PERKS WITH BUTCH
Suzann Pettersen has been vocal about the positive results she’s seen in her game since starting to work with Butch Harmon at the beginning of the year last year and adds the exposure to some of the world’s best male players as one of the perks to playing under Harmon’s watch.
Before making the trip for the LPGA’s Asia swing, Pettersen drove down to south Florida from Orlando to get a session in with Harmon and ended up getting more than she bargained for. She got a front row seat to watching world No. 5 on the men’s side Rickie Fowler post a course-record 60 at the Floridian in Palm City.
“Rickie and I went to see Butch at the Floridian. Yani was there to see Claude,” said Pettersen. “We did some good work all of us in the morning and after lunch we decided to go play and Rickie shot an easy 60, had a putt for 59, had a couple of drinks on the back nine.”
Pettersen says she loves getting access to seeing the best male players fine tune their games and turns into a sponge to soak up any advice.
“That’s kind of what I love, as well, being with Butch,” said Pettersen. “You get a close-up of some of the best male players in the world. It’s just nice to be able to kind of talk different shots and kind of discuss how they execute certain stuff. I seem to learn a lot from it, so I really enjoy it.”
The Norwegian says after watching Fowler completely in zone, he’ll be hard to root against when the major championship season starts in a month.
“Rickie played a flawless round of golf, easiest 60 I’ve ever seen,” said Pettersen. “I think he’s going to be red-hot for the Masters. He hits it so pure and flushing it, and he hits his driver really straight. Obviously putted fantastic. It’s just fun to see how his game has come around. But he works hard at it. It doesn’t come for free, so good for him”
QUOTABLE
“Butch, he’s given me -- we’ve worked really hard in the start of the change, and now it’s more for me to go out and trust it. But for me, it’s like deliberate practice is what I need to do, don’t waste time, but when I do practice, it’s got to be really high quality. He’s a good man to keep a leash on my neck to make sure I stay right on top of it.”
-Suzann Pettersen on her approach to practice under Butch Harmon
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