Confidence Factor: Fantasy golf advice for the Safeway Open

So, Martin, just making sure we’ve got your story straight: You were a month shy of your 27th birthday last March, a definite “fledgling pro� who just a few weeks earlier had traveled to Mazatlan, Mexico, for a qualifying tournament to earn back playing privileges on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica, when on your way to that circuit’s opening event, the Guatemala Stella Artois Open, you decide, just for chuckles and a challenge, to try a Sunday qualifier in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, for that week’s Web.com Tour El Bosque Mexico Championship by INNOVA. All good, so far? Big smile. Martin Trainer indicates we can move on. It’s all good. And then, you not only survive a 3-for-1 playoff for the last spot into the El Bosque, you post rounds of 67-70-68-69 to finish 14-under and win the bloody tournament, just the second time you’ve even made a cut in eight Web.com Tour tournaments. Wild and improbable, all of that, but there’s more, right? Because, don’t you miss the cut in nine of the next 13 tournaments, then strike again? You shoot 62-68-65-68 to win the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper, a second Web.com Tour victory that virtually assures you a PGA TOUR card for 2018-19 and . . . well, I mean, you start the year without even Latinoamerica status and you end it with PGA TOUR membership? Crazy, no? Another smile. Another laugh. Crazy, yes. What makes it even more wild – and please excuse me for sounding surprised – but it’s not like you blazed a trail through AJGA circles and meandered the country playing the big-league stuff by invitation only. You’re sort of the anti-pedigree kid . . .  Respectfully interrupting, Trainer laughs. “I almost skipped amateur golf, in a way.� Ah, right. You and no one else. But there’s the matter of your upbringing – which is quite cool and eclectic, don’t get me wrong. Yet, with all due respect, being born in Marseille, France, wouldn’t seem to be a gateway to the PGA TOUR. Paris, Texas, maybe, but not the south of France. It explains why you speak fluent French to your French-born mother, Isabelle, and English to your California-born father, Paul, and why you can make a terrific blanquette de veau – which I would love to savor, should the opportunity present itself – but, listen, let’s be honest, it doesn’t explain how you got to the PGA TOUR, especially without much junior golf stardom, then a collegiate career that was, well, unique. I mean, many kids quit college after their junior year to play golf. You quit golf after your junior year to stay in college. “I’ve always been sort of unusual in the way I’ve passed through the golf world,� laughed Trainer. Duly noted. But that begs the question: What do your cousins in France, the folks back home in Palo Alto, California, and your old teammates at the University of Southern California think about you having a PGA TOUR card? No hesitation, just another big laugh and smile. “I’m sure,� said Trainer, “that they’re as surprised as I am.� Against a backdrop of cookie-cutter swings and gold-plated junior/amateur/collegiate resumes, there are those who arrive at the PGA TOUR having forged a solitary path as if mentored by the Dalai Lama. They are players who possess “it,� according to Chris Zambri, the University of Southern California golf coach who recruited Trainer for his incoming class of 2009-10. “In golf, the intangibles are hard to come by,� Zambri said. “But Martin had them.�                                                          Stewart Hagestad, who has since won the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, was a heralded member of that class. He knew of two of the other USC recruits that summer, T.J. Vogel and Sam Smith. “But Martin Trainer I had literally never heard of,� he said. “I did wonder, but then again, you had to trust coach’s judgment.� Zambri’s gut-feel was validated, too, on that first big day of tryouts in the fall of 2009. “We were freshmen, three weeks into the season and in a qualifier,� said Hagestad, “I shot something like 74 or 75 and Martin had a bogey-free 64. ‘OK,’ I said, ‘this kid can play.’� Turns out, it is Trainer’s MO. “When Martin is good,� said Vogel, “he is very, very good.� Like the spring of 2011, when Trainer closed out his sophomore year with a victory in the Pac-10 Championship. “The ability to execute when you’re nervous, Martin can do it as well as anyone we’ve ever had,� said Zambri. “He’s a calm customer.� But so, too, is he as unique a customer as Zambri has ever coached. Things went off script in the fall of 2012 when Trainer, concerned about a sore elbow (he eventually had surgery), decided his senior year would be spent working toward his degree in business administration and gearing his solo practice sessions toward his pro aspirations – no team play for him – and while coach didn’t understand, time has healed all wounds. “Looking back, Coach was a great guy and he taught me a lot,� said Trainer, who graduated with his degree in business administration. “Hey, I was a young coach and he was a young player and maybe neither one of us felt college was everything it could have been for us,� said Zambri. “But Martin’s a bright guy and super-talented and I have a lot of respect for what he’s done.