It’s been three years since Harry Higgs has possessed a 36-hole lead on the PGA Tour. Entering the weekend sharing the top spot on the leaderboard with Andrew Putnam and Cole Hammer at 12 under, the lovable Higgs will be up against it after enduring a 2021-22 season that saw him lose full-time status on the PGA Tour.

Finishing in the 125-150 category in the FedEx Cup standings, Higgs was forced to participate in the Korn Ferry Tour Playoffs where he missed three consecutive cuts. He began this season in a similar fashion before firing a 9-under 62 in the second round at the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba. At Sea Island on Friday, Higgs mounted another valiant second-round effort, and this time signed for a 7-under 63 on the Seaside Course which players will take to for the final 36 holes.

Meandering his way up the top of leaderboard by day’s end, Higgs was flawless, carding seven birdies and zero bogeys. More of the same will be needed over the course of the weekend as a congested leaderboard features not only his co-leaders but also Joel Dahmen, Beau Hossler and Sahith Theegala one stroke back at 11 under.

The leaders

T1. Andrew Putnam, Cole Hammer, Harry Higgs (-12)

Putnam is a player of particular interest based on the consistency he has been playing with throughout the fall. Collecting a paycheck in each start, the 33-year-old has now made 12 straight cuts dating back to last season. During this span, he has experienced a couple close calls with a T5 result at the St. Jude Championship and runner-up result at this season’s Zozo Championship as he looks to contend come the final nine once again this weekend.

“My driving accuracy’s been probably the best in my career this last year, so that’s really helped,” said Putnam. “The putting’s back to pretty good like it normally is, and my irons this week have been pretty sharp. Pretty much every part of my game has been pretty good right now, so it’s a fun time to play golf.”

Other contenders

T4. Beau Hossler, Joel Dahmen, Sahith Theegala (-11)

T7. Kevin Streelman, Seung-Yul Noh, David Lingmerth, Callum Tarren (-10)

T11. Alex Smalley, Ben Martin, Will Gordon, Chris Gotterup (-9)

T15. Seamus Power, Justin Suh, Patrick Rodgers, Dean Burmester (-8)

It has been a splendid fall swing for Dahmen, and in particular these last four starts. In contention heading into the latter stages of the RSM Classic, the 35-year-old arrived at Sea Island off three straight top-20 finishes including a T3 effort at the World Wide Technology Championship. He spoke after his second round on his motivation this season as it marks his first campaign without a winner’s exemption since his victory at the 2021 Corales Championship.

“You’re always anxious. Golf’s hard. Golf is very hard, and it can go sour quickly. To play with freedom for a year and a half, two and a half years really, never had that in my career,” said Dahmen. “So yeah, like teeing up in Napa was like OK, we’re back at square one. If you don’t play well, you don’t have a job. I was very aware of that, for sure. And maybe, yeah, I don’t think about it necessarily when I’m out there, but there’s been a couple extra days of practice for sure. I mean, I’ve always kind of played better when my back’s against the wall a little bit, and it’s hard to say your back’s against the wall when you’re starting out a year, but for the first time in a couple years it was different for me, for sure.”

2022 RSM Classic updated odds and picks

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

• Andrew Putnam: 5-1
• Sahith Theegala: 7-1
• Joel Dahmen: 7-1
• Beau Hossler: 12-1
• Harry Higgs: 12-1
• Cole Hammer: 14-1
• Will Gordon: 20-1
• Callum Tarren: 22-1
• Alex Smalley: 25-1
• Seamus Power: 25-1
• Kevin Streelman: 25-1
• David Lingmerth: 30-1

Putnam was my selection at the onset of the week, and it’s comforting to see him atop the odds board for the second straight day. There is still confidence in him moving forward, but if looking for another pick with a bit more juice, Power may be the man for the job at 25-1. The Irishman has been terrific this fall with a win and another podium finish to his credit. He factored over the weekend at this tournament a year ago, and there is nothing to suggest he won’t again over the next 36 holes.

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Matt Fitzpatrick leads the race to become Europe’s no.1 after carding an opening 65 at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

The 28-year-old started the opening day of the season’s finale with five consecutive birdies, making two further gains in a bogey-free round as he bids to win this event for the third time. He is joined by Ryder Cup teammate Tyrrell Hatton, on seven under par at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Hatton set the early clubhouse lead after carding eight birdies and dropping just one shot as he seeks a first win since his victory at the 2021 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

The pair sit one stroke ahead of Ryder Cup teammate Alex Noren, after the Swede fired a six under par round of 66. Spaniard Adri Arnaus is one stroke further back on five under par.

Fitzpatrick is now projected to finish at the top of the DP World Tour rankings after Rory McIlroy and Ryan Fox carded opening rounds of 71 and 73 respectively.

Fitzpatrick, who was delighted with his fast start, said: “It was a nice start to the day. I remember when I won this event in 2020 that I started with four birdies on the bounce, so get to five in a row was amazing and hope it provides some sort of omen. I think the most pleasing thing about today’s round was hitting 17 greens in regulation. I kept giving myself chances and I putted well as well.”

