May 10 2013

8:00 PM

Diary: Horschel, Ernst at first PLAYERS

Horschel and Ernst both missed the cut in their PLAYERS debut. (Getty Imgaes)

By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM

Editor’s note: Billy Horschel and Derek Ernst won each of the last two weeks on the PGA TOUR and are playing in their first PLAYERS Championship this week. They will file a daily diary for PGATOUR.COM, documenting their week on and off the course beginning Tuesday.

Previous entries: Thursday | Wednesday | Tuesday

Billy Horschel: It sucks that I missed the cut. I can go back and look at my holes and the mistakes I made were just simple mistakes. I didn't make enough birdies to offset them like I have in the past.

I felt more prepared for golf today than I had the whole week. But I felt I needed another four or five hours of practice to feel like I put the work in I needed to. When you win, everything changes a little bit. There’s more media requests, more obligations. I've got to learn how to deal with that better so I can prepare better because I didn't feel prepared teeing it up on Thursday and on Friday I shot 71 and missed the cut by three.

On 18, I hit a bad tee shot and it went in the water. It's disappointing. I never hit in the water there when I play the course. There's just no bailout room on that hole.

I knew what the cut was when I made the turn. I knew what I needed to. I knew I needed to make birdies and what the number was going to be. I was trying to get to the number and move on to get myself in a better position for the weekend.  Like I said, unfortunately, I just hit a bad, bad tee shot on 18.

The next two days being home and this tournament is going on and me not being in it is the worst thing about this week. That's what's going to piss me off a little bit that I'm not playing the weekend when I should be playing the weekend. It's just added motivation. I've got to understand the time restraints change a little bit. I just can't go to a tournament and do my own thing anymore. There are things I'm going to have to be obligated to do, which I'm more than willing to take care of. I just have to learn how to work that around what I need to do to feel ready for a tournament.

But Ernie Els said to me you would have taken that win and missed the cut this week, wouldn't you?  And I said, yeah, that's a good way to put it. The cut streak means nothing. You don't get a gold star at the end of the day or a gold medal or a million dollars for having the longest cut streak. It doesn't mean diddly‑squat.  So we'll just be ready to go in two weeks at Memorial.

Derek Ernst: It was a long week. After winning last week, I didn’t even play here on Monday and on Tuesday I played nine holes and was exhausted. Wednesday was another nine holes after about an hour-and-a-half of media, so I played basically one round and didn’t get used to the course. It was the least amount of preparation I’ve ever had going into a tournament. Considering how big this tournament is, it’s not the greatest feeling to have.

The thing about this course is you have to know where to leave the ball and not knowing the course well I might go for something then realize that was dumb and there’s no chance to get up and down. That happened a lot this week and I shot 81 Friday and missed the cut because of it.

This was kind of like a practice round for next year; that’s what I’m going to take from it. I’m just disappointed in how I played, but I also understand it was tough coming off last week because I put so much energy into that week.

The best part of this week was playing with Louis Oosthuizen and Angel Cabrera. Louis is the nicest guy and we got along really well. The worst part is not playing great and not being healthy. Those are the two biggest disappointments. But I’m going to go get healthy and make sure I’m ready for the U.S. Open qualifier I have Monday back at my home course in Las Vegas, TPC Summerlin.

It still hasn’t sunk in that I won at Quail Hollow, though. Maybe it will when I get back to Vegas tomorrow morning and I’m laying on my couch. The trophy might be there, too. They said they were going to send it to me so maybe then I’ll finally realize it and it will sink in.


May 9 2013

9:15 PM

Diary: Horschel, Ernst at first PLAYERS

Billy Horschel and Derek Ernst are playing in their first PLAYERS Championship this week. (Getty Images)

By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM

Editor’s note: Billy Horschel and Derek Ernst won each of the last two weeks on the PGA TOUR and are playing in their first PLAYERS Championship this week. They will file a daily diary for PGATOUR.COM, documenting their week on and off the course beginning Tuesday.

Previous entries: Wednesday | Tuesday

Billy Horschel: TPC Sawgrass exaggerates your mistakes, especially in tournament conditions, if you don't miss in the right spots and I didn't miss in the right spots and shot 76. I got some bad breaks out there, too. Some bunkers have a lot of sand in them and some don't. I just don't get it. On No. 10, for example, I'm not sure if I just shanked it or there was just no sand in the bunker. I had a simple bunker shot on No. 14 and made the smallest swing and the club bounced off like it was on concrete.

