James Hahn Salvages The 2015 NoTrust-A-Lead Open

Riviera was tough. Major tough. The firm greens almost reached 13 feet on the Stimpmeter after morning mowings. The poa was turning grey. The old girl required intense precision like never before.

Granted, some of the 2015 Northern Trust Open difficulty came from contrived elements. The fairway widths were down to nothing, with a few laugh-out-loud-to the naked eye landing areas (1, 3, 5, 8, 12, 15, 17, 18), no doubt the club's desperate last attempt to compensate for not getting the U.S. Open it so wanted and won't get by presenting bacon strip fairways.

That said, the rough surrounding those fairways was entirely manageable and rarely the hack-out stuff we saw at Torrey Pines a few weeks ago. But with all sorts of elite and rising players fighting for the lead and a chance at history, the same story of late emerged: elite players unable to hold leads. Or even elite players unable to make 5 on par-5s from the fairway...with a wedge for their third shots.

There is no nice way to encapsulate the 2015 Northern Trust Open antics as anything but a mix of choking and punitive defensive golf wearing the lads down. After three days of defensive golf, names like Garcia, Goosen, Furyk, Singh, Cabrera, Spieth, etc... flirted with taking command but ultimately fell victim to the many perils of Riviera's setup. For lovers of last-car-standing golf it must have been gratifying. But knowing the history of many events at this storied event, the inability for anyone to take hold of Riviera and separate themselves will make James Hahn's win a peculiar one in L.A. Open NoTrust Open lore, salvaged by his clutch playoff birdies to edge Dustin Johnson and Paul Casey.

Mark Lamport-Stokes, writing for Reuters:

Best known for his "Gangnam Style" moves at the 2013 Phoenix Open, James Hahn announced himself to a much wider audience by winning his first PGA Tour title at the Northern Trust Open on Sunday.

Doug Ferguson of AP added an Academy Award component to his lede:

Too nervous to look, too stunned to dance, James Hahn won the Northern Trust Open for his first PGA Tour title Sunday by holing a 25-foot birdie putt on the third extra hole at Riviera.

In a wild finish off Sunset Boulevard just as the Academy Awards was getting started, Hahn wound up with the trophy against a field of far bigger names to earn his first trip to the Masters.

Jason Sobel tries to answer the inevitable question: who is James Hahn?

Hahn was the tournament’s low-budget indie answer to those blockbuster hits. He’s never won a major, isn’t romantically linked to any starlets and didn’t jump straight to the PGA Tour from college.

No, less than a decade ago, this dude was a shoe salesman.

True story.

He was 24 years old and waiting for his golf career to take off. Before it did, he took a job working in the salon shoe section at two Nordstrom’s stores – one in Walnut Creek, the other in Pleasanton.

“I sold a lot of shoes,” he says now with a smile. “I was pretty good at it.”

It won't mean much to non-Angelenos, but back nine leader Sergio Garcia hit quite possibly one of the worst drives I've seen a professional strike in some time, leaving himself 10 paces behind Dave Stockton's infamous drop-kick hit in 1974 with a tiny persimmon driver. Stockton roped a three-wood in to the green and made birdie to beat Sam Snead. (Sergio did see the plaque but as you might surmise, did not stop to read what it said.)

On 18 @TheSergioGarcia was 10 paces behind the Dave Stockton plaque. pic.twitter.com/OphvzTtJHB

— Geoff Shackelford (@GeoffShac) February 22, 2015

The video highlights...starting with Golf Central's report.

Hahn's gutsy wedge shot and birdie on the second playoff hole that reminded us these guys are good.

And the clutch winning putt from the third playoff hole.

Comments

[RLL]

Guys: I understand that money talks and that bills have to be paid. My point was that money spent on an ad strategy that alienates the customer you're trying to reach is money wasted. And that it's a win-win when a network persuades this in negotiations with the advertiser.

@PeterK: I don't think anyone was being snarky with regard to you. I know I was trying to be the opposite. I look forward to what you show AND say during the swing segments. What I don't care for is what Konica-Minolta makes you say again and again before you get to YOUR part. And I appreciate when you stop by here, as I'd bet most regulars here do. It's rare that anyone in your biz is willing to talk directly to those who consume the product.

[eucalyptus]

Typical overly sensitive media ego bruising...and I have lived with a lot of it. Guess what PK?... you put your pants on the same way as all of us, except yours are a little tighter. Not everyone agrees with you...that's not negativity, it's the way the world works. DLTDHYITA.

[duck!hooker]

i like the slow mo shots. i also like the swing analysis, and here are a few of my favorites: graham delaet, louis oosthuizen, geoff ogilvy

[John]

Oh, and another thing concerning quantification:

Game Golf and Arccos. Lots of stats from those devices that will rival Fitbit or the like.

[3foot1]

RLL, For what it's worth, when I read your original comment I too felt as if you were being critical of Peter. Surely your explanatory apology is appreciated, but I can't say that I blame PK for feeling as if he stopped by a neighbor's house for a pot-luck supper and ended up being the target of pot shots.

Peter, I hope you'll reconsider. The weakness of the Internet is the way it encourages uninformed opinion rather than informed observation. You and others in the arena can help keep things in balance. Please don't let bad money drive out the good.

