The Travelers Championship was golf entertainment at its best. A better script could not have been written. Hunter Mahan and Jay Williamson were fighting for a coveted first-time victory on the PGA TOUR and an invitation to the Masters. Hunter had the valuable FedExCup points to consider, while Jay was seeking to change his status from the Nationwide Tour to the PGA TOUR. Both were in the final group, which virtually changed the tournament to match play. And if the excitement wasn't enough on holes 16 through 18, we get a sudden-death playoff.

I have to admit that I was pulling for Jay for many reasons. One major reason, he was playing on a sponsor's exemption. He was the epitome of the underdog here. And, not long before his recent victory on the Nationwide Tour, he started working with my mentor and partner, Lynn Blake. So, I'm familiar with the swing changes that have been made, and I was excited for both of them. Also, I'm knocking so hard on the door to the 40s that the hinges are coming off. So, I had to pull for the seasoned veteran (the old guy).

Hunter didn't hurt his chances to win this tournament on the first day by posting a 62. And Jay posted very consistent scores of 66, 66, 67 and 66. Something that shouldn't be overlooked is the fact that Hunter and Jay finished four shots ahead of third place. So both played like champions while under tremendous pressure. The PGA TOUR uses the slogan: "These guys are good." I would, respectfully, like to offer my suggestion on an updated slogan: "These guys are super-human."

In watching the tournament to find a golf shot to discuss, my thoughts continued to return to the par-3 16th. Jay made an aggressive club selection in choosing a 7-iron, while Hunter chose an 8-iron. With Jay knocking the ball over the green into the worst possible location to get up and down, the advantage was Hunter's. His shot to the middle of the green was well played considering the difficult hole location.

The difficulty of Jay's shot from the fringe was a 19 on a scale from 1 to 10. It was nothing short of impossible. As evidenced by Hunter's first putt, the hole location was the most difficult on the entire green. Jay chose to use the putter from the fringe, and the result was one of the most brilliant shots of the tournament.

Jay had to putt the ball through an area not more than an inch wide, and the speed had to be flawless. He accomplished both. If he had chosen to hit the lob wedge, I would hope that his caddie would have tackled him and wrestled the wedge from his hands.

Poor club selection around the green is something that I constantly see in amateur golfers. But Jay chose the shot with the best percentage of success, and this is "A Lesson Learned." The rule to follow in the short game is to get the ball on the ground as soon as possible. There's less margin for error. I know it's a beautiful sight to see the ball flying high above the flag and falling like a hawk on its prey. But fight the urge. It's much more attractive to see a lower score on the card.

In your practice, I would recommend using various clubs from off of the green. The only club that I would not use would be the driver, as the raised center of gravity and lack of loft create problems.

But, hybrids, fairway metals, the irons, and the putter should be used in the various situations. Learn to be creative in your practice, and learn visualize the hole in a different location. For example, if the hole is downhill, imagine it is closer to you. If it's uphill, imagine it's farther away. I'll assure you that Jay was imagining that the hole was on top of the knoll, and it became the target or distance that he wanted to hit the ball.

Practice these things and enjoy your new abilities.

Happy G.O.L.F.ing,
Ted Fort

Ted Fort, Jr. was chosen by his peers to be the 2006 Georgia PGA Teacher of the Year. His home facility is Marietta Golf Center, in Marietta, Georgia. Fort also serves as a Senior Instructor with www.LynnBlakeGolf.com and teaches golf schools all over the country. In 2006 he was chosen to instruct a VIP clinic at the Barclays Weschester Classic, on the PGA Tour. Ted can be reached at tufpgagolf@yahoo.com.