I don't know what golf course Robert Castro was playing. I don't care if it's not in a tournament or is in a tournament, a 63 is just spectacular. Me, I just need to work on a couple things and not make stupid mistakes. I was probably the most frustrated after I bogeyed Nos. 7 and 8 (I started on the back nine) because I just made bad mistakes there and didn't trust what I wanted to do.

There have been times when I put extra pressure on myself playing in front of family and friends like I am this week, but I didn't think about that today. I was just playing bad and was upset. It was just a frustrating day. It was also the worst I could have done today.

I don't feel like I've worked hard enough this week, plus the rain cut short my practice last week. I don't care how tired I am, I need to feel like I'm ready and prepared for Friday. Who knows, I'll probably shoot 4 or 5 under on Friday.

Derek Ernst: It was an up-and-down round of 74. I bogeyed the second hole, a par 5, and that took the wind out of my sails a little bit. It's a short par 5 and I had an iron in my hand and I pulled it and ended up on a downslope on the short side and ended up three-putting.Then on No. 6 I hit driver trying to be aggressive and it went into a bunker and kicked left and ended up against a tree, so I had to take an unplayable and I ended up making double bogey.

I also didn't wake up feel very good -- I had a headache and a stomach ache and was fighting them all day long.I took some Advil throughout the day but couldn't get it to go away. Afterward, I ended up going to Roy's for dinner and ate a lot of food, so that helped.

I need to play well on Friday -- I think the cut will be around 1 under. It's going to be difficult, though. The wind is supposed to pick up in the afternoon and it's going to be warm, so the course is going to be firm and fast.

If there was one thing I was happy about it was my finish. I hit my approach shots to under 12 feet on each of the last three holes and birdied one of them (No. 16), so I ended strong. Friday I'm just going to have to stay patient and leave it under the hole a lot and manage myself around the course a little bit better and then hopefully can make it to the weekend.


May 8 2013

5:35 PM

Diary: Horschel, Ernst at first PLAYERS

Billy Horschel and Derek Ernst are playing in their first PLAYERS Championship this week. (Getty Images)

By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM

Editor’s note: Billy Horschel and Derek Ernst won each of the last two weeks on the PGA TOUR and are playing in their first PLAYERS Championship this week. They will file a daily diary for PGATOUR.COM, documenting their week on and off the course beginning Tuesday.

Previous entry: Tuesday

Derek Ernst: I got up around 8 a.m., ate breakfast at the hotel then came here and practiced for 90 minutes before the press conference they have for all the rookies. I feel comfortable for some reason, but all it is is talking, not brain surgery. It’s kind of fun to have people want to listen to what I have to say. Maybe I’m relaxed because it’s just another golf tournament and it’s just the name on it that’s different. It’s still just golf with a stick, a ball and a hole.

I finally texted Wayne Gretzky back today, too, and said, ‘Thanks Mr. Gretzky for everything. I appreciate it coming from a champion like you. It means a lot.’ It’s pretty cool and still blows my mind that he texted me. They’re already talking about trying to hook us up to play in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am next year.

Today, I played the back nine at TPC Sawgrass. My caddie had to try the shot at No. 17 they have them do on Wednesday every year.He hit it solid -- left and in the water. But I like the finishing holes here. They make for an anything-can-happen moment and it makes it entertaining for everyone else. I’ve never hit it in the water on 17 in the few rounds I’ve played here and knock on wood hope I won’t this week.

Tonight, I’m going to a bible study with Zach Johnson, Kevin Streelman and a few other guys. We’re having dinner at Fred Funk’s house and afterward there’s a private concert with Tenth Avenue North, which is my favorite Christian band. Tomorrow, I’m playing with Angel Cabrera and Louis Oosthuzien at 8:18 a.m.. I’ve never played with either of them but to play with Angel who was just in a playoff at the Masters is kind of cool. Since we tee off at 8:18 a.m., I’ll wake up around 6 a.m. and get breakfast here and warm up for about 55 minutes and then head to the first tee. I know I’m going to have fun whether I shoot 80 in the first round or 60.

Billy Horschel: I was up at 6 a.m. and got here an hour later, then had to do an appearance on Morning Drive for Golf Channel at 7:30 a.m., then I hit a few balls, then had a press conference since it’s my first time back after my win two weeks ago.

I’m happy I took last week off because I feel more rested. Tuesday and Wednesday are supposed to be light days, but I knew I had to do a lot of stuff with the media and I didn’t get enough practice in. I’d like to have another day to practice to be honest. I just don’t feel like I got enough in, and I’m a perfectionist.

