Padraig's Secret Weapon

Padraig Harrington is the new man to beat! He flips on the turbo-boosters when he needs to, and the Irishman fills the current Tiger-shaped void as someone who actually goes out and snatches the championship away from the other contenders.

Sergio played valiantly for the week, but a couple of key errors coming down the stretch cost him (why do you flirt with the water on #16?). Don't feel too sorry for Sergio, though...did you know that he has actually beaten Padraig in playoffs twice before? Garcia first humbled him on the European Tour at the 1999 German Masters, and again at the 2004 Buick Classic on the PGA TOUR. As much as Sergio probably dreads a head-to-head showdown with Padraig these days, it used to be the other way around. What has turned the tables? It's Harrington's secret weapon, or what he calls his fifteenth club...his superior mental game!

Padraig will be the first to admit that his swing and natural talent have never been head of the class. But he is a tireless worker, and more importantly, has totally embraced the notion of resilient attitude and a "soft focus". His mental coach is acclaimed golf consultant Bob Rotella, who just published a new book entitled Your 15th Club. In his book, Rotella reveals how Padraig's intense dedication to the mental side of golf has been the catalyst for his stellar play in the last few years.

You always hear a victorious pro praising their ability to focus and stay in the moment. I've never really considered "how" you are supposed to fine tune such abilities, but a good friend of mine named Lee Palms recently clued me in. Lee played briefly on the mini-tours after college, but quickly traded in his golf clubs for a briefcase and family life. In the past decade, he's had some success as a local amateur golfer in South Carolina, defeating most of the other "30-something" guys. But this summer Lee Palms has caught fire. He recently qualified for the upcoming U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst, beating out dozens of flat-bellied college players, and then last weekend he again stuck it to the "young guns" when he won the South Carolina State Amateur. This week, he qualified for the U.S. Mid-Amateur in September, shooting 66 and earning medalist honors for his site. During a congratulatory phone call, I asked him what has made the difference in his game.

"Don't laugh," he started out, "but it's seriously been my improved mental approach. Simplifying my routine, being target-focused over the ball, accepting my bad shots and moving on, positive self-talk only, journaling my good shots and building up my self-image as a successful golfer."

"OK, but how exactly do you do all that?" I asked. "My mind is going a mile a minute when I play a competitive round!"

"This is where Rotella's new book has really helped. He provides a bunch of techniques and phrases to help you establish a daily mental routine of affirmation and confidence. And then it's up to you to really practice and apply this stuff. It takes some commitment, but I've been working really hard on it, and it's obviously started paying off."

So there it is...a book about golf's mental game that is showing some real results. Not only is it benefiting Padraig Harrington, 36-year old winner of three of the last six major championships, but it's also helping Lee Palms, 39-year old working man and reigning SC State Am Champ. I've got no aspirations of following in the footsteps of either guy, but I do want to become a better golfer and maximize my potential. Stay tuned, because I'm ordering Bob Rotella's Your 15th Club today and getting on board.

Harrington Survives Shark-Infested Waters

Paddy does it again! I thought it was anyone's game as they made the turn on Sunday, but Harrington righted the ship and played crazy-good on those last few holes. I had a weird feeling that the Irishman might make it two in a row, bum wrist and all. If Greg Norman had won, it would've made one of the greatest golf movies of all time...a 53-year old legend comes out of retirement to redeem his past failures with one last major victory. Instead, the best "feel good" story of the year will remain Tiger gutting it out on one good leg to win the U.S. Open.

I haven't dealt with Greg Norman much on the PGA TOUR. He's only played in a handful of events in the last five years, but every time we have interacted, I've been very impressed. It's easy to see why he's been so successful in his multiple business ventures. Norman is very engaging, looks you right in the eye, and makes you feel important, even if just for a few minutes.

The Shark played in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am this year, where he teamed up with his amateur son Gregory Junior. As I've mentioned before, I was stationed at Spyglass Hill all week, and on Friday I got a call on the radio from one of our Rules Officials. "Casey, Greg Norman is out on the course and needs some soft-spike replacements. See if you can grab some in the pro shop and meet him on the ninth tee."

The next thing I knew, I was holding the Shark's left shoe in my hand, frantically cranking one of those crappy little spike-wrenches to replace two missing soft-spikes. Norman sat next to me on a bench as I tried to look proficient in spike-wrenching. "Aren't you the guy in the scoring area?" he asked me. I replied yes, and he said, "Ah, a man of many talents. Thanks for making the trip out here to help me." I told him no problem, and that the two soft-spikes would cost him $5,000 each...he could pay me after the round. He laughed and said sure, but I never saw the money. He must've forgotten.

Good luck this week at the Senior British, Greg, and thanks for a memorable four days at the Open! And of course, congrats to Padraig...AGAIN!

The Caddie Beats His Pro

The week of the British Open has arrived, and Padraig Harrington will do his best to defend his title. Padraig is a great guy, and even though I'm also a big fan of Sergio Garcia, I was glad to see Harrington come out on top after last year's Open playoff. I created a scoresheet for Padraig to commemorate his major victory, and presented it to him at last year's TOUR Championship in Atlanta (see the photo on my home page at caseyjonesgolf.com). He was very appreciative, and later sent me a signed British Open pin flag and copy of his new book "Journey To The Open".

Back in February at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, I was talking to Padraig and his caddie Ronan Flood on the putting green at Spyglass Hill. Earlier in the week, Padraig, Ronan, and a couple of their Irish buddies were in San Francisco for some fun. The group decided to play a casual round at Harding Park Golf Course, and the weather that day turned out cold, wet and miserable.

Padraig revealed, "That's the first time my caddie has ever beaten me straight up."

"What?" I replied. "Ronan, are you that good? Why are you carrying the bag? If you're beating the defending Open Champion head-to-head, you might want to consider a career change."

"It was a fluke," Ronan admitted. "I'm a pretty good mudder, and I slopped it around in the rain to shoot even par. Padraig finished at 1-over. I need you to do a scoresheet for me to immortalize my win. I'll hang it up in my house, so everyone that visits will see..."

"I don't think so," Padraig interrupted. "The only guys that know about this are the four of us that were there, and now Casey."

And now everyone who reads my blog.

Good luck to Padraig and Ronan this week...I'd love to see another back-to-back champion at the Open. Tiger obviously did it in 2005-2006, but before him it has been over twenty years since Tom Watson won consecutive titles (1982-83).