� What he’s done is pretty much secure a PGA TOUR card in a most improbable manner – 42 tournaments on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica and just 28 on the Web.com Tour – that Trainer thinks confirms the glory of pro golf. There is no blueprint, no one way to proceed. “There are different paths, different journeys,� he said. “When I went to play college golf, I just assumed I’d try pro golf. This is a dream.� That the dream kicked off October 4-7 at the Safeway Open in Napa, California, a mere 90 minutes from Palo Alto, where Trainer moved with his family when he was 5, provided more flavor to his story. Paul and Isabelle were there to watch, as were a couple of aunts and plenty of friends, and for sure, it was never like that when he played PGA TOUR Latinoamerica or Web.com Tour events. Trainer did resist, however, the temptation to seek out Phil Mickelson and Fred Couples for autographs. “I thought about that,� he said. “(But) I’ve been on TOUR a few days, so maybe I shouldn’t charge in to meeting everyone quite yet.� He did, though, charge into a mode that explains much about who he is. Having opened with 75 and sitting 2-over with five holes to play in Round 2, Trainer hit it to 12 feet at the 14th, 3 feet at 15, 6 feet at 16, 3 feet at 17, and 3 feet at 18 – five straight birdies to shoot 66 and make the cut on the number. “That,� laughed Hagestad, “is such a Martin thing to do. It’s classic Martin.� Like the scintillating 64 he had shot in that USC qualifier and how he turned a qualifying spot into an El Bosque win and PGA TOUR card? “Exactly,� said Hagestad. “It’s a Martin thing.� Like getting into position to win and doing it? “Martin is wired that way,� said Zambri. An engineer, even a retired one who now makes his own electric bikes, could possibly explain, but the best Paul Trainer can do is offer this: “He’s streaky. He’s been like that all his career, so it didn’t surprise us that he won twice (to get his PGA TOUR card). He just needs to put it all together.� If Paul and Isabelle have fully supported their son’s pro golf aspirations – “almost irrationally,� laughs Martin – likely it is rooted in their own commitment to a life that was not the norm. A 6-foot-7-inch basketball standout at the University of California, San Diego (he still holds records for career points and rebounds and was enshrined into the Hall of Fame four years ago), Paul Trainer in the mid-1970s figured he’d play a few seasons of pro basketball in France. Only 22 years later he was still there, married with two sons. He worked as an engineer in the satellite TV world, but his passion was the outdoors, bikes, drones, and using his creative mind – sometimes to try and assist his son’s career. “He built a 3D putting template that I use,� said Martin. Paul Trainer has also used drones to offer video lessons to his son. But mostly, the father is is enjoying his son’s eclectic pursuit of a nomadic lifestyle that has already seen him play professionally in more than 15 different countries. “His story is a little different,� said Paul, who will travel with Isabelle in their RV to watch Martin play a handful of tournaments on the West Coast. “He didn’t play as a young boy in France, and he got a late start into the game, but when he became totally into golf, he put a lot of time into it.� Martin Trainer had moderate exposure to national tournaments – he qualified for the 2007 and 2008 USGA Junior Amateur, making it to the second round of match play the second visit – but some of the youngsters against whom he competed (Jordan Spieth, Emiliano Grillo, Brooks Koepka, Cody Gribble, Patrick Rodgers and Vogel the most notable) had far more experience on the big stage. What convinced Trainer that he might be able to make a career out of golf, however, was his victory in 2008 in the San Francisco City Golf Championship, and Zambri concedes that made an impression on him. “It’s a very good tournament with a lot of veteran players (Trainer beat 48-year-old Randy Haig, a former champ, in the final) and he showed great composure,� said Zambri. “Martin was very green, but I think that’s when he decided he wanted to be a golfer and he dove in, head over heels.� In golf, the intangibles are hard to come by. But Martin had them. It has been an intriguing ride, with Trainer fully embracing his reality (“I’ve never been the best, but I’ve kept improving�) and his approach to the game (“If I drive it straight, I’ll do well; if I don’t, I’ll miss cuts�). When he teed it up at the Safeway Open, he was wide-eyed about everything – from the courtesy car, to sharing a putting green with Mickelson, to being asked to come into the interview room for a pre-tournament interview. Talk about a whirlwind; just eight months earlier he had booked a schedule built around tournaments in Guatemala, Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile and Nicaragua, only to somehow make it through at Sunday qualifier for the El Bosque, then author a miracle of miracles. “I cried. I couldn’t believe it,� said Trainer. “The night before (the fourth round), I couldn’t sleep. I was two off the lead and I was as nervous as I’ve ever been. “But now, I’ve certainly surprised myself and I’ve had to pinch myself. It’s crazy, but at the same time, you just can’t just sign up (to play the PGA TOUR). I’ve earned it.�

