Bear Trap Archives - Golf Digest Middle East https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/tag/bear-trap/ Golf Instruction, Equipment, Courses, Travel, News Thu, 27 Feb 2020 12:20:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/gd-favicon.ico Bear Trap Archives - Golf Digest Middle East https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/tag/bear-trap/ 32 32 Patrick Reed’s Twitter blocking rampage, a Tiger Woods scare, and the most embarrassing golf shot ever https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/patrick-reeds-twitter-blocking-rampage-a-tiger-woods-scare-and-the-most-embarrassing-golf-shot-ever/ https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/patrick-reeds-twitter-blocking-rampage-a-tiger-woods-scare-and-the-most-embarrassing-golf-shot-ever/#respond Fri, 28 Feb 2020 03:00:28 +0000 https://golfdigestme.com/?p=33484 Welcome to another edition of The Grind where we’re pretty sure we’ve seen this movie before. An American dressed in all black just imposing his will South of the Border.

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]]> (Photo by Jam Media)

By Alex Myers
Welcome to another edition of The Grind where we’re pretty sure we’ve seen this movie before. An American dressed in all black just imposing his will South of the Border. Yep, we’ve definitely seen this movie before:

Of course, this had a slightly different ending with Patrick Reed taking home a trophy instead of getting his eyes gouged out like Johnny Depp. But overall, the good guys won. And if there’s anything we can all agree on these days, it’s that Patrick Reed is one of the good guys. Wait. No? OK, well, we’ve got a lot to discuss then.

WE’RE BUYING

Patrick Reed on Sundays: To be clear, I’m not giving Reed credit for being resilient and overcoming adversity at Club de Golf Chapultepec. This mess of him morphing from Captain America into Captain Controversy is his own making. But I am giving him credit for not succumbing to final-round pressure and being able to close out (big) golf tournaments better than just about anyone else these days. In addition to a green jacket and being a Ryder Cup hero, Reed now has two World Golf Championships, two FedEx Cup playoff events, and eight PGA Tour titles. Before turning 30. That is quite a résumé. And yes, he won just days after Brooks Koepka and Peter Kostis called him out for breaking the rules.

Apparently it’s easier to shush the haters at altitude. Although, Team Reed went on a Twitter blocking rampage following the victory, targeting everyone from fans to members of the media to fellow tour pros:

Jeez. Not even Bryson DeChambeau has Eddie blocked! Anyway, congrats to Patrick Reed on the win and congrats to me on not getting blocked. Yet.

Viktor Hovland: Now here was an overwhelmingly popular victory. Hovland picked up his first win as a pro and the first for the country of Norway on the PGA Tour. Not surprisingly, Norwegian announcers absolutely lost their minds when he drained a 30-foot birdie putt to win on the final hole:

What a talent, what a personality. This 22-year-old has superstar written all over him. We just hope he can overcome the Curse of Coco Beach.

Erik Van Rooyen: First of all, the South African more than held his own at the WGC-Mexico Championship with a T-3 finish. But just as impressively, the dude shreds on the guitar:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B55dsyclvcS/?utm_source=ig_embed

Great song, great playing. It’s almost enough to look past those joggers he wears on the course. Almost.

This bathroom: A bathroom is usually the least exciting room in a house, but that’s not the case for this man:

Absolutely beautiful. And how about that toilet tucked away? That’s an Amen Corner everyone can appreciate. If this were a match, MASTERS bathroom is Tiger Woods and your typical master bathroom is Stephen Ames.

WE’RE SELLING

The Premier Golf League: The CEO of the potential new league, Andrew Gardiner, stepped out of the shadows and presented some interesting ideas like shotgun starts and four-man teams, but it might have been too little too late after Rory McIlroy said he’s “Out” and that he wants “to be on the right side of history.” With no Rory and Tiger/Phil barely on the right side of 50, it doesn’t seem like the PGL stands much of a chance. Even with Twitter gems like this:

https://twitter.com/premgolfleague/status/1230949491970379776

“Thank you Tiger”: Speaking of Tiger—well, not really—this was trending on Twitter on Friday and had golf fans freaking out that Tiger Woods was hanging it up:

https://twitter.com/xxJAHOOxx/status/1230127379760189440

Instead, it had to do with a Japanese wrestling referee Tiger Hattori retiring. PHEW!

