MD/DC/VA Golfers - Twelve Monkeys Mental Divergence

[TheCityGame]

So, I've been looking for new music for the road trip with Domes next week.

 

Just found out that Whitesnake -- friggin Whitesnake -- has a new album out. And, I'm listening to it right now. It sounds exactly like you think it would.

 

Some of the tracks : "Shut Up & Kiss Me", "Trouble is Your Middle Name", "Flesh & Blood", "Heart of Stone".

 

Opening bars of "Gonna Be Alright" : "Tonight's the night, we're gonna make everything all right. To make love in the cool moonlight. You know I'm gonna treat you right."

 

They even have a video out that features a woman crawling around on a car.

 

[Gmen1204]

I saw Whitesnake a couple years ago at Merriweather it sounded like his voice was through a sound mixer.

[Ocgolfrick]

David Coverdale is 67 years old.

 

And ol' Mick Jagger is 75 years old: here he is getting ready for his next tour:

 

So we can deduce two things:

1) Aging rock stars are terrible at retirement planning.

2) They somehow are able to keep great hair even in old age. I assume Coverdale's got a pretty good wig guy, but Jagger? Hair plugs maybe?

[HighBoomingDraws]

Same on Koepka, I’ve had him pegged since day one. If he wins, the bonus payout will be $13.88 a guy. Don’t spend that in one place!

[FAbb]

It was a beautiful afternoon for ball golf yesterday, with City.

 

We teed off among a bunch of two and threesomes, but moved along nicely on the front. It slowed down a bit on the back, but I think we still got out of there in a hair over 4 hours. It could've been quicker, but I enjoyed the extra vitamin D, and time to converse. Plus I still got home to get my kids ready for put down to bed, so it was a win all around.

 

We tipped it out, and boy was it all you could handle yesterday. Nice consistent prevailing breeze, which seems to hurt on a greater number of the long holes, and help on a greater number of the short holes. And with it being soft, lush spring conditions, it was already playing long. Dat rough was thicc, too. Wind and front pins helped on 14 and 16, but I still had long approaches from 13-17. That stretch is much tamer when it's playing firm, and calm. If it's soft and/or windy, you've got to have your big boy pants on for sure.

 

City was decidedly unhappy with his scoring, almost from the jump. He hit a bunch of fairways, but couldn't find a good rhythm elsewhere with his game. It seems like he's in a little run of golf where he just doesn't have it all going at normal levels. Maybe even a little burned out. He'll come out the other end, as always, but it's an understandably frustrating place to be for a player of his caliber and work ethic.

 

I still feel like things are close with my game, and that if I keep pushing, the payoff is gonna come. I've sort of steadily been refining my ball striking since the lesson to kick off the season. Few misses out there yesterday, as always, but lots of good drives and approaches as well. One weird thing I still haven't completely dialed is my distance control on partial wedges. It's like I'm hitting them more solidly, with stronger flight since making the changes. There were several yesterday that I flushed right at the flag, only to see them sail well past my target. I think going back to my tried and true short game approach was fruitful as well. I didn't get everything up and down by any means, but I'd consider yesterday a solid performance, considering the spots I was hitting from. I had some nice saves, and a couple other good shots I couldn't convert the putts on. I got it much closer on average yesterday than I did at Mt Branch last week, from overall much tougher positions. Putting is still a work in progress as well. I lagged it very well, and was pretty happy with my short putts. My worst putts by far were on anything I felt like might be fast, or break a lot. Tentative strokes on those. Solid round overall though, on a course it just wasn't going to be easy to put up a really good score on. I feel like the effort I'm putting in compared to previous years hasn't massively paid off yet, but that it's coming, if I stay diligent.

 

We talked briefly about the game of one of the really good players out at Turf (guy that made it through US Open locals). He's apparently average length off the tee, so I asked City what the best part of his game was. I'm expecting to hear, "oh, he's an amazing putter." Or maybe, "his iron play is stellar." But City's actual response captured a feeling I've had playing with what I imagine would be similar caliber players perfectly, but couldn't put as eloquently into words. "It just seems so accessible." It's one thing to play with somebody good who's say, really long off the tee. You can see plain as day what makes them so dangerous. You play with somebody more average, and it's astonishing when you add em up at the end of the day and go, "that's an under par round?" It feels like that kind of golf is right there for the taking, but in reality it's so much better and more difficult to do. It's simultaneously unremarkable, and incredible to watch.

[Sterling_247]

Time to settle in and watch a little Eldrick. Thankfully the boss has a couple meetings this morning so the coast is clear

[gregh729]

Watching that video was like being in a time warp. That made my day. Thanks for posting it.

[TheCityGame]

10 is SUCH a beast of a starting hole, not to mention 11 and 12 being right after it. BarnRat started out double double.

 

Fabb's game looked REALLY good yesterday.

 

As he indicated, I'm frustrated right now. Since I shot 72 a couple weeks ago, I've basically shot between 79 and 83. As I was doing a mental post-mortem of my round, I started to think I might be chasing it too much. I've had a couple rounds this year where I've hit the ball SO GOOD that I'm kind of trying to make it the norm. . .instead of playing smarter and being patient.

 

I've totally played myself right out of some holes at the club recently by trying to cut corners and work the ball both ways, and attack tough pins. You get away with that for a couple rounds and start thinking you can do that all the time.

 

Turns out my wife got into a show this weekend and I think I'm going out and playing white tees. I'm going to be patient and smart.

 

Tiger just laid up from 201 from the rough on 10. I've had that exact same shot. There is nothing to work with and no where to miss.

[TheCityGame]

I know it's early, but now that I see the course, I think that Bayrat's prediction of -10 after 2 days is NOT looking so good. They're not getting roll and the rough looks brutal.