Hatton, who entered the tournament in 21st place in the DP World Tour points list and 29th in the world rankings, said: “Obviously it was a good day. I hit a lot of good shots and the putter was great, so I’m pretty happy with that start. Although my head’s a bit fried at the moment, as I dropped a shot at the last, which is never a good way to finish. It would be great to finish off the season on a high note, as apart from that good finish at Bay Hill, there really hasn’t been too much to get excited about to be honest. I think I’ve only missed two cuts this year, and had seven or eight top-10s, but I feel like I’ve been consistently very, very average this year.”

To check out the current leaderboard, click here. 

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Three major winners emerged as the favorites to win the DP World Tour Championship earlier this week, and one of them co-leads in Dubai after Round 1 as the DP World Tour season comes to a close. Matt Fitzpatrick, who has won two of the last six season-ending tournaments on this golf course, shot a 7-under 65 and is tied with Tyrrell Hatton after 18 holes of play.

For a while, it looked as if it might be even better than that. Fitzpatrick birdied his first five holes before cooling off and playing the next 13 in just 2 under. Still, it’s an ideal start for the reigning U.S. Open champion as he looks to cap what has been a spectacular year with a second win and, potentially, his first Harry Vardon trophy, given to the player who tops the DP World Tour’s season-long points race.

“I was laughing to be honest [about the hot start],” Fiztpatrick said. “I said to [caddie] Billy [Foster] yesterday, ‘When we won in 2020, didn’t we have four in a row?’ Then we did four in a row and we laughed about that, then I made a fifth. It was a nice start to the day.”

Hatton, too, had a nice start to his day. He birdied four of the first seven, and then four more after that before making his only bogey of the day (a six on the 18th hole). He fell into a tie with Fitzpatrick because of a mistake at the last but is still in a good spot to get what would be his first win since Abu Dhabi at the start of 2021.

“I’m surprised to hear it’s my lowest round to start with [at this event],” said Hatton. “Obviously it was a good day. Hit a lot of good shots. Putter was great. Kind of happy with that start. Although my head’s a bit fried at the moment. My mind is just raging at the last there. But it is what it is.”

Those two lead a resurgent Alex Noren by one and Adri Arnaus by two, but the bigger names and more feared players are further back. Tommy Fleetwood is 4 under; Jon Rahm is 2 under; pre-tournament favorite Rory McIlroy is 1 under; Shane Lowry is 1 over; and Viktor Hovland is 2 over. That’s a lot of ground for nearly everyone in this group to make up on two Ryder Cup-level players like Fitzpatrick and Hatton.

“I play well here,” said McIlroy. “[I was] 3 under through eight holes. I’m not — it’s not far away. It’s not as if there’s anything that I need to drastically work on. And yeah, thankfully there’s three rounds left, go out and shoot a good one tomorrow and be ready for the weekend.”

The silver lining for McIlroy is two fold. One, there’s plenty of time left to make up a lot of ground, and he’s perhaps the best ever on this golf course (although Fitzpatrick is terrific as well). Two, McIlroy only narrowly trails Fitzpatrick for the season-long points race. Even if Fitzpatrick wins, McIlroy can still win the race by finishing second in this field.

Regardless, the tone has been set by two Englishmen for this week’s tournament. Several other superstars are chasing, but running down one of Hatton and Fitzpatrick will be difficult enough. To get by two of them will be, if it happens, an extraordinary feat.

DP World Tour Championship Odds

• Matt Fitzpatrick: +230
• Tyrrell Hatton: +450
• Rory McIlroy: +750
• Alex Noren: 9-1
• Jon Rahm: 9-1
• Tommy Fleetwood: 11-1

Fitzpatrick and McIlroy have changed positions here. McIlroy was shorter than 3-1 to win coming into this week, and Fitzpatrick was 9-1 before his 65 in the first round. I’m hesitant about the players beyond Hatton because of how quality the top two are, and I’m glad to have picked Fitzpatrick at 9-1. However, if I have to take somebody outside of the top two, I’m going with Fleetwood, who is coming off a win last week in South Africa and just three back.

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Chipping is my favorite area of the game to practice. When you can get good at chipping, you can save almost any hole.

However, chipping is a real problem for a ton of golfers.

In reality, most golfers overcomplicate the chipping process, and it’s entirely unnecessary.

I gathered some of the best chipping advice around; of course, there is no perfect way to chip. Take a look at some of these options and see if any of them could change the way you approach chipping the next time you play.

Right Hand and Left Hand Only Drill (Sean Foley)

Sean Foley is a highly accomplished instructor capable of helping all levels of golfers with their short game and long game. This particular tip is one of our favorites because it talks about the importance of the body in chipping.

So many golfers make the mistake of using their hands and wrists as opposed to the rotation of their bodies. When you take one hand out of the equation and take one handed golf swings, it becomes much easier to get consistent chipping results.

You will notice that when you do the right hand only chipping, your right arm needs to stay stable and maintain its angle. The same goes for the left hand only drill. This video also demonstrates that there is no perfect way to accomplish a chip shot.

Learning various methods will help you improve your performance and become a much better player.

