JB Holmes - what would you have done?

shokosugi

I was quite surprised when watching the final round, after the long deliberation that when needing an eagle to tie, JB lays up instead of going for it. I realize he was in between clubs and had no confidence in his woods, but still - I know I would have gone for it. I read in an article that a 5 wood draw or a cut 3 wood, would be too much club and a 5 wood cut wouldn't get there. I guess he figured if he layed up he could still hole out from the layup position. If i figured my adrenaline was on high then maybe i could have gotten the extra yards needed to carry a the 5 wood onto the green. If i felt calm with no adrenaline charge then maybe an easy 3 wood would have been my choice. Either way, with the rewards of a victory being so great, it would have been worth the risk in my opinion - how about you? I just think these guys are good enough to squeeze a few extra yards out of a club whenever needed and/or be able to back off to 90% distance when needed - I mean I can do this occasionally and I am a hack lol.

Tinker

I think he was just stalling so the wind would go down. When he couldn’t wait any longer he laid up.

ZWExton

Eagle/Birdie v par/bogey... How much money does one stand to lose by dropping those strokes if it goes awry?

He had a child, and hasn't played in a few months. Might change one's perspective on a larger payday.

I don't think I'm in a position to question his choice. He took his time to make it, and I assume he considered the likelihood of pulling off a shot that gave him a realistic chance of eagle (very low) versus the cost of missing (very high.)

Why he hit that awful layup in the rough... That's a mystery, but I'm sure he didn't mean to do that either. Played a brilliant shot from that mess.

Golf is hard, even for the best, sometimes. Asking a guy who just shit his pants and dropped 3 strokes through the last 4 holes to hit a miracle shot is rough.

shokosugi

I hear ya and he probably was thinking what would give him the best chance to make a birdie. For me, the chance at a 1 million+ payday and 2 year exemption on tour would have been worth the risk versus losing about 80K-100K if he dropped a stroke. To me, its like risking $80K to make an additional $800K, but I am a gambler at heart lol.

backinit

The fact that his competitors had to wait over 5 minutes for him to hit that duck was B. S.!

Rickochet

backinit The fact that his competitors had to wait over 5 minutes for him to hit that duck was B. S.!

Lots of money on the line so it was J.B.'s time. They only ones who seemed pissed were the commentators. The probability of him making eagle was probably less than him getting struck by lightening and the difference for him on birdie vs. bogey was probably in the $150k range.

ode

He took his time because he's bleeping slow.

Did you see Day's shot into 18 in the playoff on day 1, downhill and sidehill lie in the rough with a 2 iron! Anyone with a sack would have went for it!

sdandrea1

Dudes can run a fucking mile faster than he took to hit that shot. He should have been penalized. Make a damn decision and play. I feel better now.

Rickochet

sdandrea1 Dudes can run a fucking mile faster than he took to hit that shot. He should have been penalized. Make a damn decision and play.

If he wasn't on the clock by the officials he was within his rights. You can spend 5 minutes looking for a ball but you can't take 5 for a major decision on the last hole? Geese, dudes chill out.

sdandrea1

Rickochet You can spend 5 minutes looking for a ball but you can't take 5 for a major decision on the last hole?

No, players should not be allowed to take 5 minutes to make a shot. He should have been penalized. That display is the kind of behavior that some of the public mimics on our courses. Slow play might kill this game one day. Can't count the number of times I've watched a 25 handicapper take over a minute to walk around, and squat down to line up a 1 foot putt and then miss. How would you feel if you were Noren - having to wait that long while trying to win the event?

GLFTPS

Rickochet If he were put on the clock, he would have 40 seconds to play the shot. He is always painfully slow but 4.1 minutes is ridiculous and unfair to the other players and the fans.

LBlack14

I read 4 minutes? Early bird special is open till 5 ffs.

LBlack14

sdandrea1 maybe you should be more picky about the company you keep. I'd watch that for exactly 1 round and I'dve said something before that.

Rickochet

sdandrea1 No, players should not be allowed to take 5 minutes to make a shot.

It was one shot on the final hole, not the entire round. Earlier in the round there were multiple groups backed up on the 14th tee. I guess they needed to be fined too.

sdandrea1

LBlack14 maybe you should be more picky about the company you keep. I'd watch that for exactly 1 round and I'dve said something before that.

Group in front of me. I try real hard to NOT play golf with posers.

sdandrea1

Rickochet I guess they needed to be fined too.

Glad we agree! 😉

Rickochet

Just a few weeks ago I think it was Sergio dicking around for probably 15 minutes trying to decide where to take a drop on one of the final holes with the stands around the hole and some rocks nearby.

sdandrea1

Rickochet

Ban him!!!

ode

4 - 5 mins for one shot, that is insanely long, just do the math for an even par round....4.8 hours for 4 mins per shot to 6 hours for 5 mins per shot. Now I know it's not that much for every shot, but it's worth noting.....a shot clock is needed and imo it would have helped JB in this situation, the longer he waited the smaller his sack became. Thank gawd he's a good golfer, could you imagine playing with him shooting 90.....😱

Rickochet

ode 4 - 5 mins for one shot, that is insanely long, just do the math for an even par round....4.8 hours for 4 mins per shot to 6 hours for 5 mins per shot.

Repeat - This was for one shot on the final hole that meant a lot of money. He did not take 5 minutes for each shot for the entire round.

I wonder how many of the commentators would have been whining if it had been Tiger taking 5 minutes instead of JB?

rsvman

ode You're doing the math all wrong. It already takes about for hours to play, when guys are taking maybe a minute to think about each shot.
So really you would have to add three minutes for each shot. On a par 70 course, that's 210 minutes added to four hours.
So now the round is 7.5 hours.

Crap or get off the pot, as they used to say.

ode

Rickochet 😉, I would not care if it were for a reportedly fast or even regular speed player, but it's JB, who's got a rep for being slow....and to add insult to injury, his punk ass laid up. Who lays up with a chance, #JBdoes

And re Tiger, none they all worship him, but he would have went for it at least, as bug of an asshat TW can be, he's got pelotas grandes!

LBlack14

ode correct me if I'm wrong, but there's more on the line than just the paycheck after that round?