During the 2021 FedEx Cup Playoffs, we watched Patrick Cantlay go on a superb golfing run, showcasing an incredible displaying of golfing skill under the toughest of circumstances. It started with his performance at the BMW Championship and then at the Tour Championship, resulting in him winning the FedEx Cup.
But what was most interesting was the way he won. First at the BMW, via an epic playoff between Bryson DeChambeau and himself, in which Cantlay did not falter at all and dominated with his putter. Then at the Tour Championship, where he overcame small bouts of trouble to win by one shot over Jon Rahm.
It has been a few weeks since Cantlay hoisted the FedEx Cup and we've all had time to reflect on it. I believe that there are a few things we can learn from Cantlay and what we saw him accomplish.
1) The Importance of Putting
Putting is what won Patrick Cantlay the FedEx Cup. Period.
It started at the BMW Championship, where he made a clutch putt after clutch putt all while going toe-to-toe against the long-hitting Bryson DeChambeau in an epic six-hole playoff. DeChambeau was able to outdo Cantlay off the tee, but once they were on the green, Cantlay dominated. It brought truth to the phrase "drive for show, putt for dough".
Learning the game today, I think there is a huge emphasis on gaining distance. Don't get me wrong, I think that's a good thing; everyone loves hitting a long drive and its a real confidence booster. But what Cantlay showed us is that an equal emphasis should be placed on putting. The ability to save par or two-putt a tricky green can have a huge effect on lowering your scores and making you a better golfer.
To be fair, putting is probably the hardest thing to practice, because you actually need to be on a golf course to develop it fully (i.e. learn how to read greens, slopes, etc.). At a driving range though, you can practice chipping, driving, approach shots, etc., and I think we can all agree that its easier to get in some range time as opposed to a round of golf. There are numerous off-course putting aids out there, however, that can help you with your stroke or weighting and these are all great things.
The bottom line is that its worth practicing putting and considering it on par to driving and shot-making, etc.
2) How To Play One Hole at a Time
Cantlay rarely made a mistake during both the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship. But when he did, he was able to recover from it and not make the situation worse. For instance, at the Tour Championship, he made 3 bogeys, but immediately followed two of those up with birdies on the next hole. His ability to completely disregard on hole from the next was quite remarkable.
The is something that I think takes quite a bit of work to accomplish, because it's not a physical skill, rather a mental one. Often times, when I finish a bad hole, my first instinct is to ponder on it and see how and where I went wrong. While this is a good thing, sometimes I dwell on certain things. I begin to question my golfing abilities and start letting this dictate what I should do on the next hole.
Cantlay showed us that being able to separate one hole from the next mentally is extremely beneficial. It's like wiping the slate clean or hitting the reset button at the start of each hole. New hole, new opportunities to score low.
On a similar note, we recently wrote an article about how not to compound errors on a golf course, in our "How to Play Smart Golf" series, that preaches the same message we heard from Cantlay.
3) Developing the Correct Mindset for Golf
In his post round interviews, Cantlay often mentioned that on the course, he tries to tune everything out and enter what he calls a trace-like mindset. This was on full display during the playoff at the BMW Championship, where Cantlay did not even realize that DeChambeau had hit his tee shot into the water, despite teeing off after him.
Adapting this for the everyday golfer requires some adjustment. Normally us golfers aren't playing with crowds of people or TV cameras watching us, but the idea is similar: have a positive mindset and keep your focus on golf. The golf course should feel like a place where you can get away to, somewhere to escape the stresses and requirements of everyday life.
It's also a great skill to develop if you do feel pressure on the golf course. For example, when paired at a golf course with a golfer who is better skilled than me, I often feel slightly pressured to perform well. Or when I'm about to hit a shot in front of the course marshal. Having the ability to completely tune out the sources creating the pressure is an immensely useful skill to have.
4) Play at Your Pace
There were many scenarios throughout the FedEx Cup Playoffs where Cantlay may have been tempted to speed up his shot process. For instance, when full of adrenaline after sinking one of his numerous clutch putts. Or when he was grouped with Bryson DeChambeau. But no matter the situation, Cantlay's speed never changed; he always assessed each shot the same way, always wiggled his feet when putting the same way, and always took time to make sure things were exactly the way he wanted them to be.
It's a matter of comfort in my opinion. Most players have a "routine" which they go through prior to taking a shot. This routine takes a certain amount of time and speeding up any of the steps in your routine can throw everything else off.
Again, this is a skill that can always be developed. For newer golfers, your routine, on the whole, may take longer than others. There's nothing wrong with that, but you'll eventually notice that as you become more confident in the various aspects of your game, your overall routine will speed up. The key to remember is to just do what you do and not change it in either way, regardless of what your speed is.
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Patrick Cantlay's playoff run was exciting to watch, in terms of entertainment, but equally interesting in terms of what us everyday golfers can learn from it. This ability to learn and be entertained at the same time is something that I think we see very little off when watching professional golf. In the end, we all want to become better golfers.
What else do you think can be learned from Cantlay? What was your favorite Cantlay moment this year? Let us know in the comments below.
-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews
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