Mickelson hits one fairway!

[Moonlightgrm]

I had a good round for me. I shot a 1-over par 73, hitting 11 of 14 fairways and 14 greens in regulation. I come home, turn on the tv to watch the Safeway Open, and watch Phil Mickelson have a bogey free round while hitting ONE FAIRWAY. The commentator informs us that Phil hasn’t made a bogey in 42 consecutive holes while hitting only 4 fairways. Incredible! How good are Touring professionals? Exhibit A: Phil getting his golf ball in the hole from everywhere. 

[jvincent]

This is why we love Phil.

 

More seriously, fairways hit is a terrible metric. 1 foot into the first cut is very different from 20 feet off the fairway in the junk. They need a better metric.

[Twism86]

14 hours ago, jvincent said:

This is why we love Phil.

 

More seriously, fairways hit is a terrible metric. 1 foot into the first cut is very different from 20 feet off the fairway in the junk. They need a better metric.

Exactly. The fringe is not punishing on fairways or greens for the most part. Counts as a miss but they have zero issues negotiating it. For me, if im not in the long nasty stuff, its a hit! 

[elwhippy]

Phil hitting fairways would be more of a shock. 

[Taylormadehunter1]

He’s the only golf professional who I can relate to. Missing almost every fairway is my usual. 

[platgof]

Dustin Johnson had a horrible round when looking at faiways hit, but somehow managed to hang in there. Then the next day couldn't miss one??

[grm24]

Phil.... 12/56 fairways hit at the Safeway. 3/28 fairways hit in the 3rd and 4th rounds. Safeway rough wasn't penalizing. Winged Foot will be. It could be a short stay for Phil at Winged Foot as with some other big names.

 

[grm24]

2 hours ago, platgof said:

Dustin Johnson had a horrible round when looking at faiways hit, but somehow managed to hang in there. Then the next day couldn't miss one??

 

And then the next day he was missing them again. 28th/30 driving accuracy at East Lake. 

 

[rafal]

It says more about how "Everywhere is fairway on PGA Tour, these guys must look good on TV" than Phil per se.

[RobertPaulson]

On 9/14/2020 at 8:27 AM, Twism86 said:

Exactly. The fringe is not punishing on fairways or greens for the most part. Counts as a miss but they have zero issues negotiating it. For me, if im not in the long nasty stuff, its a hit! 

 

Um, strokes gained off the tee?

 

Edit: meant for the post above saying a better metric is needed

Edited September 16, 2020 by RobertPaulson

[iBanesto]

Mickelson probably would be 5 over if he hit fairways ?

[jvincent]

9 hours ago, RobertPaulson said:

 

Um, strokes gained off the tee?

 

Edit: meant for the post above saying a better metric is needed

Fair enough, but strokes gained in the context of the PGA tour isn't helpful because it's calculated against the field and it's not really available to us mere mortals.

[smashdn]

On 9/14/2020 at 11:44 PM, grm24 said:

Phil.... 12/56 fairways hit at the Safeway. 3/28 fairways hit in the 3rd and 4th rounds. Safeway rough wasn't penalizing. Winged Foot will be. It could be a short stay for Phil at Winged Foot as with some other big names.

 

 

You thinking he won't be able to go driver out of the rough at WF?

[smashdn]

9 minutes ago, jvincent said:

Fair enough, but strokes gained in the context of the PGA tour isn't helpful because it's calculated against the field and it's not really available to us mere mortals.

 

I don't want to delve deep into a SG conversation but if you can't find ways to use SG numbers for the PGA Tour to help you understand yours you aren't applying the concepts correctly.  In short it gives you a very good representation of what the ceiling in your game is and you can measure to that.  There are many SG applications available to record and calculate it.

[Ferguson]

On 9/13/2020 at 6:46 PM, jvincent said:

This is why we love Phil.

 

More seriously, fairways hit is a terrible metric. 1 foot into the first cut is very different from 20 feet off the fairway in the junk. They need a better metric.

 

 

New stat:  Fairways +/- 7 yards 

 

[jvincent]

4 hours ago, smashdn said:

 

I don't want to delve deep into a SG conversation but if you can't find ways to use SG numbers for the PGA Tour to help you understand yours you aren't applying the concepts correctly.  In short it gives you a very good representation of what the ceiling in your game is and you can measure to that.  There are many SG applications available to record and calculate it.