This shot: My Golf Digest pal Christopher Powers loves (over)using the headline, “This is it, this is the best/worst (insert something) ever. But this is one case in which it applies. So without further ado . . . This is it, this is the most embarrassing golf shot ever hit:

There are shanks and then there’s this. Just brutal. And it occurred on the opening hole of the world’s most storied course and in front of a gallery. Talk about a nightmare.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour begins its Florida Swing with the Honda Classic, AKA that event with the Bear Trap. Unfortunately, because of the new(er) schedule, it can’t corral many of the PGA Tour’s stars, even the many who live in Jupiter and could walk to the course.

Random tournament fact: Keith Mitchell won last year and got quite the headline in the local Palm Beach Post:

Ouch.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

—A PGA Tour pro will get attacked by an actual bear: 10,000-to-1 odds

—My wife will ever go for a bathroom like that: 1-MILLION -to-1 odds

—Patrick Reed doesn’t care what this no-name golf writer thinks of him: LOCK

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Brooks Koepka going all GQ. Literally.

Nicely done, Brooks. As someone who also did a shoot with GQ, I know there’s no better way to pad your wardrobe without spending a dime.

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK (INVOLVING PUTTING GREENS)

Introducing Bryson DeChambeau’s “towel guy”:

Turns out, he was creating shade so Bryson could see the laser attached to his putter. True story. Still, quite a look. And how about Colin Montgomerie practising his putting at a PGA Tour Superstore?

No laser for Monty. Old school.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Check out 84-year-old Mary Ann Wakefield draining a 94-foot, full-court putt at an Ole Miss basketball game to win a new car:

Good for her. Rory McIlroy might want to take some notes.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I just suck at chipping.” —Viktor Hovland’s brutal assessment of his short game following his win in Puerto Rico was nearly as entertaining as that winning putt:

Although, with ball-striking stats like this, he could chip like my boss and still win on tour:

OK, maybe not my boss, but you get the point.

THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS

The political mudslinging has gotten particularly nasty as we approach November’s Presidential election. First, Donald Trump knocked Mike Bloomberg swing’s speed:

Then this past week, Bloomberg hit back with this billboard:

https://twitter.com/Mike2020/status/1230924914468773890

What a country.

THIS WEEK IN PGA TOUR PRO-WAGS PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

Jimmy Walker and Erin Walker shared their first cooking video together:

First of all, it’s tough to beat steak and pasta. Secondly, Netflix might be calling about filming a new cooking series.

THIS WEEK IN PHIL BEING PHIL

Golf’s ultimate showman took in a show during a trip to NYC:

Thanks for the rec, Phil, but I wish you’d stopped by the office.

THIS AND THAT

Charles Howell III has now passed $1 million in earnings for 20 consecutive seasons and the 40-year-old is closing in on crossing the $40 million mark for his career. . . . Nineteen-year-old Stephanie Kyriacou, the 90th-ranked amateur golfer in the world, won the Australian Ladies Classic Bonville by eight shots. Something tells me there aren’t actually 89 amateur golfers better than her right now. . . . And apparently, there are some degenerates out there betting on which golfer gets to the tee box first:

This makes me feel a lot better about myself.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

What’s the dumbest golf bet I’ve ever made?

What’s the most embarrassing golf shot I’ve ever hit?

Has Patrick Reed blocked me on Twitter yet?

 

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]]> https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/patrick-reeds-twitter-blocking-rampage-a-tiger-woods-scare-and-the-most-embarrassing-golf-shot-ever/feed/ 0 Jim Furyk’s balancing act https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/jim-furyks-balancing-act/ https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/jim-furyks-balancing-act/#respond Thu, 08 Mar 2018 07:10:11 +0000 http://golfdigestme.com/?p=14188 The U.S. Ryder Cup captain is learning it’s no easy feat to prepare for this September’s match in France and stay competitive as a player

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]]> The U.S. Ryder Cup captain is learning it’s no easy feat to prepare for this September’s match in France and stay competitive as a player

By Dave Shedloski
On a recent sunny and warm afternoon in south Florida, Jim Furyk had an epiphany, an idea about how to create more team-room chemistry for the Ryder Cup in Paris this September.

