SO.....Players in the QUALIFYING ROUNDS....
<cue dramatic music crescendo and intone evil cackling laugh>
HAVE YOU SEEN YOUR OWN AVERAGE LATELY?
<BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!>
My own average is UP to a 71.xx - A full six strokes ABOVE where it was (65.xx) at 6 AM EST on June 1 before I touched either of the "Tournament Conditions" Courses.
THIS DAMAGE DOES NOT CONCERN ME.
It will surely come back into line as I adjust and learn those courses.. It is the price we pay for:
A) Tournament Conditions on St. Andrews - still a newer course particularly the Back 9;
B) Tournament conditions on an UNKNOWN Course (Oakmont)
I had a Match Play Game this morning (NOT a Challenge) with a WGT Member who said "My are you struggling? WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR AVERAGE?" I took it in stride and explained as above.
THIS RAISES AN INTERESTING QUESTION.....
Does this ACCURATELY REFLECT MY ABILITIES ON WGT? I would say that YES at the moment it does. I have recorded EVERY SCORE - and even though it includes the newer "Tournament Conditions" courses,, averaged out - it is fair.....(I had some 79-80-81 types of scores on Oakmont yesterday.)
Again - it will even out with time....BUT....does this average reflect my abilities on ANY ONE COURSE? This is one of those situations where NO - it does not.
The 71 is TOO HIGH for my abilities on KIAWAH and BETHPAGE which would rightfully each be around 66. I'll guesstimate my current abilities on St. Andrews to be about 67-68 owing to a still lack of familiarity and comfort with the BACK 9.
BUT....71 is far too low to indicate my abilities on Oakmont - which SHOULD rightfully probably be about a 75. (I did - Miracle of Miracles - hit a 70 earlier today).
The CURRENT AVERAGE that my profile shows could almost even be MISinterpreted as a sandbag....though there will be dozens (hundreds? thousands?) of us in this same situation throughout June.
SO IT IS THE SAME OLD BASIC "NUTS AND BOLTS THEORY" - DON'T CONSUME YOURSELF WITH WORRY OVER THE AVERAGE. THROUGH REPEATED PRACTICE AND PLAY IT TAKES CARE OF ITSELF.
I just thought this was one of those odd "snapshot" moments I would document and throw out there for comments.
Regards, AtlantaCoaster