In Golf, everyone is a head case

Fig Jam

If you are a golfer on any level then you have probably realized that the game is much more mentally challenging than physically (if that is not true for you then you are either too smart/dumb for your own good, or really out of shape).   Eighteen holes of golf is a roller coaster ride of emotions such as frustration, anger, anxiety, despair, and humiliation.  It seems you are always one shot away from a total breakdown.

However, if you think that the top ranked players in the world are immune from this emotional nightmare, think again.  They may be better ball strikers and putters than the average hack (to state it mildly), but when it comes to mental toughness and fortitude, some the greatest players in the world are walking on eggshells just like the rest of us.

The best example of this is clearly Ian Baker Finch.  The laid back Australian professional who won the 1991 British Open.  After the win, Finch absolutely fell apart as a golfer.  He would stand on the practice tee and hit shot after shot perfectly, only to proceed to the course and tank.  His most famous shot came in 1995 when at the first hole of the British Open at St. Andrews Finch hooked the ball so badly that it went out of bounds to the left of the 18th fairway.  The 1st and 18th holes at St. Andrews share a fairway that is over 100 yards wide.  Finch hooked his shot about 150 yards (this is actually hard to do without hitting yourself with the ball). He retired from tournament golf after the 1997 British Open, where, in the first round, he shot a 92.  Dead serious.  a 92.

The latest example of the mental frailty of golfers can be found in Sergio Garcia.  The Spaniard who has been the man pegged to challenge Tiger Woods’ Supremacy for about 10 years now (still waiting on that), has shown signs in recent months that he is an excellent candidate to be the next golfer to completely lose it.  It began with the 2007 British Open, where, after a dissapointing finish, Garcia insinuated that he was playing against a little more competition than the rest of the field.  Garcia proclaimed that “Higher Forces” were against him in his quest for victory.  That comment illicited more than a few chuckles.

This week, as the WGC Match Play tournament gets underway, Garcia is at it again.  In his opening round match, which he won 3 & 2, Garcia putted with a conventional putter on every hole except for the final two, where he used a belly putter.  So he went out on the course with 2 putters in his bag.  Why?     According to Garcia, “I wanted to take a safety net in case I didn’t feel entirely comfortable…I did make a decision early on and I went with it for pretty much the whole round. But then I hit a couple of not very good putts so I decided to go the safe route the last couple of holes.” Really?  A “safety net?”  Yikes. 

The man is obviously a rock ladies and gentleman.  the old, “I’m going to use this club until I hit it bad, and then I’m going to change everything,” routine.  I can only guess what his caddy thought when he saw the second putter in the bag (probably something along the lines of, ” crap, I need to start looking for another job soon”).  He may have even asked Garcia if he forgot to take  out the second putter prior to the round.  Imagine his surprise when Garcia responded in the negative, “Nah…. I think I’ll use 2 putters today.” 

As this tournament progresses I can only hope that we are treated to the meltdown that is clearly on the horizon (it helps that Garcia is kind of a prick, makes this easier to watch and root for).  I want to see Garcia use both putters on the same hole.  Better yet, a 3 putt that involves using one putter, then the other, then back to the first.  Or, the best possible scenario, to see Garcia standing on the green, holding a putter in each hands, unable to make a decision on how to proceed.  How many minutes would pass before the tension surrounding the green would be too much?  Fans shouting suggestions, Garcia crying, the caddy standing there with his head in his hands, and the opposing player desperately trying not see or hear any of it for his own sanity’s sake.  God that would be great.