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You’ve heard about the 16th at TPC Scottsdale. The party atmosphere, upwards of 20,000 golf fans filling the grandstands that circle the par-3 hole. The cheering, the booing, the craziness, the drama — it’s unlike any other setting in golf. You want to be part of it; alas, you can’t get to the course. Not to worry. Thanks to virtual reality, the 16th hole can come to you. A live 360 and VR experience will be available for all four rounds of this week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open. The live VR experience can be viewed on Samsung Gear VR headsets on a global basis through the “PGA TOUR VR Liveâ€� app available on the Oculus store. In addition, the “PGA TOUR VR Liveâ€� app will launch on Daydream by Google – available on the Google Play Store – at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Fans can also view 360 content through the TOUR’s mobile app. The app will be compatible with a Google Cardboard. For fans who don’t have a headset, the 360 video experience will be available on Twitter and Periscope during all four days of the event, and for the first time ever, via the PGA TOUR app on iOS. Using any smartphone, fans will be able to watch live, 360 video from the 16th hole. Fans can find the coverage starting on Feb. 1 at twitter.com/PGATOUR, by following @PGATOUR on Twitter and Periscope, or by downloading the official PGA TOUR app from the App Store.  “The 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale during the Waste Management Phoenix Open is one of the most exciting in golf,â€� said Rick Anderson, PGA TOUR Chief Media Officer. “We look forward to bringing that excitement to our fans who can’t physically be at the tournament through live virtual reality. They will be able to experience all the thrills from home.â€�  How it works As the exclusive live virtual reality provider of the PGA TOUR, Intel will produce the live VR experience with Intel True VR technology, providing unprecedented access to areas on the course that can’t be experienced – even by fans on-site. Intel True VR uses panoramic, stereoscopic camera pods to create a more natural and realistic view from any direction for a more immersive VR environment. Up to eight cameras will be placed around the 16th hole, in addition to a dedicated sideline reporter bringing a unique aspect to the experience. Teryn Schafer will be reporting live for the duration of the tournament. “Intel True VR technology turn sports into amazing immersive experiences, and Intel is always working with our partners to deliver new ways for fans to get closer to the action,â€� said David Aufhauser, managing director, Intel Sports Group. “We’re thrilled to work with the PGA TOUR to continue delivering compelling experiences with Intel True VR technology at the Waste Management Phoenix Open by leveraging our technology – from the cameras to the data processing to our application platform – to create interactive ways for fans to participate.â€�  Users viewing via Google Daydream, Samsung Gear VR, and the PGA TOUR app will have the ability to select 4 different camera angles or the VRCast (produced specifically to highlight the best content from all 8 cameras at the 16th hole). CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON INTEL TRUE VR TECHNOLOGY Ways to watch -NEW! PGA TOUR mobile app VR viewer -Twitter via @PGATOUR  -Periscope via @PGATOUR -NEW! Google Daydream via PGA TOUR VR Live app -Samsung Gear VR via PGA TOUR VR Live app How to watch Step-by-step on the PGA TOUR mobile app: 1. Download the PGA TOUR app from the App Store or the Google Play Store 2. Open the app and follow the prompts for camera/location/etc. 3. Click the hamburger menu in the top right 4. Select either Leaderboard (if live) or Video (if not live) 5. If Leaderboard is selected, a red banner will appear with a VR icon on the right. Tap on the VR icon, then tap a video to watch. Choose Cardboard or Panoramic. If Cardboard, load phone into Cardboard device and use the Gaze Controls by focusing the cursor/dot on the desired menu object. If Panoramic, pan phone or swipe left/right to see content 6. If Video is selected, a VR tab will appear at the top of the screen. Click Live VR (if live – notated by red color) or click On Demand VR (notated by blue color). Tap on a video to watch. If Cardboard, load phone into Cardboard device and use the Gaze Controls by focusing the cursor/dot on the desired menu object. If Panoramic, pan phone or swipe left/right to see content. VR history at the PGA TOUR THE PLAYERS Championship in 2017 marked the first time Twitter distributed a live 360 VR experience during a major sports event. Following THE PLAYERS, the PGA TOUR and Intel announced an exclusive relationship to produce and globally distribute live virtual reality (VR) and live 360 video at six PGA TOUR events in 2017 and 2018. The TOUR Championship and Presidents Cup in 2017 also featured live VR coverage. Highlights from the three events in 2017 are available to watch on-demand through the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR VR Live apps. The collaboration between the PGA TOUR and Twitter follows the live streaming relationship announced in 2016. Twitter’s early round distribution of PGA TOUR LIVE coverage, viewable weekly at pgatourlive.twitter.com, has averaged almost half a million unique viewers each day, and more than 70 percent of those are under the age of 35. 

