We're back today to take a look at Jon Rahm's Masters winning performance and how you can add a little "Rahmbo" to your game.
Tuesday: Par 3s
Par 3s are the easiest holes on the course, right? Short, generally an iron in hand, you get to tee it up. Most players believe that they should be able to hit every par 3 green from the tee and usually two putt for par and move on to the next hole without damaging their score or round. TOUR players should absolutely destroy the par 3s right? Perfectly level lies, irons in hand, the ability to shape the ball and control the spin. Birdie fest at best, easy pars at worst - right?
In the 2023 Masters Tournament the par 3 holes were played 1,114 times by the best players in the world. Not a single hole played over 200 yards so presumably players would have irons in hand (weather obviously has a part to play in club selection) and the teeing grounds are perfect. Yet only 150 birdies were made (13.46%) over the course of the tournament. Hole four ranked as the fifth hardest hole over the 2023 Masters. With hole 16 as the exception they all played over par.
Hole | Yards | Hole Rank | Eagles | Birdies | Pars | Bogeys | Double Bogey + |
4 | 177 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 186 | 73 | 2 |
6 | 191 | 10 | 0 | 33 | 193 | 44 | 8 |
12 | 157 | 12 | 0 | 49 | 174 | 47 | 9 |
16 | 152 | 14 | 0 | 51 | 190 | 35 | 3 |
So - how did Jon Rahm fare on the par 3s for The Masters? Let's take a look...
Hole | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | +1 |
6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | Even |
12 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | -1 |
16 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | +1 |
Rahm played the 16 par 3s at a total of +1. What can we take away from this? PAR IS A GOOD SCORE ON EVERY HOLE - ESPECIALLY PAR THREES! The best player on the planet played the "easiest" holes on the course at one over par for the week and actually gained shots on the field in doing so. He understood that by accepting that par is a good score and not making boneheaded mistakes - firing at every pin, giving himself a tough chip if he missed the green, sending his Callaway swimming - he wouldn't hurt his chances at putting on the Green Jacket on Sunday afternoon.
So what does that mean for you? How can you play the par 3s more like the world #1 and Masters Champion? Here's what you do:
Know how far you carry your clubs. This will help you make better decisions on the tee
Pick conservative targets that you can make aggressive swings to
Understand that you're not going to hit every tee shot to inside 10 feet. Hitting the green is a good shot!
Practice your lag putting. Get really, really good at it.
Accept that you're going to make bogeys. Try to play the par 3s during each round at +1 or better. Your buddies aren't going to play much better than that on the short holes.
Long story short - accept that you're going to mess up the short holes more than you're going to play them perfectly. Pars are your friend, bogeys are going to happen. Don't beat yourself up over them. And when birdies happen - celebrate. You don't have to act like you've been there before - fist pump like you're Tiger Woods and rub it in your group's face.
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