The problem with golf is the fact that there are times when even a mid-handicapper can, from nowhere, produce the kind of shot that a decent professional would not be entirely unhappy with.
It is like a drug when you are able to smash a drive down the middle of the fairway, catch a bunker shot with the perfect contact, or read a long putt flawlessly and roll it into the bottom of the cup. But the problem is those moments are too few and far between for the large majority of us who take up the game.
Nevertheless, every amateur golfer has probably held off on hitting a tee shot until the group in front is at least 300 yards away because of that one drive they hit several years ago.
Meanwhile, they have probably attempted a shot through the kind of gap Seve Ballesteros found on 18 at the 1993 European Masters when even his caddie Billy Foster thought his only option was to chip out.
Brooks Koepka on the big mistake amateurs so often make
Of course, that aggression usually leads to more trouble. But that does not stop the amateur going for the brave shot they may pull off once in 100 times.
And Brooks Koepka believes that their scores would improve considerably if they took their medicine a lot more often. Speaking to Rick Shiels after the LIV Golf influencer played the safe approach to get himself out of trouble, Koepka insisted that he is baffled by how aggressive amateurs can be in those situations.
“That’s one thing I think amateurs, play Pro-Ams or just playing with them at home and different things like that, when they get into trouble, they always think they’ve got to go for the green, the hero shot,” he said.
“I think it’s amazing when you go play with these guys, I’m like, if you literally just hit it out how you did, play it safe, take a wedge, you’re going to end making a better score nine times out of 10 than coming in, ‘you know what, I’m going to hit three wood, I’m going to try hit it on the green, or try to hit this three iron, run it up, a miraculous shot’, because look, I couldn’t have hit it on the green from where you were at.
“But I think that’s just one that ams, they don’t understand is pros, when you get into trouble, the first rule is get out.”
Why players such as Seve Ballesteros and Phil Mickelson capture fans’ imagination
The problem is that it is almost always more fun to take the aggressive approach. There is a reason Phil Mickelson was inspired by Seve Ballesteros, with the Spaniard a master of getting himself out of trouble, regardless of how unique the situation was.
And Mickelson is someone who will have inspired so many golfers during his career. He almost seemed to relish the shot in front of him when he did hit a wild tee shot.
Many will know that Koepka is right in his assessment. However, his words are not going to be what they remember when they put themselves in the trees off the left of eight the next time they are playing.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