The toughest part of this week has been saying no. It’s hard for me to say no to anybody -- whether it’s the media, or a fan for an autograph. I want to accommodate everybody but sometimes I push the boundaries and it ends up cutting into my practice time. I’m still learning how to handle that and learn how to say no.

I’m always a little nervous but this week I feel like once I get out there it’ll be just another tournament. I’m playing with Dustin Johnson and Ernie Els. I know Dustin from his days at Coastal Carolina and we’ve played together before. I’ve never played with Ernie, but we had lunch together in New Orleans, and it should be a good group. We tee off at 8:29 a.m., but it’s tough for me to go to bed early because I’m always staying up late. I’ll just go back to the house and hang out with my wife and parents, who are staying with me this week -- my house is regimented in terms of who can stay and who can’t.


1:05 PM

No home-field advantage for Horschel

By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Billy Horschel estimates that he has played about 80 rounds on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass since moving here four years ago. Not that he has any home-field advantage this week.

“The problem is that the course is completely different than when we play it,” said Horschel, who is making his first PLAYERS Championship appearance this week. “The greens aren’t tournament speeds. The rough isn’t tournament rough. It’s all a little bit different.”

A lot different, actually.

Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh have been longtime residents of the area but neither has ever won at TPC Sawgrass, and they’ve combined for just seven top 10s between them.

Fred Funk, who used to live next to the first tee on the Valley Course here, and Mark McCumber are the only residents to have won THE PLAYERS (though Jacksonville native David Duval also did).

But looking closer, there are things Horschel will rely upon this week.

“I think the advantage I get out of it is I know where you can miss on the golf course,” Horschel said. “The lines don't look as intimidating because I know there is more room.

“It's not much of an advantage. I guess it just makes it a little bit more comforting seeing that I've played it.”

No first-time participant has ever won here, either.

Horschel, however, is on a hot streak. He’s finished in the top 10 in each of last four starts, which included his first win as well as second- and third-place finishes.


May 7 2013

7:30 PM

Diary: Horschel, Ernst at first PLAYERS

Billy Horschel and Derek Ernst are playing in their first PLAYERS Championship this week. (Getty Images)

By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM

Editor’s note: Billy Horschel and Derek Ernst won each of the last two weeks on the PGA TOUR and are playing in their first PLAYERS Championship this week. They will file a daily diary for PGATOUR.COM, documenting their week on and off the course beginning Tuesday.

Derek Ernst: The only thing I know about TPC Sawgrass is from playing it on the video game, though I played a couple of rounds in March after the Puerto Rico event because I didn’t want to travel all the way to the west coast and back again. I like it. You have to be accurate and know where to hit it -- it’s a thinking man’s course.

I got here Monday night after winning the Wells Fargo Championship and decided to turn off my phone so I could enjoy the drive down. Everyone has been coming up to me on the range and congratulating me. It’s crazy. Wayne Gretzky texted me out of the blue during my practice round on Tuesday. He said, ‘Hey this is Wayne Gretzky, I watched your win and good luck with your career.’ The greatest hockey player of all time is texting me? I feel like I’m a nobody, and he’s saying good job to me. This is crazy. I haven’t texted him back yet, but I will. I don’t know what I’m going to say, though.

I played nine holes with Jason Dufner on Tuesday. I was on the first tee and he just came up and joined me. I’m kind of quiet, so we got along pretty well, but he did help me out with some pointers and tips on the course. Jeff Overton also played with us, but he took off after four holes. For how much rain there was the course isn’t soaking wet -- the greens were firm. You can tell it will be firm and fast by the weekend.

My win still hasn’t hit me yet because once I found out I was in this tournament my focused turned to preparing for here. When I have next week off it will hit me -- plus it’s my birthday so it’ll be a big celebration and a lot of fun.

Billy Horschel: It’s nice to finally be able to play in the tournament. My wife and I just bought a house down the street, too. In the past, I’d go early in the week and just hang out with some of the guys but I never went out there once the tournament started. When I look back at it, I never played that well at the Byron Nelson Championship the week after because I was always a little bummed out from having not played this week and not really practiced well.

This week is different in the sense that people recognize me more, they know who I am. I have a lot of friends and family here, too, having grown up a few hours away and having lived here since I turned pro.

