by Josh Cassap, Golf Manager

Of the four ‘majors’ in professional golf, the PGA Tour owns none of them. The US Open belongs to the USGA; The Open Championship to the R&A; the Masters to Augusta National; and the PGA Championship to the PGA (which is a separate entity from the PGA Tour).

That is presumably why the Tour started the Tournament Players Championship in 1974 – and why they have spent so much time and treasure promoting it as the ‘Fifth Major’.

The purse for the Players Championship was $9.5 million in 2010, making it the richest regular event. The tournament also counts for as much as the traditional four Majors in the FedEx Cup points standings. It is worth 40 points in the World Golf Rankings; only 10 less than the big four.

The winner of the tournament receives a five year exemption on the PGA Tour, a three year invitation to the Masters, a three year exemption to the Open Championship, and same year invitations to the US Open and PGA.

Consequently, the Players attracts one of the strongest fields in golf, bringing in all but a handful of the top-ranked players. It arguably has a stronger field than any of the other majors, as there are no amateurs or club professionals invited; every player there is a professional tournament player.

The inaugural Players Championship was held in 1974 at the Atlanta Country Club, and was won by Jack Nicklaus. It moved to the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth in 1975, and then to the Inverrary Country Club in Ft. Lauderdale in 1976.

In 1977, The Players Championship found something of a permanent home in Ponte Verda Beach, Florida. It was held at the Sawgrass Country Club’s Oceanside Course until 1982, when it was moved across the road to the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass.

The TPC at Sawgrass has given the Players an identity because that course boasts what is arguably the most famous hole in golf – the island green par 3 seventeenth.

For the first 33 years of its existence, the Players Championship was held in March. With the PGA Tour’s 2007 restructuring surrounding the FedEx Cup championship, the Players was moved to May. This gives professional golf (and television) a signature event in each month running from April to August.

Nicklaus has won three times: 1974, 1976, and 1978. Other multiple winners have been Tiger Woods (2001 and 2013), Fred Couples (1984 and 1996), Steve Elkington (1991 and 1997), Davis Love III (1992 and 2003) and Hal Sutton (1983 and 2000).

Greg Norman holds the tournament record, with an aggregate score of 264, -24 to par.

Who tuned in to watch the best players in the world doing battle?

by Josh Cassap, Golf Manager

Hitting your driver well is a combination of physical skill, mental concentration and confidence. It is easiest to master this on the driving range, then move it to a non-competitive playing environment. Here are some tips for working on your driving …

1) Start with mini-swings, then proceed to full swings when you begin making solid contact.

2) Hit golf balls with your feet together.

3) Take full swings at 50 per cent power.

4) Concentrate on this counting sequence during your swing: 1-2 going back on the backswing, and 3 on the downswing.

5) Concentrate on extending your clubhead down the target line with a high follow-through position.

6) Keep your grip pressure light and body tension free both at address and during the swing.

7) Hit balls with your driver only to the 100-yard flag or marker, then 125 yards, then 150, then 175, gradually moving to a normal distance for your driver.

8) Swing thought: Tell yourself, “Swing through the ball, NOT at the ball.”

Another swing thought is to have your backswing at a slower speed than your forward swing, with your maximum speed obviously being through the impact area. So many players waste their maximum speed on the backswing. Your overall tempo on the downswing should be between 70-80 per cent of your full power – this speed will increase your chances of better ball striking.

Follow through drill: Hit balls or take practice swings where you concentrate on completing your swing so that your body faces the target on the follow-through. Your hands should finish high – up and around behind your head. Also, have your right foot up on the follow-through so that you may tap it on the ground. This will ensure completion of the follow-through and weight transfer. When you focus on swinging through the hitting area and completing the swing, your golf shots will improve dramatically.

by Josh Cassap, Golf Manager

Putting is a mental game, where scores are made and lost. It’s really important that you find the best putting drills to test yourself whenever you practice putting.

Here are a few putting drills that should improve your golf game.

Pressure putts

Aim: To put your putting under pressure by having a consequence for missing

1. Start 6ft from the hole and try to hole that putt
2. If you hole it, you move on to the next hole (9 holes in total)
3. If you miss it, move the ball back from where it finished by one club length and repeat the process
4. Consider each hole a par 2 and total your score for the nine holes
5. Try to beat your best score each time

The sound of success

Aim: To focus on making a solid putting stroke, not where the ball ends up

1. Pick a spot 3ft from the hole
2. Aim at holing 10 putts in a row with your eyes closed, after you’ve gone through your pre-shot routine
3. If you miss a putt or at any time open your eyes, start over 

Make the hole look bigger on the course

Aim: To gain confidence on the golf course by making the hole seem bigger than it is

1. Put 2 tees in the ground just in front of the hole, so they make the hole about half its actual width
2. Try to make 5 putts from 4ft
3. If you miss, start over

Sportsmart Golf at Moorabbin has very knowledgeable golf staff. We are experts in customising golf clubs to suit your individual needs. We also offer services of club fitting and repairs. With a fitting net and launch monitor in store, we have you covered for all your individual golf needs.

by Josh Cassap, Golf Manager

To improve your short game, try this exercise during your practice:

1. Pick 9 locations from around the green to play from: 3 easy, 3 medium and 3 difficult.
2. Each mini hole is a par 2. By playing all 9 holes, the total is ‘Par 18’
3. Play all 9 holes, and keep your score. Make 18 your target.

Although I don’t ever recommend trying to beat your score during a round, in practice it’s different. You want to create the same pressure as if you were on the golf course, whereas on the golf course it’s ideal to minimise pressure. By thinking about your score while practicing (and trying to beat it), you get closer to the pressure you feel on the course.

Hopefully these tips will help you improve your game!

by Josh Cassap, Golf Manager

This is a great golf drill for improving your chipping quickly. It works on using a variety of golf clubs from the same distance, so you can see the benefit of using less lofted clubs from around the green.

1. From the edge of the green, pick a hole on the practice green that’s about 20-25ft away.
2. Take your 6-iron and go through your pre-shot routine
3. Your pre-shot should have 3 main steps: Visualisation, Feel and Trust. When you’re visualising your shot, ask yourself where the golf ball will land and how it will roll out to the hole and where on the hole it will go in. When you’ve seen the shot in your mind’s eye, feel the swing you need to produce that shot. When you’re standing over the ball, say to yourself “trust it” and do exactly that.
4. When you’ve holed your 6-iron, repeat the process your 7-iron and move all the way through to your PW. That’s a minimum of 5 shots, so see how close you can get to a score of 5 each time.

(Coming up next: Part 4)

by Josh Cassap, Golf Manager

One great short game drill is to take 20 golf balls and drop them around the practice green from different lies and positions.

For each shot, go through your routine just as you would on the golf course and imagine you are playing in a competition on whatever golf course you normally play (or perhaps the location of your next competition).

If the ball comes to rest outside of gimme range (2ft), go through your pre-putt routine, just as you would on the course or in a competition and try to hole the putt.

When you’ve made the up and down, move onto the next golf ball until you’ve holed all 20. This exercise might take 40-50 minutes to perform, but it makes practice very meaningful.

This drill allows you to:
•    Practice your routine – getting your process the same, and focusing on it should be consistent no matter what the shot or situation
•    Work on your imagination and visualisation
•    Simulate pressure while you practice
•    Makes practice fun, playing from different lies and trying different shots
•    Give every shot a purpose, instead of being just another practice ball

(Coming up next: Part 3)