Today’s Golfer UK — December 2017

First

Te e

TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK ISSUE 367 17

TOUR TIP

Major victory? Check. PGA Tour win?

Check. $10 million bonus? Check. US

Open scoring record? Check. 59?

Check... Justin Thomas has just had

one of the best seasons ever on the

PGA Tour. Of course, countless hours

of practice and golf in his DNA helped

(his father and grandfather were both

PGA pros). But so did writing down

some big goals at the start of the year.

While you’ll be playing for a £25 shop

voucher in the monthly medal instead

of a $10 million bonus, you can still

learn from Thomas by setting your

own goals for 2018.

TG Top 50 coach Adrian Fryer says:

“Justin’s goals are all outcome-

focused, not process focused – he’s

got the talent, the time and the team

behind him to achieve them. But if

you’re a 14-handicapper who plays

once a week and goes to the range a

bit, it’s not much use saying ‘I want to

break 80’, or ‘I want to win a board

comp.’ Goals are great, but how are

you going to achieve them?

“Process-focused goals are much

more achievable for a club golfer. You

still need realistic expectations – even

the world’s best don’t get up and

down every time or hole every

six-footer – but if you set achievable

goals and stick to them, they will

yield lower scores.”

Set some goals...

a bit like JT

PERCENTAGE

OF ONE

PUTTS...

PERCENTAGE

OF SAND

SAVES...

$4.28 million

Money earned by Matt Kuchar without a

victory, including a runner-up finish at

The Open.

Tour leader:

Jonas Blixt

43.81%

Tour leader:

Rickie Fowler

68.66%

Tour average

39.17%

Tour average

50.5%

Longest drive (yards) recorded by

Dustin Johnson during the WGC

Bridgestone Invitational. Of 77

rounds played, the world No.1 hit

five drives over 400 yards.

Players were guilty of four

putting – or worse – three

times. The list includes

Brad Fritsch, Dominic Bozzelli,

Sean O’Hair, Zac Blair, Russell

Henley and Jamie Lovemark.

Feet of putts
made by
Sung Kang
through just
36 holes of the
Houston Open.

439

SIX

300

Eagles made by Luke

List, two more than the

next-best Tony Finau.

Putts by Michael Kim

from inside five feet.

That’s a success rate of

98.20% from 1,167 goes.

18

21

23

Times Luke List ‘holed out’

when not on the green or

fringe. By comparison,

Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia

managed just eight.

20

Consecutive cuts made by

Paul Casey since the Sony

Open in January.

95’ 7”

Longest putt, made by Nick Watney

on the 16th at the Canadian Open.

2.35 strokes

Average difference between Rory

McIlroy’s first and final round

scoring averages.