Noh double-bogeys on 18th, falls into 3-way tie

The most striking part of Brooks Koepka’s win at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES last week was his ability to recognize the importance of the moments down the stretch and execute under that pressure. Gary Woodland threw everything but the proverbial kitchen sink at Koepka, but he stepped up and swatted away each challenge like he was a script writer in Hollywood with a flair for the dramatic. Woodland made a long putt across the length of a green. Koepka answered immediately. Woodland just miscued slightly. Koepka turned a missed green into a chip in. It was the greatest takeaway from his win at the PGA Championship also — how seemingly effortlessly he absorbed the pressure of a Tiger Woods Sunday charge. And not just any charge, but one at the time that saw virtually the entire world tune it to witness what they hoped to be an ultimate comeback story. No disrespect to Brooks, but of the three men in contention at Bellerive he may have been the least supported that day. It wasn’t because he didn’t deserve it, or because he isn’t a phenomenal player. Just because he’d recently won the U.S. Open, and the fairytale of either a Woods comeback win or an Adam Scott resurgence the week he had lost good friend Jarrod Lyle to cancer may have played better in those Hollywood scripts mentioned above. There is no doubt Koepka felt the groundswell of support shifting from him that day. Yet — he was able to absorb it all and fire the killer blows under the gun. His long-iron into the lengthy par-3 16th was as good as it gets under the pump. And so the question is — how does one manage to do this? How can you find a way not to let a flood of endorphins and increased heart rate affect you? How can you block out negative consequences from your thoughts? “There’s always a moment where you feel, if I make this or if I do this, this is going to cap it and you’re going to win,â€� PGA TOUR Player of the Year Koepka said. “Those are when it’s fun, like I enjoy that. I look forward to that shot. I look forward to that feeling of, ‘Hey, I’ve got the opportunity to really close it out here and that’s what I want to do.’â€� That is the difference between a really good player and an elite one. Koepka wants the moment. He craves it. It’s like the quarterback who wants to run the two-minute drill to win a game. Or the soccer player who wants the penalty kick to be the deciding one. The pitcher who wants to come out with the bases loaded and the World Series on the line. “Maybe I give it a little more attention or whatever it might be,â€� Koepka said. “But I just know that that’s going to be a momentum shift in my favor if I can get it to go. “To me, it kind of feels like life or death. Like, okay, this is what I have got to do if I want to win a golf tournament. If you’re not going to embrace it and enjoy it, enjoy that moment, then I don’t think you’re ever going to capitalize on those moments.â€� Neale Smith, a former PGA TOUR player now sports psychologist, advises his clients to find the sweet spot of these moments. “Every golf psychologist will tell the client to focus on one shot at a time but we also know there are certain shots that are key shots in a round and they have a higher psychological weight on them,â€� Smith said. “It is in these moments where an ability to really be intense with focus, without tightening up, is a real art form. “Some guys get tense. Others don’t get the focus up high enough. The superstars on the PGA TOUR are the ones with the physical and mental skills who will work hard at both.â€� Smith said when a player feels the juices flowing in a clutch moment they need to embrace it. It is something they’ve deserved. It is in this mental state you can achieve great things. “Feeling anxious or nervous … players should feel like I’ve earned the right to get nervous,â€� he said. “Sitting T66 on Sunday is not getting the juices flowing so when you get into contention you better embrace it because you’ve earned the excitement. “When you have that you can do really special things physically and mentally. You can do things beyond the normal. We see this from elite players often.â€� FedExCup champion Justin Rose — who this week defends his title at the World Golf Championships–HSBC Champions — tries to ignore the ramifications of each shot in his mental approach. A year ago he started eight shots off the lead on Sunday, yet was able to reel in a faltering Dustin Johnson, and then more importantly stay in control when he went from a relatively pressure free environment to having plenty on his shoulders. For Rose, the Shanghai win came because he kept the free-flowing process going all day. He didn’t succumb to the tenseness of finding an unexpected lead. He recognized the moment but was able to execute as if it wasn’t really there. “For me, it’s about freeing it up,â€� Rose said. “I think trying harder is the opposite for me. It’s becoming in the moment, just freeing it up. That’s the best way I can describe it: Releasing the putter head, flowing everything, great rhythm. “It’s sort of not trying to over-control the result, because I think when you do that, you generally tighten up and it doesn’t go your way. It’s kind of trusting yourself and trusting that your commitment and execution is going to take you to the finish line.â€� Marc Leishman, winner of the CIMB Classic just two weeks ago, said it is all about knowing yourself on an intimate level. First you have to want those moments. Then you have to learn from them, study them, when they happen because they cannot be replicated in practice. “It helps having been there before,â€� Leishman said. “Knowing how your body reacts. Knowing you. It doesn’t matter how Tiger, Justin or DJ do things, it is knowing your body and how you react. “You need to live it to understand it. For me it is most important to breath properly. It becomes the only thing I think about. You trust the practice you are doing is the right things and you hope you’ve done enough to ingrain it in your body. “Anyone on TOUR can play great golf when they are comfortable. But it is more important to have a method when you’re uncomfortable.â€� You can be sure this week’s winner — and the trophy holders throughout the remainder of the season — will face the uncomfortable moments. The thing is, they’ll be ready for it. 