The only problem? The timing of it wasn’t particularly convenient. The U.S. captain found himself without anything on which to write it down. Except for a scorecard. Which belonged to his playing partner, Stewart Cink. And he happened to be standing on the 15th tee on the Champion course at PGA National, the opening to the treacherous three-hole stretch known as the Bear Trap. Tee to green on the windswept 180-yard par 3 is separated by water, which then wraps around the right side and rear of the putting surface.

Perfect time to let the mind wander—if you don’t mind making bogey. Furyk did mind. And he was equally displeased with another bogey on the 17th hole that further marred what had been a largely satisfying second round in the Honda Classic.

Golf does not have a man who is more congenial and professional than Furyk. Neither is there one more competitive. His even-par 70 was still plenty good enough to make the cut. But he was irritated. So what if it was only his fourth competitive round since missing the cut in the PGA Championship last August. So what if he’d only been hitting balls since January because of a nagging shoulder injury. So what if he’s got captaincy concerns pinging his brain at all hours.

“I made some bad, bad swings today coming in. Just not trusting myself,” he said while munching on an energy bar. “Let a good round get away, so I’m struggling to look at the positives right now.”

A shoulder injury caused Furyk to fail to make the FedEx Cup playoffs last year for the first time in his career. (Warren Little)

Tiger Woods isn’t the only major champion attempting a comeback this year. Furyk, who will be 48 in May, didn’t have fusion surgery like his more decorated friend, but the fusion of his captain’s duties with a desire to be competitive this year isn’t the most promising elixir. isH

Due primarily to his health struggles in 2017, Furyk failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs for the first time in his career, which is why he is competing on the PGA Tour this season on his past-champion status. He’ll make his third start at this week’s Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla., paired with Branden Grace and Brandt Snedeker for the first two rounds.

A final-round 74 at the Honda dropped him to T-46, not necessarily the momentum he’d like to be taking into this week.

“I’m not quite back in the flow. After six months off, I don’t feel it,” said Furyk, a 17-time PGA Tour winner, including the 2003 U.S. Open. “There are flashes. There are times I’m really comfortable, but there are definitely some situations where I could have some more confidence, have a few more rounds under my belt to feel that I have a trust factor with what I’m doing out there.”

Not helping matters was the fact he spent nearly as much time in meetings at PGA National as he did hitting golf balls. The challenge of leading an American team to victory abroad in the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1993 has been a consuming endeavour.

“I’d say this week I spent more time being a captain,” admitted Furyk, who by the way wouldn’t reveal that on-the-course Ryder Cup epiphany (we told you he was competitive). “Was over the PGA of America for the press conference [to announce Woods and Steve Stricker as vice captains], and then I was there the next day for some meetings. It’s definitely taking time. It hasn’t snuck up on me, though I wouldn’t say I was totally prepared for this. But I was prepared for the idea that I was going to spend a lot of effort and time, and I want to have fun doing it as well.

“I have a lot of people, whether its friends or family or players, ask me, ‘Is it as much work as you thought?’ Or ‘Is it as much as they say?’ But they say ‘work’ and not realize there’s an enjoyment factor. I take the position that there is a lot of time involved, a lot of preparation, but this is something that I always wanted to do. There is fun in that.”

But that doesn’t mean he is willing to sacrifice enjoyment on the course. Furyk can’t fathom being so absorbed by golf that he wouldn’t allow himself moments to think about other things or have casual conversations with his playing companions or longtime caddie Mike (Fluff) Cowen.

Furyk says he’s enjoying the behind-the-scenes captain’s work as it ramps up ahead of September’s Ryder Cup. (Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)

“They said Ben Hogan would get to the first tee and he would concentrate on golf for five hours. There’s no way I could do that,” Furyk said. “Lee Trevino could talk and talk but then turn the switch back on and think about the next shot. I’m more in that realm. I have to let go a little.”

On the other hand, Furyk still feels competitive, being less than three years removed from his last victory at the 2015 RBC Heritage. He’s fighting the urge to let the Ryder Cup become his priority, something that wasn’t an issue when he was a vice-captain to Davis Love III at Hazeltine National in 20016.

