Goodwin: All golfer battle nerves at some point

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August 18, 2012

Goodwin: All golfer battle nerves at some point

By Clair Goodwin The Joplin Globe The Joplin Globe Sat Aug 18, 2012, 11:13 PM CDT

On the golf course and in competition, do you get a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach, have difficulty focusing, have hands that shake over putts?

You may be suffering from a case of nerves, something that most golfers will experience at one time or another.

Late in his illustrious career, Ben Hogan would step over a three-foot putt and freeze. He might stand unmoving over the ball for a full minute as onlookers shuffled and murmured uncomfortably. When he finally putted, he jabbed at the ball. He had what is known as the “yips.”

Under pressure, some players may make poor decisions, such as hitting a driver off the fairway on the par-five 18th hole while leading a tournament by a shot or even two. Two lay-up shots, a wedge and two putts for a winning par simply didn’t occur to them. The thought process can be frayed by imagination.

Everyone over 50 can remember Roberto DeVicenzo’s mistake of signing an incorrect scorecard at the Masters. It cost him the championship. He was devastated.

“I am a stupid” was his only comment at the time. I believe that the goof was the result of nerves affecting judgment in a pressure-packed setting. Roberto assumed he had won the tournament and simply was so excited he failed to closely check his hole-by-hole scores.

I’ve seen some rising young stars and old veterans stumble on the final few holes in tournaments. Most of their misfortunes, I believe, can be chalked up to nerves running rampant.

In my own sad experience, I once had a top player down by three holes in a match play event with only three holes to play. He won all three and then birdied the sudden-death hole to win. I was devastated. But I learned that I had to keep my nerves under control.

Nerves also can be turned into a positive for those able to keep their wits.

Back in 1994, Nick Price was the best player in the world when he won the 76th PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., by a wide margin.

“When you walk down to the practice tee, when you come up and put your shoes on and that sort of thing, you get the butterflies. ... I can remember times when I used to try and fight off the butterflies, but the butterflies really help you if you can use them to your advantage,” Price said.

“Just today (Saturday, the second round of the PGA) I tried to play slow and not rush, and that sort of thing. And when you do that, the little uncertainty that might be within you or the little adrenaline comes out in your golf shot, it heightens your awareness and gives your that little bit of an edge. ... So if you ever see me walking to the first tee and I’m not a little nervous, then I’m in trouble.”

Undoubtedly the coolest golfers I’ve ever seen were Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson and Seve Ballesteros. Nicklaus and Hogan were the master strategists who had the skill to hit the ball where they aimed. Their nerves might be stretched taunt by a situation, but they maintained control. It was only in his later years that Hogan experienced his putting woes.

Byron Nelson never seemed nervous. I suspect that he and Seve immediately translated any nervous energy into confidence even if the next shot went awry.

The greatest exhibition of controlling one’s nerves came in the 1970 U.S. Open when Hubert Green received a death threat while playing the back nine at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. Green was given the option by the USGA to have play suspended at that point and resume the next day or play on.

He chose to play on and won.

That had to be nerve-wracking walking down the middle of the final fairways and onto greens knowing that he presented an easy target for the wackos who made the threat. Thankfully, nothing happened. But Green didn’t know the outcome when he made the call not to halt play.

Unchecked nerves and a racing mind can lead to a rash of three putts, a snap hook into the weeds or an OB drive.

But if a good player can retain control of his emotions and make quality decisions, he can create conditions in which to excel. And that’s about as much as any golfer can hope for.

Senior event

The Twin Hills men’s 2-man best ball is scheduled Thursday, Sept. 20, at Twin Hills Golf and Country Club. An 8:30 shotgun start is planned.

Entry fee is $120 per team. The field will be limited to the first 48 teams. Players must be 50 or over.

Entry deadline is Tuesday, Sept. 18. Flights and prizes will be determined by the number of entries.

Entries should be mailed to Twin Hills Golf and Country Club, Attn: Doug Adams, 2019 S. Country Club Dr., Joplin, Mo., 64804 .

Date change

The Joplin Golf Club Championship has been moved from Sept. 15-16 to Sept. 29-30 at the request of about 20 club members who could not play on the original dates. The decision was made at last week’s JGC meeting.

The club also has scheduled a 2-Man Stableford tournament on Sunday, Aug. 26.

Scramble

The St. Ann’s Parish Knights of Columbus three-man scramble is scheduled Sept. 8 at the Carthage Golf Course. A shotgun start is planned at 1 p.m.

Entry fee is $225 per team. Deadline is Sept. 4. Checks should be made payable to Knights of Columbus and mailed to or dropped off at Carthage Golf Course, 2000 Richard Webster Drive, Carthage, Mo., 64836.

Three flights are planned based on 36 teams. Prizes will be awarded to three places in each flight.