:: June 11
21ST JUNE 2011
The US Open turned out to be another disappointing week! The game of golf just seems a little tricky right now. In isolation the game is in good shape it's just not being glued together with a little something called momentum and or confidence.
I am just leaking a little oil with the scoring clubs right now. I've been working really hard on the putting especially but am yet to see the pay off. I have no doubt it will happen. An analogy that fits right now is that the harder you squeeze a bar of soap, the more elusive it can be! I am just paying the steepest of penalties for little mistakes as the putter isn't bailing me out.
Great attitude and resilience will speed up the process! I have a clear direction in which I'm working which is the main thing. Up until recently I had been trying a few different things and not growing any momentum.
This week we have friends and family over from England so it will be a week of mentally detaching from competitive golf and focussing on my fitness and energy levels. There is still much to play for. As I showed last year, when you run hot, anything can happen.
I feel I'm certainly below the radar going into my title defense at the AT&T National next week and then on into the Open Championship. I feel that I'm way closer to good golf that the recent results would suggest so I'll keep the belief going!
And finally, congrats to Rory McIlroy on an incredible US Open victory. It was fascinating to watch him break so many records.
Thanks guys,
Justin
8TH June 2011
It was really exciting to be defending champion at The Memorial Tournament last week. Being back at Muirfield Village brought back some exciting memories and some special privileges like doing the Tuesday clinic with Jack Nicklaus, driving a car with a number plate saying MEM2010 and also having my locker in the champions section.
I felt good about things and had a couple good lessons with my coach Sean and had things pretty simplified in my mind.... The only thing I was concerned about was my putting and unfortunately that is what turned out to be the problem!
I shot 71 on Thursday playing some scrappy stuff and felt I could build on that round as the week went on. On Friday I played really well but melted down with the putter having 36 putts to shoot 75. I had 21 putts on the back 9. I made the decision to go left hand low at the start of the week which didn't work out. I think the only way forward with he putting is to get rid of thoughts not add in more. In essence, go back to some basics and putt like a kid. I just need to see the ball going in the hole again and then stroke it. I've been trying to 'science' the ball into the hole. I think it's important to realize that sometimes without thought, you just know how to make putts. It seems counter productive to try less to improve something but the fact is that over the last 15 years I know a lot more about putting but don't putt any better. What a great game we play!!!
So going into he US Open I feel good about my ball striking which is essential to do well there and if I just get the scoring clubs a little better, I feel it will be a great tournament to turn around the form....
Justin