Don’t stick with a one handed drill for too long. It’s best to go back and forth between the one handed drills and your regular shots. In the end, both hands need to work together to hit golf shots, and you won’t want just one to dominate.

Watch The Height Of Your Lead Shoulder (Adam Bazelgette)

One of the biggest mistakes that golfers make is they tilt their body in a way that their front shoulder is pointed high. This makes it difficult for golfers to get through the golf ball; instead, they hit a chunk shot or even blade it a bit.

It’s best to have your shoulder set up a little more square to ensure that you can make the proper approach to the golf ball.

The way that Adam says it is best to do this is to set up as if you are about to hit a chip shot, then hold the club cross handed and then, with little movement in your shoulders or head, put your clubs back on the club correctly.

What this will do is keep your left shoulder a little lower and promote a more solid shot with less flipping or skulling of the chips around the green.

The great thing about this concept of lowering the lead shoulder is that it improves turf interaction and encourages several of the other mistakes in the chipping area to go away. An expert tip here, you may find that this concept even helps with the full swing.

Keep Momentum In The Swing (Clay Ballard)

Since many golfers struggle with chipping, they often freeze up and hit poor shots. The first thing that tends to go is any natural movement that they may have in their swings. Therefore it makes sense to listen to this great tip by Clay Ballard to keep momentum in the chipping stroke.

The first step here is to use something like a sand wedge and keep the club face slightly open. Then swing the club so that there is some tempo involved and it is not as rigid of a motion. If you have the ball position and swing path correct, the ball should get up in the air without any issues.

As you watch Clay Ballard hit his chip shots, he shows you that even these shorter chips need to keep this momentum through impact if you are going to make great contact with each of your chips and pitches.

There is More Than One Way To Get This Done (Tiger Woods)

When you watch videos of Tiger Woods hitting some of the best shots around the green, he always looks as though he has a different type of technique or club in his hand. That’s because he does!

Tiger never thought about a chip shot as a singular chip shot. Instead, he looked at this process as being a decision. He had to choose which golf club would make the most sense for his short game and then combine that with the proper stroke.

With most golfers carrying four wedges in their bag, your opportunities to create a variety of golf shots have expanded greatly. You can hit shots with less loft and higher backspin or shots that have a very little spin and roll from the front to the back of the green.

The concept here is that the more prepared you are for the different types of shots you need to hit, the easier it is to be successful on the course.

Weight and Hands Forward (Phil Mickelson)

Another master short game excerpt is Phil Mickelson. Phil does a tremendous job on the flop shots that he hits around the greens, but Phil has more to his game than just these flops. In fact, some of his chipping technique is considered the best in the game because of his consistency.

You can look at some players and notice that they are very methodical and by the book in their chipping. However, when you look at Phil’s short game, there is an artistic element mixed in. He is a bit of an artist around the greens, and the best way to see this is the way he can get himself out of trouble when he’s in a bad spot.

Whether it’s bunker shots, flop shots, or a standard run of the mill chip, Phil Mickelson knows how to get it done.

The two best tips that we get from Phil Mickelson is to keep your weight forward and to push your hands forward.

There is a bit of mixed advice out there about what the hands should be doing. Something that it’s best to keep them in the middle of your stance, but he feels that for more control, your hands should be pushed forward.

We like this technique quite a bit for the golfer that struggles to hit the ground on their chip shots; the forward press will help ensure that this happens for you.

Open Clubface and Use The Body (Mr.Short Game)

The Mr.Short Game videos do a great job of simplifying the importance of an open clubface. Tips in this video initially stemmed from the advice of Bob Vokey, the creator of the Vokey wedge. Certainly, the man knows a thing or two about hitting a great wedge shot.

The key here is to keep your elbows connected more toward your body if you want to ensure consistency. Essentially if you are hitting shorter chips or longer chips, you must ensure that your body stays more connected. When the club gets away from you, that’s when you see the chunk or the shank shots that you must try to avoid.

Opening the clubface also allows for the use of the bounce on the wedge. Bounce is there to be forgiving and can really help when you want to get the full loft out of your shot as well.

Don’t close the clubface down thinking that it will actually be more forgiving; it won’t be! The most forgiving shots you will hit are the ones with the more open clubface, where you take full advantage of the bounce.

I recommend working on this concept on the chipping practice green first and then bringing it out to the course. The open clubface concept takes a few swings to get used to.

Think Small (Britt Olizarowicz)

Maybe this concept or technique is easy for me because I’m short, but the one thing I’ve always told golfers who struggle with their chipping is that they must think small. You can’t expect to hit a short little shot that lands softly on the green while setting up to hit a large full-swing approach into a hole.

Think small, to hit it small.

The idea here is that your stance, setup, and swing all need to be simplified. Some of the best chips I’ve ever taken in my life are with my feet entirely next to each other. The full stance with your feet shoulder-width apart does not help when chipping.

Essentially you must ensure that you have set your brain up to adjust to this shorter distance shot. The easiest way to do this is by thinking of everything as being a miniature version of the big swing.

Small stance, small swing, choke up on the grip to make the club smaller, and see how this works for your short game. It has always worked for me.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children.

