GolfPlus- Dec19 Digital Edition (Dec 19) | Page 38

from 62nd or 63rd on the PGA
Tour stats to 22nd, and that
obviously makes a huge
diff erence. His scrambling
numbers have gone from a 57
percent up-and-down rate in
2014 to 62 percent this season,
which I think jumped him up 65
or 66 spots. And again, that
makes a huge diff erence. The
numbers show you that he’s
just more comfortable around
the greens and saving shots.
He’s become so much more
effi cient in his short game.”
‘What strikes me most is that success hasn’t
changed Brooks a bit. It hasn’t gone to his head’
What have you seen in
Brooks’ game and character
that has seen him go from a
Challenge Tour player to
World No.1 and multiple major
winner inside six years?
“What has struck me most
about Brooks is how little he’s
actually changed during that
period. His biggest strength,
I think, is that he doesn’t think
he has it all. He’s not a know-it-
all kind of guy. He doesn’t talk
down to me or anyone around
him and he’s always treated
everyone who works with or
for him with complete respect.
“It could be easy to let
success go to your head, but
he listens to everybody, he
takes the advice we off er and
then he processes that to come
to a decision. He’s had the
same manager, coaches, and
same caddie for the last six
years, and I think that tells you
something. We’ve all worked
for him since he was number
200 in the world. He’s still the
same guy.”
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But in terms of his game, what
have been the most
signifi cant improvements that
have seen him achieve such
success?
“It’s just been a combination of
getting better a little bit across
every aspect of his game
rather than one or two things.
Obviously, he’s worked out a
lot in the gym and he’s gotten
a lot stronger, which has
helped him with the
consistency of his swing. But
there haven’t been any major
overhauls in any part of his golf
game that have suddenly
fl icked a switch. I think he’s
improved his understanding of
his golf swing and he’s
improved his problem-solving
with it. When he hits bad shots
now, he knows how to fi x the
problem and how to fi x it fast.”
His putting stats in recent
seasons suggest signifi cant
improvement, though...
“Yeah, his putting has really
improved, both long and short.
DECEMBER
2019
His strokes gained putting stat
has improved since I started
working with him and also his
putting from inside of 10 feet.
Though when you look at this
year in the majors, he had a
chance to win the Masters – he
only lost by one – and yet he
didn’t putt particularly well all
week. The same thing
happened at The Open. He
struck the ball so well all week
at Portrush but he didn’t have
a good week on the greens.
But we all know that just
happens in golf.”
Pete Cowen spoke to us
recently and mentioned the
signifi cant improvements he’s
seen with Brooks’ short game.
“Without doubt that’s true.
I think the numbers show that
Brooks has defi nitely improved
his chipping and bunker play.
His sand save percentage has
increased from 2014 to 2019,
going from 52 percent to 58
percent. That might not sound
like a lot but I think it took him
As a former Irish boys’
champion yourself, and
someone who had ambitions
to make it on tour, is it
frustrating to watch Brooks
make it all look so easy
out there?
“No, not at all. It’s more awe-
inspiring than anything. I tried
the teaching thing. I tried
playing. I tried every other
aspect to golf that I could, but
it wasn’t to be. I really loved
the competitive side of the
game and the gamble of going
out there and playing. I loved
the fact that if you miss the
cut, you go home. That sense
of competition always
appealed to me. But I just
wasn’t good enough to make it
as a player. The truth is, I
sucked. I could see from GMac
how hard it was to make it and
I could see I didn’t have what
was needed, so I gave up and
looked at alternative options.
If you can’t play yourself,
caddying is the next best
thing. So it is nice to be in the
fortunate position to caddie
for somebody who is so good.
And I’ve enjoyed every
minute of it.”
Clearly hard work has played a
part, but how much of this is
also down to maturity?
“Yeah, I think there’s an
element of that. He’s just a
better manager of his game
now than he was, which has
come from age and experience
and is entirely understandable.
He now knows much better
when to take risks and when
to take what the golf course
gives him.”