These Guys Are Really Working Out! Vol. 45
Thursday, March 3, 2005 at 09:20 PM The workout programs are really paying off. Phil Mickelson, one "animal
style" Double-Double away from needing a man-ssiere, almost drove the
376 yard par-4 16th during first round play at Doral. Never considered
a driveable two-shotter, Mickelson carried the ball 322 yards into the
greenside bunker. According to Tourcast, his longest tee shot of the
day was at #8: 334 yards. Must be the workout program. Oh, and don't
forget all the roll he’s getting because you know golf courses have
never played firmer or faster. (By the way, 97 players broke par on the
Blue Monster during round 1!).
Over in the lovely Middle East, Ernie Els averaged 310.5 off the
tee en route to a 66 at the Dubai event. Thanks to reader Tuco who
noticed this observation about Els on the techies discussion group of choice,
Bombsquad (reg. required): “His [Els] -6 score of 66 was accomplished
as easily as any round I've witnessed lately. He was hitting his
Titleist 905 forever, often 70 yards past his playing partner Nicholas
Fasth, who is no slouch. His [Els] drive at the 18th left him 159 yards
to the front of the green on a 540-yard hole into a 15-mph wind.”
Here’s how Els described his 381-yarder after the round: “I
hit a really good tee shot on 18 and just had a middle iron into the
green and that's always nice to hang in there with a middle iron. So I
drove it well there.” You think?