[Dave]

The extraordinary number of commercials, lack of shots shown, time spent watching guys line up shots & self promotion is staggering. I wouldn't watch a telecast live if you paid my satellite bill for a month.

[Carl Peterson]

@3foot1, PK has stormed out of this pot luck previously when his feathers were ruffled.

One can debate whether the treatment he received was deserved and/or whether or not he came into the pot luck expecting (hoping) to be offended so that he could take his crockpot home in a huff (or a bit later, say in a minute and a huff, as Groucho Marx said).

[ol Harv]

Carl and others. Did you watch the coverage and if so were DJ and Hahn both short of the green on 10 in the playoff? They appeared to be long? What am I missing here or have I had a minor stroke or a bout of dementia?

[Nochance]

Carl P, Harv, eucalyptus have it right. Ego bruised...take ball and go home. That'll teach em a lesson.

[Carl Peterson]

@Harv, I tuned in for the playoff. My recollection was that DJ and Hahn's tee shots were slightly past the front of the green. (I think the video on pgatour.com confirms that but that video does not show the blimp view).

My comment (pot luck) above was meant to provide some history regarding PK and this site -- it's not really a comment about the discussion in the thread.

[RLL]

Harv -- it was the camera shots that confused the viewer. The Man in the truck called for a reverse angle at greenside that was closer but also messed with continuity from the viewer's POV. They do this sometimes on golf broadcasts and it's disorienting. Kind of like on a green when the announcers set up a putt that is to break right, and then the camera angle reverses and shows it breaking left on your tv screen. I think this is what Peter meant when he said he was there to see...

Chrikinian wouldn't have called for that shot. And he also wouldn't let one of his crew be forced to say "KonicaMinoltaBizhubSwingVisionCamera" a dozen times in the same day...

[duck!hooker]

They were just short of pin high, past the front of the green, behind the back left bunker, which they both had to clear.
Here is the aerial. http://www.nuzzocoursedesign.com/blog/riviera-10.jpg

[ol Harv]

Now I see, thanks duckhooker. Definitely a fooler on tv, but I still say driver was too much for DJ, even with the hole playing longer.

[DJ Watts]

Peter, if you're still here, would you care to explain your "analysis" of this Jordan Spieth swing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91pmkKuYZ0A

[Pro from Dover]

"say in a minute and a huff, as Groucho Marx said" +1 Groucho was simply the best. Great line Carl. It was like you have been waiting and waiting and waiting to use that line. LOL

Harv, the camera angle fooled me as well. I also thought Hahn and DJ played their approach shots back into the slope of the green from just past the front left edge of the putting green.

[Kevin part deux]

@ Chicago John - Sergio has used a shorter driver than most (with a heavier graphite shaft) for his entire tour career. So it really isn't a cause for an alarm.

@DJ Watts - you should take your swing theories over to the instruction forum at Golfwrx and not go off topic here.

I thought the broadcast was pretty good. Great that a Cal guy won. He said today on local radio that he talked to some UCLA players about statistics for playing the 10th. They gave him a good analysis. I don't think he would have received anything useful from anyone at SC.

[DJ Watts]

Kevin part deux - people who give others advice on what to post and where, might take their own advice and stow it.

[Kevin part deux]

Yeah, I imagine you have no interest in going back to Golfwrx, where you've been regularly tarred and feathered. Golfwrx's loss is Geoff's gain. Oh Lord.

[BringHimBackFromThe Dead]

Peter,
You're right. The negativity, led by the host most times will do you no good.

Unless, somehow you can be critical of Tiger, current equipment, fitness of players etc.

Glad you're doing well...

[DJ Watts]

No one with any credibility posts on WRX, which was a big mistake on my part at the urging of someone who claimed it to be a place full of knowledgeable people.

It obviously wasn't, that's why I like to comment here, and as for "tarred and feathered," how many PGA of America instructors or college players do you you count as students?

Furthermore, your comments and ad hominems prove you very worthy of WRX, so you might find yourself out of place here where intelligent discussion occurs. I have had many conversations on the swing here with people who both agree and disagree with me, but my views are the same as the Bobby Jones-to-Tom Watson style of classic swing that are to be found in Jack Nicklaus', Vijay Singh's, Bubba Watson's, Phil Mickelson's mechanics.

Peter Kostis has been very inconsistent in his analysis of swing mechanics, and the one I point out borders on the ludicrous, when he is at other times extolling the classic swing mechanics of Bubba Watson, then praising the travesty I point out.

If you don't like my comments, feel free to pass them over. If you address me, I'll remain courteous, something that escapes your ability, and disregard your insults as most of this forum treats the trolls in their presence.

Good day.

[Paul]

Geez, PK was right on one thing - the negativity and bickering on here makes one want to heave, As T Bishop would say, some of these posts are like 'grade school' antics

[Robert Durkin]

In retrospect: How good was James Hahn's putt on 14 to win The NT Open? It broke the opposite of the way it read from the opposite direction. ( "it looks like it wants to turn left, but I suspect not as much as it looks".) Only Hahn knows whether it looked right left all the way to him.

[eucalyptus]

there's a difference between negativity and bickering

Negativity: "I hate Peter Kostis"
Bickering: "I don't care for Peter Kostis and here's why"

[Kevin part deux]

I apologize, DJ for my tone and for parts of my message. But, your "loaded" question to PK was unnecessary and off topic.

Kpd