One
of our Landings Club junior golfers, Edwin Shepherd, recently attended the PGA
Championship. Here are his comments about the event (pretty perceptive
for an 11-year-old golfer!):
1. What was your BEST experience of the day?
The whole day was great. My favorite parts were
meeting and getting autographs from Darren Clarke, David Feherty, Bill Haas
and Rory McIlroy. I asked Bill Haas which hole was the hardest, and he
answered, "ALL of them." Everybody laughed. Also, I followed
Rory for fifteen holes and I saw his shot on six in the rough. I was
only about three feet away when he made his swing. I saw Bubba Watson
smile when my Dad and I yelled, "How 'Bout them Dawgs" from the
gallery as he was walking to the ninth tee.
2. What did you notice about how the players warmed
up at the range versus how they practiced later?
Before the round, the players practiced everything.
After the round, they practiced what they didn't do well that day on
the course. Tiger Woods practiced putting after everybody else was gone.
He had only made twenty-two putts on the first round, but he jumped up to
twenty-eight putts on the second round. He wasn't happy with a three-putt
on number eighteen, so he stayed and practiced putting for a long time.
3. Did the players eat or drink during the
round? If so, what kinds of food?
I saw a couple of players eating granola bars and a lot of
players drinking water.
4. How do you think you would have played that course
from tee markers that were perfect for you?
Better on some holes than others. I would've had to
lay-up a lot. The course was beautiful and seemed very difficult.
5. Were there any shots that surprised you, good or
not so good?
Rory's shots on six and seven in heavy rough were great
shots. It was really cool to be there in person to see him make those
amazing shots.
6. What types of reactions did the players have to
their good and not so good shots?
I watched Rory the most, and he was pretty calm, even when
he hit poor shots.
7. Any tips on going to watch a professional
tournament?
If you want to follow a specific player, you have to stay a
little ahead of him or you'll get behind. Before Rory started, I stayed
on hole 8 for a while and it was neat to see different players coming through.
I heard Francesco Molinari's caddy say about the golfers, "Forty
mile-per-hour winds to the right, pin placement on the left. They're
magicians!"
8. What advice do you have to get other juniors
started in golf?
Go play golf. Have fun with it. You've got to
keep it fun. Don't get frustrated if you make a bad shot. Everyone makes
bad shots sometimes, even the pros.
