Bobby Clampett

I just watched Bobby Clampett shoot 64 in the second round of what I believe is his first Champions Tour event. This follows a 65 in the first round, and he holds a one shot lead. I find his performance quite astonishing considering his lack of competitive rounds in the last 15 years, or more. I'll be pulling for him to pull out the victory today.

Clampett was a can't miss superstar as an amateur back in the late 70's. I remember seeing him when I caddied for a friend in the U.S. Amateur in 1979. There were some big names playing that year in Cleveland, including defending champion John Cook, Mark O'Meara (who ended up beating Cook in the final), Hal Sutton (he destroyed Jay Sigel in match play, 6&5), and some others. However, Clampett was the favorite, and I believe he was medalist in stroke play that year.

He went on to win a PGA event in his second year on tour, and then his downward spiral began. He became obsessed with tinkering with his golf swing, and became a very mechanical player.

You can still see some of the remnants of that as he sets up to his shots, even his putting. He putted fabulous yesterday, so we'll see how he holds up today. He was quite emotional after his round on Saturday, so I don't really expect him to win today. However, if he does, it will be a terrific story and a well deserved victory.

Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
Your Online Golf Swing Coach