Winnings Ways

By Matt Cooper Last updated: 2nd August 2010

YANI TSENG - RICOH WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN

In the bag

Driver - Adams Insight Tech
Fairway-wood - Adams Speedline
Hybrid - Adams Idea Pro Gold
Irons - Adams Idea Tech
Wedges - Titleist Vokey design and Vokey spin milled
Putter - TaylorMade Rossa Spider IB
Ball - Titleist ProV1x

Turning point

Tseng began the final round with a commanding four shot lead but there was one frightening thought hanging over her - not only had she wasted each of the four leads she had taken into final rounds of LPGA events, but she had also spurned one four shot lead to none other than her final day playing partner Katherine Hull (at the 2008 Canadian Open).

And when Hull birdied the second and third holes, whilst Tseng bogied the third, the lead dropped to just one shot - was history repeating itself?

But the fourth hole was to prove crucial in the long-term. Hull found sand from the tee and failed to retrieve par. Tseng holed out for birdie and the gap was suddenly three.

Tseng increased the lead with a birdie at the sixth but she was nervous and Hull chipped away, gaining three shots on the Taiwanese star.

But she couldn't get the final shot she required for a play-off; the flip-flop on the fourth had created a gap that was ultimately enough for Tseng.

Stats

Tseng's game was solid from tee to green and then even better around and on the putting surface,

She ranked 12th for Greens in Regulation (those figures were better in rounds one to three, before her nervous final round).

She was 11th for Putts per Round and the best Scrambler in the field - indeed she ultimately closed out the event with an up and down from the back of the final green which her playing partner Katherine Hull could not match.

Insight

Early in the week, before the tournament started, Tseng spoke with the team from Vision 54, who specialise in golf training and mental coaching. They helped Tseng's idol Annika Sorenstam and they suggested that Tseng adopt a policy previously used by Brittany Lincicome ahead of the 2008 Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Vision 54 believe that the mind needs to be occupied and that we can control nerves by using the downtime between shots to think of ordinary and relaxing matters, deflecting the mind from dwelling on negative thoughts.

Lincicome sang country music to herself when winning the Kraft Nabisco and for three days Tseng sang "old-school Taiwanese" songs to keep herself calm.

On the last day she used the same strategy but admitted that it was difficult.

"It was really hard because my mind was so busy," she said. "I was jumping around trying to sing a song. I was like, 'Stop thinking about winning and stop thinking about the score.' it was tough but I tried and I did humm this song."

It turned out to be 'Loving you is beautiful', a lyric that matched her feelings for the trophy.

In her words

"It feels very special for me to win the British Open because it was a very difficult course.

"Katherine played awesome today and she really pushed me a lot. I was so nervous and trying to stay patient the whole time.

"I was so tired today because of all the pressure, all the tension. It was a really tough day for me."

STUART APPLEBY -

In the bag

Driver - Callaway FT9
Irons - Callaway Prototype Forged
Wedges - Callaway X Tour and X Forged
Putter - Odyssey Prototype #2
Ball - Titleist ProV1

Turning point

Appleby's final round has to be the turning point: the figures are amazing.

After getting a par-four on the first hole, he then scored three on every other hole of the front nine.

He had eleven threes and one two on his card.

He birdied each of the final three holes to complete the 59.

Only David Duval has previously shot 59 in the final round - and both players ultimately won the event.

Stats

Here are the distances he holed out from for his par-breaking efforts:

11 feet on two, 27 feet on four, 8 feet on five, 12 feet on six, 7 feet on seven, 11 inches on nine, 12 feet on twelve (for eagle), 14 feet on sixteen, 10 feet on seventeen and 10 feet on the eighteenth.

Insight

When Roger Bannister broke four minutes for the mile, the most staggering thing was not that one man did it, but that within three years 16 runners had broken that barrier and obliterated Bannister's original sub-4 time.

