100th PGA Championship thread

Ballesteros pull-hooked his approach to 15 after hearing the roar Jack produced when he stuffed it in there on 16 at the 86 Masters. It didn't affect Koepka on Sunday, but it's not like it hasn't ever happened.

 

Just because Justin Thomas' father was a club pro doesn't mean he came from a wealthy background. Club pros are just part of the hired help at a country club. Yeah, their kids get to play there but I knew guys whose fathers were club pros and they said the rich kids never let them forget they were there only because their dad was at the counter in the pro shop. They never truly belonged.

 

I think the biggest thing about crowd roars... and sure, Woods will get the biggest ones outside of a hole-in-one, is this:

If a tournament is tight, hearing a big roar can make a player press a bit, maybe try to hit a hero shot rather than the safe/correct shot.

I think that was definitely the case in Tiger's prime. Now, not nearly as much. Most of the under-30 crowd is unfazed and fearless out there.

 

Yep, those poor country club kids that golf for free.

 

Be to differ on Duval. He's out of golf because he lost his swing but there was never a fear factor with 'Tiger. From the time Duval won his first tournament in 1997 (he won three in a row to close the season) he won 11 times through 1999. Tiger won 13 during the same span. Tiger once told one of the national golf writers that Duval, in his prime, was the only guy he believed could beat him when Tiger had his A game.

 

You missed the point. Most club pros, with the exception of guys like Bob Ford at Oakmont, make less than 100K per year. That's hardly in the 1 %

 

This poor kid sure struggled.

Golf in his bloodline

 

The son of a club pro has a lot more opportunities to receive coaching and playing time than some kid whose parents are working class with no connection to the game. At least he's getting damn near unlimited access to the driving range and putting green, not to mention equipment. Whereas parents who have their kid seeing DJ or Koepka bomb it on TV and say "I want to play golf" are gonna' but dumping a butt ton into junior lessons or clinics, equipment, range balls, more range balls and eventually a coach.

 

I could buy that,

 

I get that. But club pros' kids are not from wealthy families.