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A 3-iron is my favorite golf club in the bag because it is a utility iron. That means I can use it in multiple scenarios.

That is not a statement you hear amateur golfers make. That is because they struggle to consistently launch the stronger lofted and longer shafted iron. In this article, I am sharing the tips from 10 Pro Golfers on how to hit a 3 iron.

This iron has fallen out of favor so much that manufacturers do not include them in most game improvement iron sets. It is a pity because a 3-iron produces low spin and launch, for optimal yardage.

There are several reasons why you may struggle to hit a 3-iron. These include excessively stiff or heavy shafts, an imbalance rhythm, or positioning the ball too far forward in your stance. Instead of dwelling on the problem, let’s see how the Pro’s suggest you solve it.

Tip #1: Shoulder Width Stance – Dave Myers Tour Academy TPC Sawgrass

PGA Tour Academy coach Dave Myers recommends setting up with your feet shoulder-width apart. This position maximizes your stability to help you optimize rotation and coil during your golf swing.

He further advises that you keep your head still during the swing. If you position the ball correctly and strike it cleanly, you enjoy superior control at the low point of the swing. Inducing clean contact.

Tip #2: Center Ball Position – Dave Myers

Myers finds the biggest mistake an average golfer makes with long irons is their ball position. The marginally longer shaft causes many amateurs to position the ball too forward in their stance.

Myers says he often sees the ball placed parallel to the front heel of a player. That gives you no chance of catching the ball cleanly off the clubface. When the ball is excessively forward, you will likely strike it low off the face leading to a low launch, loss of carry distance, and stinging hands.

He recommends setting up with the ball in the middle of your stance as if you were swinging a 6-iron or 8-iron. If you feel that is too far back, move it towards your front foot by no more than two balls.

Tip #3: Back Ball Position For A Low Shot – Billy Horschel

Billy Horschel was among the top ten best PGA Tour Players in 2021 and knows how to strike a long iron. The advice he shares pertains to your ball flight.

To hit a low launching 3-iron that gathers forward momentum and releases upon landing, position the ball further back in your stance than usual. Billy recommends placing your golf ball, a ball, and a half back.

Placing the ball back in his stance causes the clubface to catch the ball with less loft than usual, generating a low flying shot.

Horschel finds that this shot offers the most value off the tee when you need the ball to run on the fairway.

Tip #4: Forward Ball Position For High Shots – Billy Horschel

Billy also explains how you can increase your ball flight when striking a 3-iron. For starters, he says the golf ball should be placed half-a-ball to a ball forward from your usual setup.

Next, he advises that you get your hands to finish as high as possible on your follow-through. Striking the ball just before commencing your upswing enables you to weaken the loft of the face and produce high-flying shots.

This shot is ideal for playing long par 3s when you need to send the ball long and get it to land it quickly.

Horschel cautions that the average golfer may struggle with this shot if you position the ball excessively forward.

Tip #5: Ball Position – John Parry

European Tour Professional John Parry recommends placing the ball slightly forward of center in your stance to consistently launch a 3-iron. He says if you intend on hitting a consistent fade with the 3-iron, you will want to open your face at impact to generate left to right sidespin to encourage the cut.

Sean Foley knows how to develop champions. Lydia Ko, Justin Rose, and Hunter Mahan are a few of the golfers he has guided to success. Foley recommends opening your back foot slightly so that your toes are pointed in the opposite direction of your target.

This position helps you maximize your rotation and build up immense energy at the top of your iron swing. Then transition your weight to your leading leg and shift the energy from the clubface to your ball. That results in a powerful launch and optimal distance.

 

Tip #7: Take It Back Low – Geoff Ogilvy

Ogilvy suggests that the secret to striking consistent 3-iron shots is to keep the club low on takeaway. He takes the club back low and slow for the first couple of feet, with the shaft aiming along your target line and the toe of the club halfway to the top of your swing.

Getting into this position enables you to produce a sweeping motion that catches the ball cleanly and lifts it off the ground.

Tip #8: Right Arm Straight On Takeaway – Annika Sorenstam

The number one all-time earner on the LPGA Career Money List suggests keeping your right arm relatively straight on takeaway. Sorenstam says that the straight arm encourages her to rotate her upper body and not lift the arms.

When she gets to the top of her backswing, she pushes off her right foot and shifts the weight to the left. When the weight is on her left, she clears her hips to allow the arms to drop the clubhead into place at impact.

Tip #9: Shorten Your Swing – Dave Myers

Sticking with the advice of Dave Myers, we turn to your swing. Often, when we swing our long irons, we take the clubhead back excessively to accelerate our clubhead speed. We fear that the ball will not get airborne, so we wind up, ready to accelerate on the downswing.

I know this feeling well and have been guilty of it. The truth is, the further back you take the club, the higher the possibility that it could veer off the path and wreak havoc to your long iron shot. The compact profile of these irons provides minimal forgiveness, which is why you need to get the face square at impact and strike it in the sweet spot.

Myers’ advice is to produce a compact backswing to produce consistent contact with the ball and optimize your rotation. The shorter your backswing is, the more it forces you to rely on coiling to maximize energy transition from the clubface to the ball at impact.

