Sean...Hit it Already!!

For anyone who witnessed Sean O'Hair's demise yesterday, there is a lesson to be learned for sure.  I'm talking beyond what the SwingStation System or any teaching professional (including Butch Harmon) can teach you.  I'm also talking about something other than choosing the wrong club or getting the distance wrong...even misreading a putt!!

I'm talking about O'Hair's disturbingly slow pace of play.  I watch a ton of golf on TV.  When it was his turn to play, I couldn't stand it.  Granted he is young (24); he has never been in this position in an "almost" major tournament; he had been going toe to toe with one of the world's best in Phil Mickelson; the list of excuses can go on.  Also, don't give me that "you couldn't begin to understand the pressure he was feeling" excuse.  If that's the way he is going to be every time he is in contention in a big tournament...I might hope he never contends again. 

I am aware of Sean O'Hair's troubles with his overbearing father (from Golf Digest 2005) and "overbearing" is an understatement.  I understand that if he wins The Players he gets a 10 year exemption and all that other great stuff that secures him for life. 

Believe it or not, I like him and I'm guessing he'll learn from this and not disappear.  He missed an easy putt on 16 and his short game needs work, but his tee balls, both shots on 17 and the 2nd one on 16 were good ones.  He is one of less than 130 golfers who get to keep their day job.  He's a pro.  Get the distance, feel the wind, choose a club, commit to the shot and hit it!  I'll pull for him in the future, but the second he starts over analyzing I can't promise anything.

The announcers picked up on it.  They mentioned the more time you take, the more time your body has to get tense.  Maybe his body didn't get tense and maybe even his mind didn't get tense...but I sure did.  I commend him for his "I didn't want to play for 2nd" attitude but HURRY UP NEXT TIME!