I do feel prepared just because I won a couple of weeks ago, but I’m also a little underprepared because we had four days of heavy rain last week so on Wednesday I’ll practice hard with nine holes in the morning and more practice in the afternoon. There’s also a little more pressure because my friends and family will be here watching this week, even though I know it won’t matter to them if I shoot 68 or 78 because they’ll be happy regardless.

When players have come up to me this week I can tell they are truly, truly happy for me. It’s not the usual, ‘Hey, nice job.’ That’s cool. In terms of my expectations, though, I want them to be the same. That’s something I was talking with Jerry Kelly about. I don’t want to expect any more or less before I won than after I did.


April 30 2013

2:06 PM

Tips from Travis: Horschel lines it up

Billy Horschel keeps the shaft in line with his lead forearm during the initial backswing. (Cohen/Getty Images)

By Travis Fulton, Director of Instruction, PGA TOUR Academy

One of the more underrated golf swings on the PGA TOUR is Billy Horschel’s. This is the golf swing that has so many good components, from very sound body movements to an efficient use of his arms and hands. All year, Billy has treated us to not only some great swings but some solid golf, and this week at the Zurich Classic, he got that first PGA TOUR win.

One of the things that lead to great consistency and power during Horschel’s swing is how he keeps the club shaft in line with the lead forearm during the initial backswing. The initial backswing is measured from address to when the club shaft reaches parallel to the ground (halfway back). During this period of the backswing, Billy does a great job of keeping the club shaft in line with the lead forearm. This relationship is a key one that so many amateurs can learn from.

One of the most common errors during the initial backswing is this relationship quickly comes out of line. When this occurs, the lead hand goes into a bowed position allowing the hands to move away from the body and the club head to move quickly behind the hands. This very common mistake can be a major problem in the progression of golf swings because not only is the club shaft immediately off plane, but the body almost always doesn’t turn to its capability. As a result, the body, arms and hands are always trying to overcome this error on the downswing to manufacturer a descent impact position.

The benefit of keeping the club shaft in line with the lead forearm is it allows the hands to stay closer to the body and the club head to work up the plane. Often times when learning this, amateurs will feel as if the hands are “in” and the club head is more “out”. Although this can feel very different at first, it is the correct relationship and direction for so many golfers.

Once achieved, you will feel a more efficient shoulder turn during the backswing and the ability to get the club head back to the inside on the downswing. As a result, a good impact can be achieved more instinctively like Billy Horschel.

Travis Fulton is the Director of Instruction at the TOUR Academies at TPC Sawgrass and the World Golf Village. For more information on the TOUR Academy, click here.


11:53 AM

Inside the Numbers: Wells Fargo

Lucas Glover has enjoyed plenty of success at the Wells Fargo Championship. (Revere/Getty Images)

By Bill Cooney, PGATOUR.COM

It was quite a performance by Billy Horschel at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Horschel put on an incredible putting exhibition on his way to his first PGA TOUR victory, not to mention his fourth straight top-10 finish. We'll examine his statistics from Zurich as well as some tidbits in preparation for this week's Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club by going inside the numbers ...

1  Number of over-par rounds Billy Horschel has shot in his past 16 attempts. … Not only does Horschel own the longest cuts-made streak on TOUR at 23, but he’s doing it with ease. Horschel is a combined 49-under par during that stretch of four tournaments – all top-10 finishes.

 

6  Consecutive birdies for Horschel during a final-round stretch, Nos. 7 through 12 at TPC Louisiana during the Zurich Classic. … While this is tied for the longest birdie streak on TOUR this season, it is the longest birdie streak during the same round of golf. Sang-moon Bae (Northern Trust Open) and Chris Stroud (Puerto Rico Open) had six-birdie streaks over the course of different rounds. Robert Garrigus (Humana Challenge) had a five-birdie, one-eagle streak over the course of two rounds. Meanwhile, Russell Henley (Sony Open in Hawaii/Humana) had a seven-birdie streak over the course of two tournaments. You may recall Henley making five straight birdies to close his final round to win Sony. He then opened with two birdies the next week at Humana.

 

21 feet, 10 inches  Fairway proximity for Horschel at the Zurich Classic. … When Horschel hit the fairway, he hit 93.55 percent of his greens in regulation. And his proximity from the fairway ranked first for the week. Horschel’s 8-under 64 in the final round was aided by 17 greens in regulation. Amazingly, Horschel hit just six of 14 fairways in the final round. He was just that good with his irons.