Tip #10: Sweeping Swing – Tom Watson

Adding to Geoff Ogilvy’s advice on a sweeping swing is Tour Champions legend, Tom Watson.

He says that you should position your ball slightly forward of center in your stance to sweep the ball into the air on the up.

To achieve this, Watson recommends employing a shallow swing arc. He also suggests employing this long iron drill on the range without a ball. Place a marker where your ball would be, and practice hitting the marker consistently to get used to the motion.

Tip #11: Pretend It Is A 7-Iron – Greg Norman

Greg “The Shark” Norman says the best advice for an amateur hitting a 3-iron is to picture it like a 7-iron. Then he says that you should envision that you are only a 7-iron from your target and make a smooth, easy swing. A smooth, controlled tempo will allow the rotation of your body to generate the power for a long iron shot.

Tip #12: Control The Attack Angle – Chris Ryan, Director Of Coaching At HIT Golf Academy

Chris Ryan finds that one of the main reasons amateurs struggle to launch long irons is because of their attack angle. He says that often students will set up to play a lofted club, the same way they would their short irons, leading to a steep angle of attack.

In the video, Chris uses a 2-iron, but the principle is practically the same as you would employ with your 3-iron.

Ryan recommends that you position the ball marginally towards your front foot, adding just over half of your weight to your lead leg. He says that setup prompts you to catch the ball on a descending angle, resulting in optimal compression, launch, and distance.

Tip #13: The Stinger – Tiger Woods

Before I relay Tiger’s advice on the stinger, I must say this shot is difficult to pull off. Therefore, I only recommend trying it in certain situations. However, if you know how to hit a 3 iron stinger, it can boost your game in windy conditions.

I learned to play the stinger while living in Cape Town for 10-years. I did not play one round where there was no wind. As a result, the stinger kept me in the game.

For starters, you need to place your golf ball, one ball back in your stance, to help strike it with precision.

Woods explains that this shot is all about the braking mechanism, post-impact to lower your flight. He achieves this by softening his arms and speeding up his hips to help stop his hands as soon as possible after impact. Ultimately, he brings his hands to a halt around shoulder height.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

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SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda (AP) — Seamus Power knows the wind and Port Royal well enough to realize he’d better do his scoring early. He did just that Saturday, added a few birdies late and had another 6-under 65 to share the lead with Ben Griffin in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

Power holed a 30-foot birdie putt on the daunting par-3 16th and made a 12-foot birdie on the par-5 17th to atone for his lone mistake, a double bogey on the par-3 13th.

Griffin followed the same script in a strong wind with three birdies to open his round. He kept his approach under the wind on the 18th to 5 feet for birdie and a 66.

They were at 18-under 195, two shots clear of Kevin Yu (67) and Aaron Baddeley (68).

Power at No. 48 is the highest-ranked player at Port Royal.

The 35-year-old Irishman is no stranger to windy conditions and has played the Bermuda Championship the last few years.

“I knew I had to get birdies before 11,” Power said.

He made four in a row early and was 6 under for the day until a missed green and bad chips led to a double bogey on the 13th.

“One mistake. The wind drifted it a crazy amount,” Power said. “But I was able to hang in there and it puts me in a good spot going to tomorrow.”

The 16th is the toughest tee because the green is just right of the ocean and the wind was ripping from left to right.

“I don’t know how comfortable you get when you get to 16 and you’re having to aim your ball in the ocean,” Power said with a laugh. The shot finished pin-high on the right side of the green to a left flag, and the putt crept in the low side of the hole.

Power has one PGA Tour victory, the Barbasol Championship in Kentucky last year. He would love nothing more than a win for a strong early start to the PGA Tour and to assure his spot in the Masters.

For Griffin, even more as at stake.

He gave up on the game a few years ago and was working as a loan mortgage officer when he was inspired playing in a member-guest, and the members put up money for him to Monday qualify into a Korn Ferry Tour event.

That was the start of baby steps — making it through Korn Ferry Tour qualifying, and then last year earning his full card onto the PGA Tour.

A victory Sunday comes with a two-year exemption.

“It’s been surreal really the last year and two months of just being comfortable on the golf course and just going out and trying to win,” Griffin said. “When you’re playing mini-tour events and you’re trying to grind for top 10 just to break even, just have enough money to maybe do a Monday qualifier, it’s not necessarily the easiest in terms.

“Now that I have this little bit of freedom, I can go out there and just try to win golf tournaments.”

Ben Crane, whose last win was in 2014, started the third round with a one-shot lead and stumbled down the closing stretch with four bogeys in a five-hole stretch before he birdied the last hole for a 73. He fell six shots behind.

Copyright 2022 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

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You know your way around the golf course and have improved your golf swing mechanics. Now your mission is to shave strokes off your handicap. This is achieved by carding fewer bogeys and making more birdies.

In this guide, I relay the information shared by 8 experts on how to make more birdies. You don’t need to follow each tip religiously. The idea is to extract the information that makes the most sense to your game and run with it. A large part of increasing your birdie count is improving your putting and chipping.