[dcmidnight]

Somewhat serious Q - where the f is the 10th tee in relation to the clubhouse in relation to the "range" this week? I thought I remember someone saying it wasnt near the clubhouse. Thats kind of a brutal way to start out on a morning like this, being shuttled all over the place.

[Sterling_247]

Not exactly the start i was hoping to see

It's gonna be tough to listen all the way through this round. These guys wont shut up

[SullGolf]

The 10th green / 11th tee is the farthest point away from the clubhouse on the entire course.

[Ocgolfrick]

Is there a rule that Brooks Koepka has to wear the ugliest cap that Nike is making at any given time?

[SullGolf]

No doubt that 10/11/12 is a way harder start than 1/2/3. That would be a complete kick in the teeth. And 9 is a way harder finish than 18 IMO. But that stretch of 15/16/17 is tougher than the equivalent on the front.

 

Being on the 10th tee at Bethpage last year is probably my favorite golf memory of the year. We went out first and finished about 45-60 minutes ahead of the group behind us. So by 10th green there was NO ONE around. It was just us and the course. The weather was amazing, the company was good, and I probably went on to rattle off a few birdies.

[Sterling_247]

> @2moreTerps said:

> i never rate aps, provide feedback, i've never written a review on product, etc. BUT. I did just leave some feedback for the ap. this is a major and we have less ability to follow it throughout the day than we do for a standard tour event. AWFUL.

 

I wish i knew how to do this for the announcers they have covering Tiger. I was hoping that it wouldn't be Breed but it's sad to say these guys are just as bad. I've now heard that the greens are flat at least 15 times

[TheCityGame]

 

I was with Sully for that. THe group behind us was probably on 8 or 9 at that point. You can look back on 7, but I don't remember seeing another soul on the course from the 10th tee last year. Not even mowers.

[ceejay81]

We're only a couple hours in, but this is by far the best PGA of all time. The move to May really helps this event. Usually the PGA is the red headed step child of the tour season. Not anymore. It actually feels like a real major instead of an afterthought.

 

It's also a course a lot of us know, so it's got that going for it also. After playing it in November, I've never been more excited to watch a tournament on TV. It's such an incredible course.

 

That rough is no joke. The thiccness is realz. Layups on par 4's is my kind of golf and I can relate. Thankfully when I played it, the rough was more resort style. I'd shoot a 130 today.

[thechief16]

If> @dcmidnight said:

> City's response is along the lines of what I was thinking. Planning a trip to PH is one thing. Planning a trip that involves significant travel costs is tough for a big group, especially in a place like WS where there might be a wide variety of costs / options. My recommendation would be find one guy you really want to go with, plan the trip to exactly what you two want to do - and then invite other people if you want. Makes it much easier than throwing it open to a big group.

>

> I think it could be done cheaper than I did it last time. I thought the American Club was highly overrated but the package we got included all the golf so once you added up greens fees and caddy fees - it was a wash with doing an AirBNB or something along those lines.

 

100% agreeance. American Club definitely isn't all that, but I think it makes sense for the package deals on golf and replays (or pay a little less for the Inn at Woodlake). In the end though, a return trip to Kohler isn't high on my list. I have at least 5 other places I want to go first.

[TheCityGame]

CPG always.

 

[FAbb]

His play is adding some fuel to the speculation - is Tiger woods in some way not well, or is he just not playing great? Is he hurting? Is he sick? Does he have AIDS?

[TheCityGame]

> @FAbb said:

> His play is adding some fuel to the speculation - is Tiger woods in some way not well, or is he just not playing great? Is he hurting? Is he sick? Does he have AIDS?

 

**cough cough**

[Sterling_247]

> @TheCityGame said:

> > @FAbb said:

> > His play is adding some fuel to the speculation - is Tiger woods in some way not well, or is he just not playing great? Is he hurting? Is he sick? Does he have AIDS?

>

> **cough cough**

Read my mind

 

[ceejay81]

Tiger to FAbb:

 


 

[TheCityGame]

Molinari will not make par from left rough on 5. I don't think it's possible to.

[TheCityGame]

Koepka birdie-ing 3, 5, 10 is like gaining 4.5 strokes on the field in those 3 holes. It's astounding. I've watched the whole group today. I can't believe how good he's hitting the ball.

[ceejay81]

> @TheCityGame said:

> Koepka birdie-ing 3, 5, 10 is like gaining 4.5 strokes on the field in those 3 holes. It's astounding. I've watched the whole group today. I can't believe how good he's hitting the ball.

 

His only mistakes were that drive and tough pitch on 4. He's so steady. Got away with playing that hole poorly and it didn't cost him.

[gsrjc]

Dang -7 for Koepka. Tiger at +2. Is it already over?

[TheCityGame]

BK, currently, 9.7 strokes gained on the field today. Could change (in either direction!) as more guys come in.

 

That's INSANE. I KNOW I saw a list of best "Strokes Gained" rounds ever and I can't find it through the google machine, but I think guys have shot 59 and not been that high. 9.7 is big for an entire tournament. I can't even believe how good that round was today. I was watching it like, "can tiger finish so I can watch what Brooks is going to do?" Absolutely insane.

[FAbb]

I know exactly what you're talking about. Isn't the all time record the Paul Goydos round at The Players, that year they basically burned the course up for one of the rounds?

[FAbb]

> @ceejay81 said:

> Tiger to FAbb:

>

> 

>

 

Come again?

 

Let's speculate - hurt/sick/AIDS, or just not a great round?

 

Crickets from Domes and Hoop. I can only assume that means they're in/on their way to Wisconsin. Can't wait to see and hear about that trip. Sounds totally epic.