 

49 of 49  That was Horschel’s conversion rate on putts inside of 5 feet at Zurich. ... There’s plenty to love about Horschel’s recent putting. He was third in strokes gained-putting at 1.768, picking up more than seven shots on the field average in putting for the week. There’s more: Horschel didn’t have a three-putt all week. Plus, he’s canned 46 putts outside of 10 feet in his past four starts. Yeah, not too shabby.

 

248  Number of consecutive holes Bob Estes has gone without a three-putt, the longest streak of the 2013 season. … It’s also an active streak with Estes not three-putting in 36 holes at the Zurich Classic, where he missed the cut. Estes’ last three-putt came on the fourth hole in Round 1 of the Shell Houston Open.

 

$2,283,973.21  Career earnings at the Wells Fargo Championship for Jim Furyk, the most by any player there. … Furyk, taking this week off, owns four top 10s in nine tries, including a win in 2006. What may surprise some people is the second-leading career money leader at Wells Fargo. Bet you wouldn’t have guessed Lucas Glover, who comes in at $2,249,340.86. Glover, the 2011 Wells Fargo champion who also has four top 10s, is coming off a T4 at Zurich where he was the 36- and 54-hole leader. Glover is scheduled to play this week.


INSIDE THE NUMBERS ARCHIVE

Week 2: Sony Open/Humana Challenge

Week 3: Humana Challenge/Farmers Insurance Open

Week 4: Farmers Insurance Open/WM Phoenix Open

Week 5: WM Phoenix Open/AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

Week 6: AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am/Northern Trust Open

Week 7: Northern Trust Open/WGC-Accenture Match Play

Week 8: WGC-Accenture Match Play/The Honda Classic

Week 9: The Honda Classic/WGC-Cadillac Championship

Week 10: WGC-Cadillac/Tampa Bay Championship

Week 11: Tampa Bay Championship/Arnold Palmer Invitational

Week 12: Arnold Palmer/Shell Houston Open

Week 13: Shell Houston/Valero Texas Open

Week 14: Valero/The Masters

Week 15: The Masters/RBC Heritage

Week 16: RBC Heritage/Zurich Classic of New Orleans


9:37 AM

On the Mark: Horschel's management

Billy Horschel remained composed with his swing and demeanor in New Orleans. (Revere/Getty Images)

By Mark Immelman, Special to PGATOUR.COM

N’awlins, The Big Easy, The Crescent City, NOLA … New Orleans has many nicknames, but it has one identity: A vibrant city with a distinctive culture of food and music. Its people are carefree and easygoing and their hospitality and the vibe of the city make New Orleans a favorite stop for the PGA TOUR and the players.

The 2013 Zurich Classic of New Orleans boasted a strong field, and the week’s competition certainly made for compelling viewing. In fact, the final nine holes of competition were riveting as some of the TOUR’S up-and-coming stars vied for the title.

After a long rain delay, young Billy Horschel surged to the top of the leaderboard with six straight birdies from holes No. 7 through No. 12. Shell Houston Open champion D.A. Points kept pace with four straight birdies of his own and, in the end, it came down to the final green. Clinging to a one-shot lead and with Points just 6 feet away from a potentially tying birdie, Horschel faced a 29-foot birdie attempt for the title. He summoned all of his nerve and drew on all of his past experiences and hit the career-defining putt. The ball disappeared into the cup, the vocal gallery went crazy and Horschel celebrated emphatically as he recorded his first win on TOUR.

In truth, Horschel has been superb since the end of March. His win on the bayou was really just the culmination of some incredible play. Since the Shell Houston Open, Horschel is an incredible 49 under and has logged finishes of T2, T3, T9 and a win. Sublime stuff from the young Florida Gator, and there are a couple of lessons we can learn from his play:

Manage your emotions: Horschel is an animated, energetic young man who wears his heart on his sleeve. In fact, that very tendency caught up with him last season in the McGladrey Classic at Sea Island. After entering the final round just one stroke out of the lead -- and in the final group -- he imploded for a final round 75. By his own admission he did not behave very well during that final round and his family and close friends “called him out” on his petulance and on-course manner. Since then he has made a conscious push to maintain his poise and emotional control and his results have shown marked improvement.

Realize this very simple point: The golf swing is a fluid and timed mechanism that requires a sequence of events to transpire correctly to allow consistently good presentation of the club to the ball. Hence, by definition, it is crucial that negative tension in the shoulders, arms and hands should be avoided at all costs as that negative tension could quite easily throw off the timing of all of these high-speed moving parts. Further, it goes without saying that angst and negative tension can certainly compromise a clear and poised mindset. I often say to my students, “I don’t mind you losing your swing, but I do mind you losing your mind.”