I will touch on some of these tips below. However, if you prefer to jump straight into a detailed rundown, read our guide of the 8 best putting drills to make more birdies.

Tip 1 – Routine Is Vital (Jordan Spieth)

If you are to card more birdies, you need consistency in your game. One erratic shot can ruin your ability to make one under par on a hole. The best way to produce a consistent swing is to develop a pre-shot routine.

Jordan Spieth says this is vital to start your swing on the correct path and execute your shots as intended.

A pre-shot routine helps you in two predominant forms. Firstly, it ensures that you are comfortable at address. Secondly, it enables you to double-check that your clubhead is set up to strike the ball at the intended point of the swing.

For example, a driver needs to strike the ball on the up for a tee shot. Conversely, an iron should connect the ball at the low point of your swing to optimize compression. Following this procedure gets you into a rhythm and helps you focus and achieve consistent results.

Tip 2 – Position Is Key (Matt Callcott-Stevens)

This is the best piece of advice I can give amateur golfers. The position is everything. You may scramble your heart out and get lucky with a birdie on a par 5 on the odd occasion. However, a wayward drive puts many of us out of birdie contention.

My fairway in regulation record directly correlates to my birdies per round. The fewer fairways I hit, the fewer greens in regulation I achieve, which reduces my chances of making a birdie. Conversely, the more fairways I hit, the better my green in regulation record is on my second shot on par 4s.

Let me use the example of a left-hand dogleg. You need to drive the ball to the right side of the fairway to open up the green for your next shot. Even if you are short, it is better to be on this side than long and left.

As a result, I enjoy a higher ratio of birdie putts, and it is only a matter of time before one or two find their way to the bottom of the cup.

Play for position, and keep away from the hazards. The golfing gods reward this astute strategy. However, your putting stroke needs to fire to capitalize on your positional play. The lack of yardage from this strategy requires

Tip 3 – Aim For The Middle Of The Green On Long Shots (Anne Cain)

I follow golf coach Anne Cain’s advice and aim for the green and not the flag. The diameter of the cup is 4.25-inches, while the average putting surface on the PGA Tour is 6,600-square feet. Naturally, aiming for the middle of the green leaves golfers more room for error than going for the pin.

In addition, attacking the flag requires pinpoint accuracy, and a mishit could land you in the bunker or the drink. At least when your approach shot ends on the green, you give yourself a look at birdie. However, if your putting stroke is garbage, you always run the risk of a 3-putt bogey.

Therefore, it is imperative to optimize your practice sessions and dedicate the time to your short game. In particular, hone your skills with the putter and watch those strokes drop off your handicap.

Now, when you play short par 3s, which are 120 to 130-yards, you may as well have a crack at an ace. As long as there is minimal danger surrounding the dancefloor.

Tip 4 – Attack The Flag On Short Shots (Clay Ballard)

Golf coach Clay Ballard agrees with Anne Cain that you should aim for the middle of the green on longer par 3s. However, Ballard believes that safety is not always the best approach. He feels many amateurs leave birdies on the table by not capitalizing on shorter holes:

Ballard suggests that all golfers attack the pin on shorter par 3s to give themselves a look at birdie. The chances are that a mishit will still leave you in the proximity of the cup to attempt your putt for birdie.

The same structure applies for par 5s and 4s, where you can swing one of your wedges. A short approach into the green gives you the right to have a crack at glory. You did well to put yourself into a promising position, and now you deserve to go for the flagstick.

On the contrary, the average golfer should not attack the flag when swinging anything longer than a mid-iron. Under those circumstances, you are too far out to have a realistic shot of sticking it close. Your best option is to employ tip 3 and aim for the center of the green.

Tip 5 – Dial-In Your Short Game (Patrick Reed)

Paddy has not done himself any favors with his outlandish rule interpretations over the years, but you cannot ignore his talents. Reed says that the best way to make more birdies is to master your short game.

You will enjoy a lower average score if you can control the distance of your wedge shots and confidently stroke every putt.

A killer wedge game helps you stick your wedge shots close to the pin, leaving you with a makeable birdie putt. That is especially relevant to your approach shot on par 5s. In addition, a solid putting stroke increases your one-putt percentage, helping your card more birdies.

Tip 6 – Fewer Distractions (Tiger Woods)

At the height of the COVID pandemic, Tiger remarked that players were making more birdies because of fewer distractions. The distractions he referred to was the pressure brought on by cheering fans.

Woods felt that golfers could get into and stay in the zone throughout the round. Although cheering fans offer an adrenaline rush like no other, it can break a player’s focus.

We average golfers don’t need to worry about cheering fans. However, we have other distractions. One issue is that some amateurs struggle to detach from their mobile devices during a round. Instead of focusing on the task at hand, many are distracted by messaging apps and social media platforms.

If you lack self-restraint, turn off the device and bury it deep in your bag. Limit any exterior distractions to maintain your focus.

Tip 7 – Study The Green (Jordan Spieth)

You need to know how to putt if you are to make more birdies. Besides your ability to stroke a putter, you need to possess the knowledge of turf. You cannot rely on your chipping in or holing out from the fairway.

