CANDIDLY SPEAKING, IT’S NO FUN SEEING all these younger guys driving it 30 yards past me. It’s almost like they’re playing a different game. That said, I’ll tell you what is fun . . . beating them! When I cap- tured the Myrtle Beach Classic on the PGA Tour in May this year at age 45, I not only proved I can still hang with the bombers, I reaffirmed that there’s more than one way to win on tour. Statistically, I’m an anomaly. Since joining the tour in 2004, I’ve cracked the top 100 in driving distance just once (in 2015-’16, at 292.6 yards). Today, I’m at 281 yards, and the tour average is 305. Only once have I finished inside the top 50 in greens-in-regulation percentage, at 48th in 2016-’17. So how have I managed to carve out 10 career wins on the PGA Tour? My longtime analytics guy, Mark Horton, describes it as “making up for the aggre- gate.” By that, he means gaining strokes on the field by capitalising at what I do best – putting the ball in play off the tee, chipping and pitching it close and mak- ing the putts you’re supposed to make. With his help, I know the smartest way for me to get around a golf course. My success is about doing the small stuff well, and if you’re consistently getting outdriven like I am, you need to do the same. I’ll show you how and also share some on-course strategies that will help you save even more strokes. The good news is, you don’t have to be the first-, second- or third-longest hitter in your fourball to win all the skins. Try these small-ball methods, and you can compete with anyone. – WITH DAVE ALLEN
SNED-ISMS FEELING THE HEAT? TRY THIS MIND-SET As the US Presidents Cup captain for the matches at Medinah Country Club (September 24-27), I’ll be experiencing a different kind of stress than I’m accustomed to. However, here’s how I deal with it on the course: When I’m in the hunt on the weekend at a tournament, I treat no shot as more important than the previous one. The more you can normalise those tense moments, the better you’ll execute.
52 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026
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