The 2nd Cut Newsletter: Edition #23
Tiger is Back, Putter Launch, Ludvig Aberg has Arrived, Scottie’s Dominance and More
“The mind messes up more shots than the body.” - Tommy Bolt
📰 Edition #23 📰
Welcome back to The 2nd Cut Newsletter!
ICYMI, check out last week’s Deep Dive: The 2nd Cut: 2023 Holiday Gift Guide
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📫 In today’s Newsletter: Tiger is Back, Putter Launch, Ludvig Aberg has Arrived, Scottie’s Dominance, and more
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🐅 Tiger is Back! 🐅
The cat is returning.
Tiger Woods officially announced that he will make a return to competitive golf at the Hero World Challenge on November 30th.
No matter how you feel about Tiger Woods there is no doubt that golf is more exciting when he’s in the mix. Earlier this month, Tiger caddied for his son Charlie, carrying a bag for 54 holes. Those who were in attendance said Tiger looked much better walking than when we last saw him withdraw from the Masters in obvious pain.
Of course, walking is much different than playing PGA Tour-level golf for 18 holes four days in a row. I don’t know what to expect, but I’ll never count Tiger Woods out. Before the 2019 Masters, almost no one thought that he could win.
Regardless of how he plays, I’m glad Tiger is back.
🐦 Tweets of the Week 🐦
Ross MacLeod (@rossmacleodputt) talks about a subject most of us amateurs don’t often consider: the launch and loft of our putters.
Do you know what your launch degree is? Do you know what is optimal? Did you even know putter launch was a thing?
I certainly didn’t know any of these answers until I got fitted. My launch was more than double the optimal range at 5+ degrees. I know that probably doesn’t mean much to you, but when you feel the difference, you’ll know immediately. After adjusting my putter (and some adjustments to my putting setup) I got down to 2 degrees launch. It’s not magic, but my average putts per round and shots gained dropped considerably after adjusting.
Check out the video and tweet below from Ross explaining what launch is, why it matters, and how to get it in an optimal range:
It’s a Ross MacLeod takeover. I mentioned in last week’s Holiday Gift Guide that I’m looking to buy a putting mat for the offseason. Ross is a putting guru, and below, he mentions two putting mats that he recommends. Bonus: both are on sale. Link
Also, I want to thank T2C reader Jonathan for messaging me his putting mat recommendation: a birdie ball putting mat. I’ll definitely be digging deeper on all three of these.
📺 💻 T2C Media: Ludvig Edition 📺 💻
Ludvig Aberg has arrived. If you haven’t heard his name, take note. This guy is setting unprecedented records, all before he’s even played in a single Major.
“He plays quickly, decisively, and without emotion. His comportment mirrors his swing, possessing an elegant intensity. It is not a forced stoicism. He is placid as he plays.” - Shawn Martin
This past week, Ludvig won his first PGA Tour event in dominant fashion, winning the RSM Classic with a -29 while setting multiple records:
Another tweet from Justin Ray puts into context just how good Aberg has been in his FIRST year on tour:
If you want to see what all the hype is about, check out Luke Kerr-Dineen’s excellent breakdown video of Ludvig Aberg’s swing. It’s beautiful, simple, effortless, and ridiculously powerful. (5:23)
📅 Stat of the Week: Scottie Scheffler 📅
Check out the mind-blowing stats from this PGATour.com article:
“Scottie Scheffler put together one of the most complete, glittering ball striking seasons in PGA TOUR history in 2023. Scheffler finished with an adjusted scoring average of 68.63, the seventh-lowest in TOUR history and best by anyone not named Tiger Woods. Amazingly, Woods has each of the top-six spots on the all-time list (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2009). Scheffler made bogey or worse on just 10.73% of his holes played for the season, the first time a qualified player has been below 11% since Woods in 2002 (10.29%).” Link
These numbers are ridiculous, especially when you consider how poorly Scottie putted. Scottie hit the ball so well that he posted a 2.62 Shots Gained Tee to Green, which ranks second-best all-time only behind Tiger Woods's 2006 season.
Below are all of the categories Scottie ranked first on the tour:
The only thing more impressive than these stats is the fact that Scottie didn’t win a major, although he did finish Top 10 in three and Top 3 in two of the four majors.
I’ve said it here before, but if Scottie can return to being an average putter on tour he will be a force to be reckoned with.
⛳ Thanks for Reading ⛳
Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone!
Til next time.
