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The missing link
By KEITH NIEBUHR, Times Staff Writer INVERNESS -- On a breezy October afternoon last year at the regional tournament in Port Orange, Robert Taylor realized he could hang with some of the state's best players, and at the same time discovered what was missing from his game. He hit the ball just as far as his opponents. His swing was just as crisp. But after shooting 79, Taylor felt as though he left more shots on the course than his competitors. "It was encouraging because I knew I could hit it with them," Taylor said. "But it really showed me the things I needed to work on." First and foremost: his short game. Taylor, a Citrus junior, finished the 2001 season with a 39 nine-hole stroke average, shot 76 in the district event, 80 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference tourney and was a Times All-Citrus/Hernando pick. But he rarely went a round without at least one or two three-putts. Taylor said his biggest problem was lag-putting. On lengthy putts, he often left himself with 6-footers -- something that catches up with even the best players. His chipping, admittedly, also needed work. "Those kids (at regionals) really didn't hit the ball better than me," Taylor said. "But they could putt. One kid got up and down and made a lot of putts. When he got around the green, it took him very few shots to get in the hole." During the offseason, Taylor spent more time chipping, putting and hitting bunker shots. He began keeping track of his number of total putts during a round. Anything at 28 or less for 18 holes was considered good. Anything at 29 or more, and he went back to the practice green for more work. "I'm trying to make sure I get close to the hole (on lag putts)," Taylor said. "And I work a lot on 5- and 6-foot putts. I used to have trouble with speed. ... My putting is the thing that's improved the most out of anything." With better putting statistics, it is not unrealistic to think Taylor could average at or near par this fall. He has a 3.4 handicap, drives the ball about 275 yards off the tee and can hit a 5-iron 190 yards. "He's got a pretty solid game all the way around," Hurricanes coach Chris Richardson said. "When you shoot 38 or under, there's really no weak part of your game." To further prepare himself for the season, Taylor played in several local and state events this summer. Although he said his play was "nothing special," he gained invaluable experience. "I played with some pretty good players, and there's stuff I can take from their games," Taylor said. "I noticed things I should improve on that they have down pretty good. I try to feed off of it and learn." Taylor hopes to play even tougher competition next summer. For now, though, he is focused on lowering his nine-hole average from last year. "I think I'm much better," Taylor said. "My confidence has gone way up. I'd like to be around par, or no more than 37. I feel like I have the talent and I have my game ready." -- Keith Niebuhr can be reached at 860-7337 or niebuhr@sptimes.com.
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