Save Phil!
Phil Mickelson opened with a three-over 75 at TPC Sawgrass in the first round of The Players Championship, which puts him well outside of the cut line. It was another disappointing performance for Mickelson, who followed a sizzling 63 last Saturday with a dumpy, closing 76 at the Wells Fargo Championship.
Poetry in motion: Stockton is renowned as a flat-stick virtuoso.
Through his work with a number of PGA Tour stars, including Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan and Rory McIlroy, former Ryder Cup captain Dave Stockton has developed a reputation for providing uncomplicated and potent short game advice.
But, as he explained to the Golf Channel’s “Morning Drive”, the players most in need of tuition are often the ones least interested in receiving it.
Lee Westwood: time for a Stockton intervention
Lee Westwood probably possesses the most consistently impressive long-game in world golf, but while that’s proven enough to rack up strings of podium finishes on both sides of the Atlantic, it has yet to prove the difference on the weekend of a major championship. Enviable ball-striking, it seems, will bring the opportunity to contend, but only explosive putting will get the job done.
With that in mind, the Englishman has turned to Dave Stockton and Bob Rotella for help.
Spot the difference: gone is the Northerner's trademark grip
Few journalists do obsessive attention to detail quite like Irish Golf Desk’s Brian Keogh, and this week he’s managed to uncover an interesting story hidden in the most inconspicuous of places: Rory McIlroy’s putting routine. Though McIlroy and his new short-game coach, Dave Stockton, have been anxious to avoid talking about the technical aspects of their collaboration, it appears that the pair’s overhaul of the youngster’s brittle putting stroke has begun with an ambitious attempt to reset years of muscle memory.
McIlroy has had an eventful twelve months since his victory maiden PGA Tour victory
Though his press conferences this week haven’t given much away, Rory McIlroy appears to have set his sights on tackling the shortcomings in his game that cost him this year’s Masters. He was spotted earlier in the week working on his putting with two-time major winner and short-game virtuoso Dave Stockton.
While such a move implies an admission of weakness on McIlroy’s part, the Northerner has been anxious to sound positive ahead of his title defence:
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