine straw and native grasses.

• Almost 700 sprinkler heads have been removed, leaving about 450 operating heads along the single, center water line. These irrigation lines will define fairways, but leave other areas to be defined by the weather and natural elements.

• The removal of sprinkler heads coupled with no winter overseeding and the focus on firmer conditions will reduce overall water usage by as much as 50 percent.

• Eight new tees have been added to the championship course, increasing the total championship yardage to 7,485 yards from 7,214.

• All greens have been sodded with A1/A4 bent grass.

• Bunkers have been restored, eliminated or reshaped based on aerial images of the course from the 1940s.

• While No. 2’s famous greens went largely untouched, minor modifications were made to the 15th and 17th greens in order to create additional pin placements.

“My mouth literally falls open when I see the incredible work that they’ve done,” said USGA Executive Director Mike Davis.

I hope to get to Pinehurst sometime soon and see for myself.

−The Armchair Golfer

2011 RBC Canadian Open TV Schedule and Tournament Notes

THE 2011 RBC Canadian Open is being played in Vancouver, British Columbia, at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club. Kris Banks was the first-round leader with a 3-under 67. Scott Piercy is currently leading at 4 under with the second round in progress. Paul Goydos and Banks, who hasn’t teed off, are one back.


Purse: $5.2 million
Winner’s share: $936,000
Defending champion: Carl Pettersson (at right)

2011 RBC Canadian Open Leaderboard

Field
Course
Tee times
Interviews
Tournament overview
Tournament news
Tour report
RBC Canadian Open website


TV SCHEDULE

TV coverage of the 2011 RBC Canadian Open
is on Golf Channel and CBS.

Fri, 7/22:
GOLF 3p - 6p ET

Sat, 7/23:
CBS 3p - 6p ET

Sun, 7/24:
CBS 3p - 6p ET

SIRIUS-XM broadcast times


−The Armchair Golfer

(Photo credit: Keith Allison, Flickr, Creative Commons license)