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Here are nine tidbits from the opening round of the OHL Classic at Mayakoba that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Patt-on the Back: Kudos to the in-form Patton Kizzire for torching El Camaleon this morning with 9-under-par, 62. After collecting T10 and T4 the last two weeks, I’m not surprised that he posted 10 birdies today. The only blemish on his card was a bogey at his last hole, No. 18, which saw him miss tying the course record. His lead is two entering the second round with fierce winds scheduled to blow tomorrow and throughout the weekend. The afternoon wave saw veteran Vaughn Taylor post 64, the best of the bunch. Gamers remember his last victory on TOUR came at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. If the wind blows, he might not be bothered. In three events this season he’s sandwiched T10 between a pair of missed cuts so I’m still trying to find a compass reading here. There is an old saying that form is temporary but class is permanent. I’m not here to argue but I will point out that absolutisms in fantasy golf don’t always pan out. Rickie Fowler’s opening round is making the argument against my point. He carded 65 Thursday morning and sits T3 in his first tournament since the TOUR Championship. Four players selected in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO were chosen by over 40 percent of the participants this week. Gamers who started Pat Perez (67) and Rickie Fowler (66), the top two selections, are having their expectations met. Chesson Hadley and Charley Hoffman were the third and fourth most-selected players and they ended the day T73. Everyone likes to saddle up a course horse but be careful not to get bucked off. Here are the five players with the lowest score in relation to par the last five seasons and their position after round one. Another wonderful angle in the world of fantasy golf is the much debated “Nappy Factor”. I’ve heard the argument suggesting jumping on guys who are expecting their first. I’ve heard it’s also smart to pile on right after the baby is born. SO MANY RULES. Here’s what I do know: Martin Piller’s wife is expecting in May and he’s T5 (66). Mac Hughes not only welcomed a baby but also changed his name from Mackenzie yet he’s T73 (E). Does this also effect “Nappy Factor”? Stay tuned. Only a handful of gamers had the foresight to roster Keith Mitchell (66) in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO. I hope both of you started him! The rest of you will learn this is his fifth TOUR start. His T11 at the Valspar Championship last year probably slipped your mind.  This is his first round in the 60’s in four tournaments in the new season. The Class of 2011 has been highly celebrated but I’m not sure how many fantasy gamers will recall that Patrick Rodgers is a part of that group. After 11 wins at Stanford (tied with Tiger Woods for most at the time) he hasn’t joined the others, yet. If grinding tee-to-green in the wind is going to be a key this weekend I’ll be interested to see how his ball-striking translates. His opening round 67 (T11) ties his lowest score of the new season. As my astute colleague Rob Bolton pointed out last week, Harris English is struggling. English set the tournament scoring record here in 2014 but that mojo didn’t appear on Thursday. His 75 saw him check in at T120 in a field of 132. Weekly and season-long investors should be concerned as he has missed four cuts in a row. Pending a very low one tomorrow that streak is going to reach five. Speaking of struggling, Ryan Blaum withdrew due to illness (virus) after posting 77 so adjust accordingly. 

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Jordan Spieth fell short in his bid for a third Australian Open title, but says having coach Cameron McCormick as caddie for the week will pay dividends for the duo.

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