Has something similar happened in golf? Paul Goydos shot a 59 at the John Deere Classic, next day Steve Stricker added a 60, Carl Pettersson used a 60 to win two weeks ago, last week Ross Fisher and JB Holmes both threatened to break 60 and Graeme McDowell has reported shooting a 58 in practice.

Now Appleby has added a 59 to win this event, but get this: he was not just learning second-hand of the recent great scoring feats - he actually had a front row seat.

Not only did he play with Stricker when he shot his 60 at the John Deere, but he also played with DA Points on Saturday when he made a 61. And he also took the care to read Sam Snead's scorecard from his 59 at the Greenbrier clubhouse (see below).

Was he super-primed to believe he could go low?

In his words

Appleby was happy to defer to Sam Snead's 59.

"I still think his is the better one by far, because of the equipment for a start.

"I know the course was shorter, but he was probably using one ball. I think I would have to shoot a 56 to even compare to something like that for sure.

"I think Sam Snead's got a little bit more of a skill level than I have. I saw his card in the locker room this week and I'm sitting there going, Hey, it was just phenomenal.

"Then you think of the ball and clubs he used and you're like, How did he do that?

"So I think, you know, shouldn't say 59 is easier today, but easier than back then."

ROSS FISHER - 3 IRISH OPEN CHAMPION

In the bag

Driver - Titleist 910D3 Prototype
Fairway-wood - Titleist 909F2
Hybrid - titleist 909H
Irons - Titleist MB
Wedges - Titleist Spin milled CCSM1 & 2 series
Putter - Scotty Cameron prototype
Ball - Titleist ProV1x

Turning point

Fisher held a six shot lead after shooting 61 in the second round but that margin slowly diminished throughout the rest of the week and on the back nine he had to withstand a big charge from Padraig Harrington.

When the Irishman birdied the 15th and then eagled the 16th the roars were loud, sending a message to Fisher that the local hero had tied the lead.

But the Englishman stayed patient and knew that he had both of those holes to come.

He duly birdied both to restore a safe lead, although he first had to cope with having gunned his eagle putt eight feet past the hole.

When he holed it, he felt safe: "Making four there was huge. If I had come up the last with only a one shot lead it might have been a different story."

Stats

It was a strong week all round for Fisher.

He ranked third in the field for Driving Distance and Greens in Regulation, fifth for Putting Average, 15th for Putts per Round, 16th for Scrambling and 25th for Driving Accuracy.

He used his distance from the tee well, with only one player making more eagles than him all week and he broke par more than anyone else all week.

Insight

Thus far in his career Fisher has been accompanied by his old friend from Wentworth, Adam, who has carried his bag with great success.

But 2010 has proved something of a letdown and golfers eventually look to change something - the caddie is a good start.

Perhaps they are right because it has taken just one week for his new bagman Phil Morbey (aka Wobbly, Ian Woosnam's long-term partner) to help Fisher find the top spot.

We can never be entirely sure that a new caddie is a guarantee of improved results because we rarely hear about the new partnerships that don't work, but it is fascinating how many do.

In his words

"It just feels great to come out on top against such a world-class field," said Fisher after receiving the trophy. "I could hear the roars and knew Padraig was making a charge. I just tried to stay patient and this is what we play for - we want to give ourselves a chance and I am no different."

AROUND THE WORLD:

NATIONWIDE TOUR
Martin Piller - Cox Classic winner

Piller only made the cut by one stroke, but, in a month of low-scoring feats, he added his own by shooting 62-67 to claimed the title by one stroke from veteran Dicky Pride. It makes Piller a two-time winner on tour this year and moves him to third in the tour rankings.

CHAMPIONS TOUR
Bernhard Langer - US Seniors Open Champion

One week after claming the British Open, the German completed the double with a stunning performance of steady golf - he went without a bogey for 44 of his final 45 holes. "It's hard to believe I won two back to back majors with an 8-hour time change in between and two very challenging golf courses," Langer said. "I probably played some of my best golf these last two weeks."

Matt Cooper