Posted By: J.R Ewing
How do u lose a 4 shot lead on a Sunday to a bum player ?
It's real easy tp blow a lead. And I know, I have done it on many an occasion.
The last time I played a round was at Troon North in Scottsdale. I was 47 and shot a 81 from the back tees. I swore to myself after breaking 80 at the age of 14 I would quit the game if I ever played in the 80's again. I carried a 1 to 2 handicap for many years and played a lot of amateur tourneys. I won 3 well known amateur events and lost several.
And the ones I lost were all mental. Had nothing to do with shots or swing, the wheels didn't come off, the putter was fine. The biggest mistake and easiest one to make is, "You start playing your opponent and stop playing the course."
Next mistake is what do you see? Your caddy tells you it's 181 yards carry to the front. Do you see a 185 yard 5 iron or the out of bounds left of the green and the 60 yards of John Brown in front with bunkers right and a false front. It's a simple 185 yard short, one you have done thousands of time on a practice range or it's a nightmare in your mind.
When you start seeing the nightmare and not the shots and when you play the opponent and not the course you can blow any lead.
The pros don't come off the course and tell you they were looking at nightmares all day. Instead they say they just missed a put on 15 or a shot on 12 for a double.
You can't be a "Gypsy in FootJoys" forever. (Doug Sanders) But while you are, the worst thing that can happen, even when you lose, next week you get to play golf. Everyone else has to go to work.
