Australasian Golf

Is There Something in the Water Down Under?

What are they drinking down there?

Suddenly, from out of nowhere it seems, a brand new crop of Australian golfers have emerged to do battle on the most competitive circuit in world golf – the US PGA Tour.
Sure, Australia has produced many great golfers in the past - players of the stature of Thompson, Von Nida, Crampton and Norman.
But somehow these young guns are different. These players seem bigger, fitter, stronger and generally better equipped to do battle than their predecessors.

So, what is different?

Well, undoubtedly they have all had the benefit of a certain amount of mentoring from the great players of the past.  Greg Norman blazed the trail in more recent years and was probably responsible for a large proportion of these young Australians taking up golf in the first place.
But, there is a lot more to story than that. You have to dig deeper.
It seems the real ingredient that sets these players apart is the way they approach the sport.

Not golfers, but Athletes

This recent crop of players approach the sport not so much as golfers but as athletes.
This has largely been due to the vision of coaches  like Steve Bann, Dale Lynch and Vern McMillan - all formerly of the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) in Melbourne. The VIS program has long been recognized as a great breeding ground for young golfers.
But, it is only now that we are seeing the full fruits of this program. With no less than five Australian golfers in the top 20 in the Official World Rankings, it is no wonder that the golfing world is sitting up and taking notice.

How do they Train?

Like athletes of course? This is no hit and miss affair.
Not only do they have their traditional golf coach. But, just like elite athletes in other sports, they also have their entourage of strength and fitness trainers, sports physiologists and nutrition gurus.
They plan their year with precision and the whole program is designed to have them peak for the major events. This is evident when you see players like Scott and Appleby approach their best for a 1-2 finish at the 2007 Shell Houston Tour Event - the week prior to the US Masters.
Whether or not they can are able carry this form into the main event is always hard to predict. But, one thing is for sure.
They not only know how to get into contention - they know how to win!