Some Tips For Making It On The Tour...

[Big Brother Dunk]

So, you want to join the PGA Tour.

Perhaps the most difficult thing you'll encounter is not being in the same group as Tiger, it's not being stalked by the Shark, or having to face down a charging bear, it's not facing a 7-foot putt on the 18th Augusta to force a playoff at the Masters.

It is the dreaded "Press Conference".

Well there here few very important things you'll have to learn in order to be successful. Golf is steeped in tradition and history, and in order to handle the "Press Conference" with poise, there are certain conventions that must be followed.

Before a tournament, it's important to lay the groundwork for the weekend by saying something like:
"I've been striking the ball well lately, but I re-injured my shoulder/wrist/hip last week. It's been feeling better and hopefully it won't affect my play this weekend."
Also, you can refer to the course as being "demanding, challenging, a tough track" etc.

With those quotes, you've got a built in excuse if you play poorly.

Once the tournament starts, if you find yourself at or near the top of the leaderboard, here are a couple of things that you should remember to say:
"I was striking the ball well today, but some of the putts weren't dropping. I felt I could have gone lower, but I'm happy with today's round."
"I got away with a couple of errant shots today, but I was putting well and I had a couple of sand saves/up and downs that helped, but I was happy with today's round."

You'll notice that golfers don't "hit" the ball, they "strike" it. Always refer to the act of hitting a golf ball as "striking" it.

If you find yourself well back early in the tournament, remember these:
"There's still a lot of golf to be played"
"I was "striking" the ball well today, but I had a couple of bad breaks."
"If I can get some putts to drop, I can still make a run/charge/move."
More often than not, these translate into making a run/charge/move to qualify for next weekend's event after missing this week's cut.

When discussing the course you're playing on, there are certain terms that must be used.

If the course is particularly difficult, you say things like:
"This is the type of course where you must be patient."
"This course demands accuracy off the tee."
"It's a tough track, and you have to wait for your birdie opportunities."
What these mean is, "How the hell do you expect me to score well on this course? It's too hard!"

If the course is not that tough, you can say:
"I like this course, you can attack the pins."
"There are some reachable par-5's here."
"This course demands a good short game."
These mean, "This course is a piece of cake. 10-under should be the cut line."

If you manage to win a tournament, remember these tips:
"I was in the "zone" all weekend and I just feel fortunate to come away with the win."
"I thought (insert golfer's name) was going to make a charge. He played well."

If it's not a major,
"This is a big win for me. I've always considered this an important tournament."

If it's a major,
"I can't believe it, it still hasn't sunk in yet!"

So, remember these helpful tips and your career on the PGA Tour should be a long and successful one.

[Loop]

Nice one BBD.

THe only player I think who wouldn't say things like these is David Duval.
He'll be saying things like "I really sucked today".