Jordan urges golfers not to overthink their putting stroke and instead focus their attention on the speed and break of the putt. Focus on the point that the green breaks and takes the ball towards the cup. Ensure that alignment aid on your putter points at your chosen target.

When you are putting with the Bermuda grass grain, it produces less break and a faster roll. Conversely, putting against the grain slows the ball down and increases the break. Bentgrass greens grow upright and tend to impact the break of your ball.

It takes time and a lot of practice to master the read of a green. However, this enables you to confidently stroke your putts and increases your ability to make more birdies.

Tip 8 – Learn To Shape Your Shots (Hunter Mahan)

Hunter Mahan is a 6 time PGA Tour winner and knows a thing or two about making birdies. His tip is to learn to shape your shots. This gives you the upper hand in two scenarios:

Firstly, it allows you to work the ball towards the hole and eliminate the risk of water hazards and sand traps. This also enables you to induce side spin that propels the ball in the intended direction upon landing.

The second advantage is that it gives you options to reach the green and position yourself to make a birdie. If your drive ends behind a tree, you can draw or fade it around the greenery and still give yourself a chance. Without the ability to work your ball, your options would be limited.

I recommend reading our guide on 7 types of golf shots to play. This knowledge will help you escape trouble and improve your control.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

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Thomas Detry signed for a second consecutive 5-under 67 to earn a share of the lead of the 2022 Sanderson Farms Championship heading into the weekend. A PGA Tour rookie in name only, Detry sits at 10 under alongside Mackenzie Hughes who fired a 9-under 63 on Friday to push his name back into contention.

Securing some status on the PGA Tour late last summer courtesy of a T4 finish at the Boise Open in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, Detry has been in the midst of quality golf for quite some time. His success in Idaho was on the heels of a top-10 finish at the Scottish Open and followed by a top-five result at the DP World Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship.

Since taking his talents to the PGA Tour, Detry has kicked off his rookie season without a hitch in spite of his extensive travel schedule. The 29-year-old impressed at the Fortinet Championship with a T12 result and looks well on his way to improving on his efforts in Napa.

Playing in Europe the past six seasons, Detry is inexplicably without a professional victory since his Challenge Tour days in 2016. Experiencing a number of close calls, perhaps the change of scenery, location and tour will allow him to finally enter the winner’s circle. 

Hoping this is not the case are a number of his chasers including his co-leader Hughes. Reigning Honda Classic champion Sepp Straka also appears to be up for the challenge as he arrived in Jackson, Mississippi, fresh off a scorching hot FedEx Cup Playoffs. The Austrian is alone in third and a couple strokes ahead of hometown hero Davis Riley who grabbed a share of the first-round lead and now stands at 7 under after a so-so second round.

The leaders

1. Thomas Detry and Mackenzie Hughes (-10):

More than 150 starts removed from his lone victory on the PGA Tour, Hughes is positioned perfectly at the halfway point to end this winless drought. The Canadian experienced a middling 2021-22 season that featured only three top-10 finishes, and after missing out on the Presidents Cup in his own neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina, the motivation to play well has never been higher with sights on the 2024 competition in his home country.

“Yeah, I watched [the Presidents Cup]. I had some family in town that week, so we didn’t make it out, but I watched and was keeping tabs on the boys and pulling like heck for them to pull it out,” Hughes said. “It was motivating for sure. I wanted to be there really badly, and it was something I had kind of marked on my calendar for the last year and a half. Once I knew it was coming to Charlotte, that was — I wanted to be on that team. It hurt, but that’s the way it goes in this game sometimes. I’ll work hard to be on that team in two years in Montreal.”

Other contenders

3. Sepp Straka (-9)

T4. Mark Hubbard, Garrick Higgo, Scott Stallings (-8)

T7. Davis Riley, Nick Hardy, Stephan Jaeger (-7)

Mississippi’s Riley is still in this tournament after 36 holes. After commanding a share of the first-round lead with a 6-under 66, Riley stalled on Friday with a 1-under 71. Describing this week as “one of the worst driving weeks I’ve had so far in a long time,” the local kid has gotten the job done in spite of the big stick. More than capable of wielding this club effectively, if able to right the wrongs from the first two days over the weekend, Riley will have a real chance to nab his first victory on the PGA Tour in his own backyard.

“It would mean the world to have a chance to win this golf tournament,” Riley said. “But like I was saying (Thursday), there’s a lot of work to be done. Yeah, the game is in a good spot. I didn’t score and do things quite as well as I did (Thursday), but I’m still doing a lot of things good. I just need to take a tweak or two here or there and get ready to go again (Saturday).”

Grillo early contender for reaction of the season

Only six rounds into the 2022-23, Emiliano Grillo may already have the best reaction to any shot this season. Channeling his inner Hideki Matsuyama or even Mark Hubbard at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, the Argentinian was disgusted with his tee shot on the par-3 13th. 

In lieu of the casual club drop, Grillo went a step further and flung his club into the high grass only for his ball to settle 11 feet from the pin. While his birdie effort ultimately slid by, Grillo signed for a bogey-free 7-under 65 and sits four strokes off the lead.