“I can play a little, at least when I’m healthy, so, yeah, I’d like to see what kind of golf I am capable of playing this year,” said Furyk, who refrained from using his career earnings exemption because of the uncertainty with his health. “I’m glad I’m doing this before I’m 50 so that I’m out here. I’m seeing the guys. I’m in the locker room. I can go to dinner with them. Or play practice rounds. I think I can still play. I have to get healthy. I need more rounds under my belt.”

Notice the blending of the ideas. It can’t be helped. He is a player. He is a captain. The dual identity adheres to him like lint in his pocket. This will be a year-long tussle. He’ll have to decide how much of this ride he’ll enjoy if his stats match up poorly with the dozen players that will eventually populate his team. He will notice.

“I look at stats a lot more than I used to,” he admitted. “It’s part of the deal.”

So is the interminable wait to get to Paris.

“There are times I wish it were tomorrow. And there are times when I know that I need the preparation,” he said. “I look at it like this: It’s a long time since I was named the captain, to think about an event. Haven’t talked to Thomas [Bjorn, the European Team captain] about it. But it dawns on you that you are putting all of this preparation and thinking and energy into it, and it’s going to be three days. And it’s going to go so fast and be over. It’s a weird feeling.”

Well, he can always distract himself with tournament golf in the meantime. See the dilemma?

 

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]]> https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/jim-furyks-balancing-act/feed/ 0 Tiger Woods tripped up by Bear Trap and his putter, but still tied for 11th in Honda Classic https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/tiger-woods-tripped-bear-trap-putter-still-tied-11th-honda-classic/ https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/tiger-woods-tripped-bear-trap-putter-still-tied-11th-honda-classic/#respond Sun, 25 Feb 2018 04:42:48 +0000 http://golfdigestme.com/?p=13813 The Bear Trap got Tiger Woods. Again.

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]]> David Cannon/Getty Images

By Brian Wacker
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — The Bear Trap got Tiger Woods again.

The 15th through 17th at PGA National’s Champion Course have been tough on everyone this week during the Honda Classic, playing as the second, sixth and third toughest holes on the course, respectively. Woods has struggled there, too, playing that stretch in a combined five over, with two more bogeys coming during Saturday’s third round.

On the 184-yard 15th, Woods pulled his tee shot way left and into the rough. With sand short and water long, his pitch came up short in the rough before he got up and down.

At the 179-yard 17th, Woods sent it over the green and a bunker, again putting himself in a precarious position. He pitched to 20 feet and missed the par putt.

They were his only blemishes on a day when Woods posted a one-under 69, a round that could have gone so much better given how well Woods controlled his ball from tee to green.

“This is probably the highest score I could have shot today,” said Woods, who ended the day tied for 11th, seven strokes off the lead of Luke List heading into Sunday. “I really, really hit it good.”

Related: Luke List holds one-shot lead over Justin Thomas and Webb Simpson at the Honda Classic

Statistically, it was the best Woods has performed all week.

Playing just his ninth round of the year, he hit nine of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens in regulation, the most he has hit all week. Woods’ proximity to the hole was also at its best at 26 feet, 8 inches and through 54 holes he ranks second in the field in that category.

On 14 holes Saturday he had a look at birdie. Only one of those attempts was from outside 25 feet.

“I gave myself plenty of looks,” Woods said. “I just didn’t make anything, and I finally made a nice par putt at 12 and made a nice one at 13.”

Those were the only putts he made outside of 10 feet all day.

Still, there was plenty to be pleased about.

This is only Woods’ third start of the year, and there have been improvements along the way. His 69 on Saturday was his first round in the 60s on tour since the third round of the 2015 Wyndham Championship, more than 900 days ago.

“I can’t be that annoyed because I played really well,” Woods said. “I wish I’d made a few more putts. I hit good putts. I just didn’t get anything going on that front nine but I was hanging in there. I was grinding.”

Going into Sunday he’s also hanging around enough to at least have a shot at contending.

Seven strokes isn’t as big a deficit at PGA National as it is at some venues given the course’s propensity to yield some big numbers.

“I’ve got a shot going into [Sunday],” Woods said. “My job is to go out and post a number. I’ll be far enough ahead that these guys will still have three or four holes to go when I’m done and hopefully I’ll be hopefully my number will be good enough.”

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