Page 56 - The Golf Guide, Summer 2016

Shanks & 3–Putts

Oh no Jordan!

Mike Ahrnsbrak — Golf Guide Senior Writer
PGA Professional, Lexington Golf & Country Club
I’m watching the Masters in the comfort of my
home, cold beverage in hand, slow-cooking some
awesome ribs while fully expecting Jordan Spieth
to run away with the tournament. But there was
this dark little corner of my brain saying “What
if”? Then, what if happened.
I know I don’t need to recap, but because I’m the
writer, I get to help you relive an epic 45 minutes.
Spieth birdies the last four holes on the front nine to take a 5 shot lead over Danny
Willett. Then, the most exciting (or painful) two hours in sports begins, the back nine at
the Masters on Sunday afternoon. Spieth goes bogey, bogey but still has the lead going
into the 12th. I’m sitting there watching and saying to myself, okay, another bogey
will really make this exciting. My jaw literally hit the floor when Jordan hit it in the
water, followed by an “Oh my God” when he chunked his third shot into Rae’s creek.
In the blink of an eye, after making a quadruple bogey 7, Spieth found himself 3 shots
back with six holes to play. It would have been a Herculean effort to come back, and
he tried valiantly, but Willett played the round of his life and benefitted from Spieth’s
unfortunate 45-minute brain fart.
Funny how the brain works. I get nervous just watching athletes perform in pressure
situations. The ability to channel nervous energy into positive outcomes can often be the
difference between victory and defeat. The more you put yourself into those situations,
the more you know how your brain and body are affected by the pressure. Here’s a little
reminder of some epic golf collapses.
1999 - Jean Van de Velde makes triple bogey on the 72nd hole at the British Open
and loses in a playoff
1996 - Greg Norman in the Masters loses a 6-shot lead
1966- Arnold Palmer losing a 7 shot lead with nine holes to play in the US Open
at Olympic Club
Jordan Spieth led the Masters wire to wire for 65 holes, then disaster struck. We’ve
seen how golfers handle epic collapses and how it has affected their career. Some
(Dustin Johnson, Scott Hoch, Doug Sanders, Ed Sneed to name a few) have never been
able to reach the pinnacle and capture a major championship. For others who have
suffered similar fates (Rory McIlroy, Jason Dufner, Phil Mickelson) they found a way
to learn from their failures in major championships and go on to capture one of golf’s
ultimate championships.
As far as Jordan Spieth goes, don’t be surprised to see him in the mix at the
season’s remaining major championships. Something about him shares many of the
great qualities of golf’s most iconic figures – Tiger’s clutch putting, Jack’s course
management and control of his emotions, Arnie’s connection with the fans, and Ben
Hogan’s steely determination. If anyone has the ability to reach and exceed Nicklaus’
record of 18 major championships, for my money it’s Jordan Spieth. I can’t wait to see
what the future holds, and I’m sure the next time Spieth plays the 12th at Augusta on
Sunday afternoon, he won’t be flag-hunting! Cheers, and remember…. Play more golf!

54 GOLFGUIDEINC.COM