Is it too early to look ahead to the 2023 Ryder Cup?

My CBS Sports colleague Kyle Porter pegged first-round leader Riley as a potential future Ryder Cup participant and I can’t help but look ahead to Rome next fall. Instead of discussing the U.S. side, it is the backend of the European Team which I find extremely intriguing and could make or break its efforts to recapture the cup.

Both Detry and Straka should have a realistic opportunity to garner a selection from Captain Luke Donald if they continue to play in this manner for the foreseeable future. While hardly on the minds of the Europeans as they head into the weekend in Jackson with a chance to win, I am sure somewhere Donald is taking notes.

2022 Sanderson Farms Championship updated odds and picks

• Thomas Detry: 9/2
• Mackenzie Hughes: 7-1
• Sepp Straka: 7-1
• Scott Stallings: 17/2
• Davis Riley: 12-1
• Mark Hubbard: 16-1
• Sam Burns: 18-1
• Nick Hardy: 22-1
• Garrick Higgo: 22-1
• Emiliano Grillo: 28-1
• Stephan Jaeger: 28-1

The easy pick is Burns who sits at 5 under and only five strokes back despite losing more than two strokes on the greens through the first two rounds. Ranking second in strokes gained tee-to-green, conventional wisdom suggests a putter like Burns should be able to figure things out moving forward. 

Personally, I love Straka ‘s chances to raise his second trophy in less than a year, but the number is a smidge short for my taste. If not interested in either Straka or Burns, rookie Taylor Montgomery (-4) at 60-1 is a worthwhile option.

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The PGA Tour returns following a terrific Presidents Cup with a fun Sanderson Farms Championship to kick-start the rest of the last fall as we know it for the foreseeable future. The tournament in Jackson, Mississippi, has become a fun fall staple — the type of throwback PGA Tour event that doesn’t really define the Tour anymore but provides a great launching pad for young talent and a nice landing spot for old stalwarts.

Sam Burns, fresh off his first Team USA event, rolled in as the defending champion and he played nicely on the first day at the Country Club of Jackson. However, he still trails the leaders — and there are a lot of them — after 18 holes.

Let’s take a look at his round as well as who else is in the hunt this week.

The leaders

T1. Davis Riley, Will Gordon (-6)

Riley is somebody who has been talked about as a potential future Presidents Cup or even Ryder Cup participant, and perhaps this is the beginning of that march toward Rome next year. That sounds ridiculous given the depth the U.S. has, but Riley is a terrific talent, and we often see 3-5 players drop off year over year on these U.S. teams. 

“I feel like I played really solid,” Riley said. “I feel like it was hard to get really, really close to a lot of pins just because the greens were rolling out, the wind up there. It’s hard to have a ton of opportunities, but yeah, I felt like I had a really solid day. The way I was playing, I feel like if I just kept going on, I would be pretty close to up there. To keep it stress-free was really nice.”

One thing to keep an eye on is that though Riley hit it well, he also rode a really hot putter in Round 1 (5th in the field) to that 6-under score. He has the tee-to-green chops to back it up, but it’s worth considering as we roll into the next three rounds.

Other contenders

T3. Andrew Putnam, Brandon Matthews, Kevin Yu, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Mark Hubbard, Thomas Detry, Trevor Cone (-5)

T10. Nick Taylor, Kevin Roy, Russell Knox, S.H. Kim (-4)

Keep an eye on Matthews. He got married on Saturday and joked that his wife always dreamed of honeymooning in Jackson. He’s one of the longest good players in the world off the tee, and he gained nearly three strokes from tee to green Thursday. Matthews winning this week would be a great feel good story.

“I consider myself one of the luckiest guys in the world to be able to do this for a living because I love it so much,” Matthews said. “To have fun over the next three days, not put a ton of pressure on myself and just go out and enjoy it.”

Burns returns

A three-time winner a year ago, Burns is easily the class of this field, and he played well enough with a 2-under 70 on Thursday to stay in the top three of the betting odds (see below). The good news for Burns a week after he hit a bevy of long putts to help the U.S. to its win at Quail Hollow is that he didn’t putt well at all and has a lot of room for improvement (and perhaps a second straight win here) over the next three days. 

“This tournament means a lot to me, like you said,” Burns said. “It’s close to home, and I enjoy coming back here. I look forward to seeing a lot of familiar faces this week. I’ve gotten to know a lot of the Sanderson Farms family really well, and it’s been great coming back here. I’m excited for the next few days.”

2022 Sanderson Farms Championship updated odds and picks

• Davis Riley: 11/2
• Will Gordon: 10-1
• Christiaan Bezuidenhout: 11-1
• Thomas Detry: 12-1
• Sam Burns: 14-1
• Andrew Putnam: 18-1

Riley is compelling as a winner but not necessarily at this number. Bezuidenhout, on the other hand, is an interesting pick given that he’s coming off a successful Presidents Cup and led this field from tee to green Thursday. Burns, too, is a nice number, given his firepower and how poorly he putted (105th in the field) on Thursday. Those are the two guys that I would be on ahead of Riley.

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