The Starter: Round 4, Arnold Palmer Invitational
The final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational is set to begin. Here's a look at Sunday's round:
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EXPERT PREVIEW: PGA TOUR NETWORK on-site correspondent Michael Collins previews Sunday's final round:
Well weather is going to play another factor in a tournament this year. And this time it's forced the PGA TOUR to move up tee times to early on Sunday trying to avoid thunderstorms forecasted in the afternoon.
The wind will be the big factor for the guys playing on Sunday. Not because it'll be so strong but because it just isn't consistent. Even Ben Curtis admitted to me after his round on Sunday.
"I'm sure glad I didn't have to hit first on the 17th," he said. "That wind changed three times when D.J. (Trahan) was getting up there. The only thing we knew for sure was that it was from the right."
Not the most confidence-inducing thoughts standing on one of the toughest holes on the golf course. Curtis made bogey.
I like the final threesome (Els, Curtis and Couch) to separate themselves from the field by the time they hit the back nine and then ... let the fun begin.
INSTRUCTOR'S CORNER: Todd Jones, head instructor at the TOUR Academy, analyzes the playing conditions this week at Bay Hill.
Leader Ernie Els finished his third round by playing his last three holes in 1 under while Ben finished the last three in 2 over. There is something that stood out about Curtis' finish that golfers of levels can and should learn from.
Standing over a delicate sand wedge in front of the 16th, the last thing he thought to himself was, "Don't chunk it." He didn't, sending it to the back of the green for a three-putt from 70 feet.
Yes, even TOUR players have those thoughts that pop into their heads at the most inopportune times. In Curtis' case, he held the tournament lead and was playing very solid golf, however that thought entered his head as he faced a shot that he was a little unsure of.
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What could he have done? What can we do when this happens to us? The best thing to do is -- get out of the shot. Do not, I repeat, do not stay in there and strike it. Once that thought has entered your head, the likelihood of striking a good shot has tremendously diminished. Many times this bad thought has crept in because we are uncomfortable with the shot and so worried about results that all the mind can focus on is what not to do. Backing away from the shot takes discipline and needs to be practiced as part of your routine while striking shots on the practice tee.
If we can not back out of the shot there, we will never commit to doing it on the course. Once out of the shot, confirm that you are striking a shot that you can pull of at least 70 percent of the time. (If you can not achieve the 70 percentile, the shot has no place on the course until it has been thoroughly trained on the practice tee). Then, and only then, you can refocus on what you want to do. As I mentioned earlier, this is going to take some tremendous discipline and must be practiced. This is not a magic pill, but it does tremendously increase the likelihood of a well-struck golf shot.
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