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CROMWELL, Conn. – When you’re pretty much isolated in the zone – and we suspect that hitting all 14 fairways, 16 of 18 greens, and running your bogey-free streak to 50 holes, as Brendon Todd did in his 9-under 61 today at the Travelers Championship, constitutes being “in the zone” – then you don’t have time for history lessons. But, oh, how his playing competitors could have regaled him. “Let me tell you about 2014,” Kevin Streelman might have said. “Trailed by four to start the final round, birdied each of my last seven holes, shot 64, and won.” “Impressive,” Marc Leishman would have been able to counter with. “But my effort two years earlier wasn’t bad, mate. Left here Saturday in a tie for 20th, six back, shot bogey-free 62 Sunday, and won.” RELATED: Leaderboard | Tee times | Morikawa’s made cut streak comes to an end True, in Saturday morning’s solitude, with even the leaders on the course to help beat turbulent afternoon weather, it wasn’t the time to stroll down memory lane. Besides, Streelman was enjoying the ball-striking clinic put on by his competitor. “He putted just perfectly out there,” said Streelman, after watching Todd use just 25 putts to make birdies on half his holes. “Every putt inside of 15, 20 feet looks like it’s going to go in, and today most of them did go in. He’s always been an incredible putter. He’s swinging it great, and when he’s putting well, he’s tough to beat.” Properly stated and saturated in diplomacy, but here at TPC River Highlands, virtually every competitor knows that there has never been anything resembling a “safe lead,” that your rear-view mirror is always clogged with tailgaters, so you best keep your foot on the pedal. Streelman and Leishman are just two of 13 winners since 2000 who have come from behind on Sunday to win. For proof to the way you can speedboat here, consider that as brilliantly as Todd played – and he pushed to 18-under 192 to get into a two-shot lead – he only matched the low round of the day. A few groups earlier, the esteemed Dustin Johnson conceded his morning “was a pretty easy 61.” Hitting 12 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens put Johnson in the passing lane, big time; five behind 36-hole leader Phil Mickelson, Johnson roared into second place, at 16-under 194. Not that it’s a two-man race. Not with this tournament’s history. That means Streelman, who shot 63 and is alone in third, is very much alive, three behind Todd, and so, too, is Mackenzie Hughes (68), who is four back. Those who are at five back – Bryson DeChambeau (65) and Kevin Na (65) – would even have to be considered in the hunt, given the fourth-round history at the Travelers. But Rory McIlroy (69 – 200, T-18, and eight back) puts up the stop sign. “Too far back and too many people,” said the world No. 1 after a day in which he could have used a lot of the ball-striking prowess displayed by Todd and Johnson. (McIlroy hit just eight fairways and 11 greens.) Even after you accept the deep history of comebacks here and pay due respect to those within five of the lead, it’s worth admiring the contrast in the final pairing, for it provides more proof that golf is flavorful. Todd, who will turn 35 next month, and Johnson, who turned 36 last Monday, hail from the same part of the country (Todd from Georgia, Johnson from South Carolina) and turned pro in 2007. But you might stop with the similarities there, given the routes they’ve been on. By the time Todd won his first PGA TOUR tournament, in 2014, Johnson owned eight victories and was a megastar. Seemingly oblivious to stress, Johnson can laugh at that perception and tell you he feels it “a lot more than you think, (but) I try not to show it.” What he can’t hide is a brilliant resume (20 PGA TOUR wins, a U.S. Open title, stints at No. 1 in the world) and a saunter that if you could bottle it and sell it would bring you millions. Whereas he appears incapable of playing poorly, Todd presents a different side of the equation and that makes him . . . well, someone to be admired, a guy overflowing with humanness. Take those dark years, for instance, 2016-19, a period during which Todd made 12 cuts in 55 starts. Talk about an easy out, a simple reason to quit. Yet Todd didn’t. If you look of perseverance and don’t see his picture, you’ve got an inferior dictionary and when he stands next to Johnson on the first tee Sunday afternoon, only one of them can say they’ve won a tournament in this 2019-20 season, disjointed season. That would be Todd, who prevailed back-to-back last fall, at the Bermuda Championship and Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico. Crazy, that pairing. The continuation of a vintage feel-good story and continuation of a career that has been consistently pure. Admire the storyline, but then take a deep breath and study your history of the Travelers Championship. Many other competitors have a chance Sunday.

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