Yeah, we're sort of off topic but I understand how to use it for myself if I wanted to.

 

It's more for the analysis of the tour rounds. For a given tournament they can't give you SG off the tee immediately since the field has to finish for them to do the calculation. After the tournament / round is finished they can crunch all the numbers and get the stats out.

 

All they give us in real time is fairways hit, which isn't terribly useful. 

[pingbling23]

Phil is great with irons.  270-280 yard 2 irons down the middle every time  would do wonders to his score average.

[Twism86]

On 9/15/2020 at 11:16 PM, RobertPaulson said:

 

Um, strokes gained off the tee?

 

Edit: meant for the post above saying a better metric is needed

Honestly, I dont understand the "strokes gained" metric and its stupid to me. Who wants to gain a stroke? Lowering your strokes is what golf is about. The wording is plain dumb. The only metrics that really matter are GIR and and how many putts you make. It doesnt matter how you get to the green but if you have high GIRs and low putts, you are playing well regardless of your tee shots. 

Edited September 17, 2020 by Twism86

[jvincent]

Strokes gained = strokes better. Does that help?

 

If you haven't read Broadie's book you should. It essentially debunks the myth that "short game is the most important part of golf" that has been preached forever.

 

To your specific point, if you have lot's of GIR and few putts of course you will score well. But what strokes gained does is break down how all aspects of the game, including your tee game, affect total score. As I like to say, grinding over a double bogey is not the way to improve your handicap.

[jimbonecrusher]

Mickelson was an embarrassment today.  He took possibly his last chance to with the US Open and squandered it because he insists on playing "fascinating" and "exciting" golf instead of the boring golf that it takes to win the US Open.  Dave Pelz and his statistics has killed any chance Mickelson ever had.  Playing closer after hitting a bomb into the rough does not create better scoring opportunities.  It is so frustrating watch somebody commit self mutilation by playing like a moron.  He sure is wealthy, but he should have had the career grand slam about 20 years ago.  It would have been awesome to see him play with more brains and less ego. 

[Golfnutgalen]

Probably drove the ball worse today than I have ever seen him. Last weekend he missed a bunch of fairways by just inches and today he was missing fairways 40 yards left consistently. Okay, fairways are narrower here, so it probably wasn't any worse, but it was certainly ugly. He hit 42% of his fairways back in the 2006 US Open and only 14% today.

[caniac6]

I guess he won’t do anything goofy on the greens during this US Open. Maybe he will kick his ball into the fairway tomorrow.

[caniac6]

I wonder if today is the last time we see Phil at a US Open?

[tgoodspe1991]

9 hours ago, caniac6 said:

I wonder if today is the last time we see Phil at a US Open?

He both played terribly and also really didn't seem to be enjoying himself at all.

[Taylormadehunter1]

9 hours ago, caniac6 said:

I wonder if today is the last time we see Phil at a US Open?

I sure hope not, I would hate to see him go out like that. He’ll probably never win it at this point, but I’d sure love to see him contend one more time before hanging it up. 

[Dan33185]

17 minutes ago, tgoodspe1991 said:

He both played terribly and also really didn't seem to be enjoying himself at all.

 

 

[Taylormadehunter1]

Just now, Dan33185 said:

 

 

That really sums up his play this weekend right there. 

[indianagolf2]

Jordan spieth done, stricker..phil...too old. Fowler wont win and sergio is done b4 the first tee

[SPIF]

On 9/15/2020 at 11:43 PM, rafal said:

It says more about how "Everywhere is fairway on PGA Tour, these guys must look good on TV" than Phil per se.

 

I don't agree.  Good iron play and phenomenal scrambling are, to me, what this highlights.  There's more than one way to skin a cat.  Phil's may cause an elevated blood pressure for most, but it's always been his style.

Edited September 19, 2020 by SPIF

[RobertPaulson]

On 9/16/2020 at 7:41 AM, jvincent said:

Fair enough, but strokes gained in the context of the PGA tour isn't helpful because it's calculated against the field and it's not really available to us mere mortals.

But your first point is that we need a better metric on tour than fairways hit.  Yes, a better metric is available.  To you as well.

 

It's no big deal, you don't get it, and that's fine.  Ain't for everyone.