Employ the three-quarter iron shot: Horschel is a convicted and aggressive swinger of the club, but he took a more measured approach in the closing stretch of the Zurich Classic. He still attacked the flags that were “gettable,” but he did so with a three-quarter swing that worked like a charm. He hit many great irons, but possibly the most impressive of those was an “off-speed” 6-iron to about 4 feet on the ninth hole. You don’t always have to swing full bore, and if you are in between clubs, consider selecting a longer club and making a more controlled pass like Billy Ho did. Doing it is easier than you think ...

 

  • Select the longer club and grip down the handle a couple of inches. 
  • Narrow your stance slightly and position the ball just slightly left of center (for righties).
  • Keep your trail knee flexed as you wind up and make a wider, shorter backswing by keeping your right elbow to the right of your right hip.
  • Smoothly does it in the transition and the downswing as you sweep the sole of your club along the turf through impact (carry the image of your club making a long sweep along the ground). 
  • Rotate into a balanced follow through with the weight on your lead leg and both of your elbows in front of your body at the finish.

There are (and have been) some tremendous examples of this shot – Sam Snead, Nick Faldo, Luke Donald and now Billy Horschel. Why don’t you give it a try?

Good luck.
/mi

Mark Immelman, the brother of PGA TOUR professional Trevor Immelman, is a well-respected golf instructor and head coach of the Columbus State University (Ga.) golf team. For more information about Mark and his instruction, visit his web site, markimmelman.com or follow him on Twitter @mark_immelman or “Like” Mark Immelman Golf Instruction on Facebook. He also has a golf instruction e-book called “Consistently Straight Shots – The Simple Solution” available on iTunes/iBooks.


April 29 2013

5:36 PM

Speed round: Give us your thoughts

The video team at PGATOUR.COM put together this comprehensive look featuring most of Billy Horschel's shots during his final round en route to winning the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Sunday. Take a look at the video and give us your feedback. Do you like it? Not like it? Find it useful? Interesting? Would you like to see something like this each week?

Here's your chance to weigh in on a potential piece of content, so don't be shy! Fill out the form below and let us know what you think.


9:41 AM

Mental Game: Slow it down

Billy Horschel geared it back at times en route to his first PGA TOUR win. (Graythen/Getty Images)

By Gregg Steinberg, Special to PGATOUR.COM

On the 15th hole at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Billy Horschel was at a crossroads to victory.Both Sir Nick Faldo and Peter Kostis, the TV commentators, noticed an increase in speed in Horschel’s game.

He is already a fast player, but Horschel’s swing and thinking were getting faster and faster under the pressure of being the leader. On No. 15, he hit his drive to the right and finished on the upslope of a bunker. He proceeded to hit his next shot extraordinarily quick, and it ended to the right of the green. He chipped up and missed his putt for bogey, his first of the weekend.

Luckily for Horschel, he gained his composure with a birdie on the next hole and slowed down to his first victory on the PGA TOUR.

Billy Horschel was doing what most golfers do when anxious: speed up. This stems from our ancestors and the fight or flight response. Thousands of years ago, the fear of losing your life would release hormones in your body such as epinephrine and norepinephrine. These hormones act as stimulants and can make us run faster and jump higher, providing us with a swift getaway from predators.

In today’s world, we are not afraid of dying, but rather we have the fear of failing. This fear comes out when we want to play well under pressure, or in Horschel’s case, win his first golf PGA TOUR event.

When the pressure hits your game, you most likely will get quicker, both in your thinking and in your swing. Here is one great suggestion to remedy this problem that I got from the great Gary Player: go slow.

When Player felt the pressure, he would do everything just a tad slower. He would walk to his ball a little bit slower, and even take his practice swings a bit slower. Gary intuitively knew this would counterbalance the increase in speed from anxiety.

Next time you feel the butterflies entering the scene, slow it down one notch. This strategy is bound to increase your good play under pressure.

Dr. Gregg Steinberg is a regular guest every Tuesday on “Talk of the Tour” heard on the Sirius/XM PGA TOUR radio. He is a tenured professor of sports psychology and has been the mental game coach for many PGA TOUR players. Dr. Gregg is the author of the best selling golf psychology book, MentalRules for Golf, and you can get your autographed copy at www.drgreggsteinberg.com.