Remember the old saying "drive for show and putt for dough?"
If you look at golf in the year 2005, especially out there on the Tours where the best players in the world exercise their trade, you will see that just the opposite is becoming a reality.
The new axiom should be "drive for dough, period." Take the example of Fred Funk at the Players Championship a few weeks back.
Competing against arguably the best field in any Tour event, Funk, who is one of the shortest hitters on Tour, won the tournament by keeping the ball in the fairway.
While other long-ball players struggled to advance the ball out of the rough back into the fairway, Funk kept hitting fairways and greens in regulation and he won despite numerous three putts throughout the long week of play.
Witness long-driver Tim Herron having to hit his second shot only 110 yards to the green.
Herron, whose ball was lying in eight inches of rough, had to hit his ball only 30 yards sideways to get back to the fairway so he could hit his third shot on the green.
The Players Championship is not an isolated example. It seems that putting is taking a backseat to accurate driving. The Honda Classic, Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill, and even the Masters are also examples of tournaments where the winners drove the ball in the fairways.
Tiger Woods' bogeys on the last two holes after sinking an improbable chip shot on the 16nth hole to take a two-shot lead are prime examples of the importance of putting the ball in the fairway off the tee.
Chris DiMarco would have won the tournament easily if playing against anyone else but the magical Woods.
DiMarco, remember, was probably up on top of the fairways and greens in regulation categories for Masters week.
Technology certainly has changed the way golf is played, on every level.
Golfers who choose to take advantage of the new shaft, club head, and golf ball combinations are reaping rewards.
The two-edged sword also offers a swap of distance in place of accuracy.
But advanced golf equipment technology also offers those who choose to take it an increase in accuracy over power.
To put it simply, the new drivers help to make the ball go straighter as well as farther.
It is up to each golfer to find the happy medium for their own games.
Scoring and enjoyment of the game is still the bottom line.
For most golfers, lower scores means increased enjoyment.
Although watching your golf ball fly far, straight, and out of sight is also a thrill, even if the ball does end up in the rough.
It certainly has been a great start to the season overall. It seems we have a warm, dry season coming after too many rainy seasons.
Get the most out of your game and practice and play as much as you can.
The golf season is here!
Lombardo, a PGA Professional at Dutch Hollow, is The Citizen's
golf columnist
The new axiom should be "drive for dough, period." Take the example of Fred Funk at the Players Championship a few weeks back.
Competing against arguably the best field in any Tour event, Funk, who is one of the shortest hitters on Tour, won the tournament by keeping the ball in the fairway.
While other long-ball players struggled to advance the ball out of the rough back into the fairway, Funk kept hitting fairways and greens in regulation and he won despite numerous three putts throughout the long week of play.
Witness long-driver Tim Herron having to hit his second shot only 110 yards to the green.
Herron, whose ball was lying in eight inches of rough, had to hit his ball only 30 yards sideways to get back to the fairway so he could hit his third shot on the green.
The Players Championship is not an isolated example. It seems that putting is taking a backseat to accurate driving. The Honda Classic, Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill, and even the Masters are also examples of tournaments where the winners drove the ball in the fairways.
Tiger Woods' bogeys on the last two holes after sinking an improbable chip shot on the 16nth hole to take a two-shot lead are prime examples of the importance of putting the ball in the fairway off the tee.
Chris DiMarco would have won the tournament easily if playing against anyone else but the magical Woods.
DiMarco, remember, was probably up on top of the fairways and greens in regulation categories for Masters week.
Technology certainly has changed the way golf is played, on every level.
Golfers who choose to take advantage of the new shaft, club head, and golf ball combinations are reaping rewards.
The two-edged sword also offers a swap of distance in place of accuracy.
But advanced golf equipment technology also offers those who choose to take it an increase in accuracy over power.
To put it simply, the new drivers help to make the ball go straighter as well as farther.
It is up to each golfer to find the happy medium for their own games.
Scoring and enjoyment of the game is still the bottom line.
For most golfers, lower scores means increased enjoyment.
Although watching your golf ball fly far, straight, and out of sight is also a thrill, even if the ball does end up in the rough.
It certainly has been a great start to the season overall. It seems we have a warm, dry season coming after too many rainy seasons.
Get the most out of your game and practice and play as much as you can.
The golf season is here!
Lombardo, a PGA Professional at Dutch Hollow, is The Citizen's
golf columnist
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