Looks like Adam Scott and Keegan Bradley have added yet another convert to the ranks of golfers with big sticks. Since Stuart Appleby added a belly putter to his bag this week, he has needed to waggle it a mere 51 times in Thursday (25) and Friday’s (26) opening rounds of the Wyndham Championship.
The 40-year-old Australian has canned 10 birdies and one eagle, and heads into the weekend tied for second at 9-under — just three strokes back of leader Tommy Gainey. With Scott and Bradley notching impressive victories with their elongated blades in the past two weeks, the only surprise is that the champs have yet to win over more acolytes to their cause.
Appleby, for one, needed little convincing to make a change. He had missed cuts in nine of his last 13 PGA Tour events and had a DQ, a WD, and a DFL (at the Bridgestone Invitational, which fellow Aussie Scott won and where there was no cut) on his season resume as well. While he may not yet have nailed the finer points of the new mallet — “very long and very heavy,” he said — he believed it was worth a try.
“I just…remember having enough, I’ve had enough. I thought I got to get more consistent,” Appleby told reporters after firing a 6-under 64 on Thursday. “I think Adam Scott touched on the same thing, just wasn’t very consistent enough and, you know, I’m looking for that.”
The alteration was still a work in progress but getting simpler by the day.
“Trying to get the pace of my stroke, different mechanics,” he said Thursday about maneuvering the hammer on the greens. “I’m using the belly putter this week so that was a bit unusual because I’m really still trying to find my pace with the long putt and the putter itself.”
So far, so good, given the results.
“Made a couple longs putts well over 30 feet,” Appleby said after his flawless Thursday. “Made a couple nice birdies coming in. I don’t think I’ve had a round of golf this year bogey-free. I haven’t made 6 birdies in six months.”
By Friday, Appleby said he was more at ease with the new club.
“Today is pretty good. Trying to get more comfortable with it,” he said after carding a 3-under with six birdies and three bogeys. “My aim has been ordinary of late. When your aim is ordinary you screw it up. I feel like I can get some quality rolls going today. It felt pretty good. Didn’t make any bombs but rolled the ball nice and scared the hole as much as I could.”
As for the running argument about lengthy putters (love ‘em or hate ‘em; there seems to be no middle ground), you’re bound to see more professionals stuffing them in their bags if Appleby can notch a third consecutive win with the big stick.
“Seems to be a lot of long putters on the putting green,” Appleby observed.
(Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. Check her out on the Waggle Room, Boston Golf Examiner, National Golf Examiner, and GottaGoGolf websites. You may also follow Kay on Twitter @golfexaminer.)
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