The putt that Joe Highsmith detests the most was the biggest putt of his week.
Highsmith stood over the 5-foot comebacker, a smooth right-to-left breaker on a baked-out, rough green, knowing it was a must-make but one he consistently misses, after he had just uncomfortably ran his birdie attempt over the pin at the 18th hole. Despite stopping, wiping, and blasting them , Highsmith still manages to create them.
“It was the worst putt you could possibly hope to find.” Highsmith said.
Additionally, the eventual champion at the Cognisant Classic in The Palm Beaches did not make this putt on Sunday , he made it on Friday. Making the cut on Friday was crucial since the weekend was at stake.
Highsmith’s 4th missed cut in 6 starts would have resulted in his dismissal if he had missed that par effort. Highsmith instead secured a spot for the next morning by fist pumping and hammering the putt into the back of the hole. He then surprised everyone by winning his first PGA TOUR-sanctioned tournament at PGA National by 2 strokes against J.J. Spaun and Jacob Bridgeman with a score of 64-64.
Knowing that I had wished the final putt, I didn’t want to leave.
The last two rounds were a combination of a crazy weekend with the putter and a resurgence of mental clarity. The outcome was an unlikely victory.
Since Brandt Snedeker at the 2016 Farmers Insurance Open, Highsmith is the only player to cut the number and win the tournament. In the past 15 years, this is the third time it has been done.
“A victory was the last thing I anticipated when the day began.” Highsmith said.
If Highsmith didn’t think he would win at the beginning of his 3rd round, it must have seemed absolutely absurd. This weekend proved the old saying that anything can happen during the weekend is accurate, although it’s stated far more often than it’s done. And as he warmed up on Saturday, Highsmith was anything but that. “I walked to the first tee hoping to keep my game from spiralling at PGA National” he remarked , after hitting it “horribly” in his pre-round range workout which can trip up the best of them even with easier conditions this year.
However, Highsmith has been attempting to detach his golf swing from his golf brain for the past few months. Highsmith has re-emphasized mental clarity while working with Michael Beard, his Pepperdine college coach. Beard wants Highsmith to ensure that the thinking is sound even if his swing isn’t. That would free him up to make the greatest shot possible if he committed to every shot, no matter how the swing felt.
“There is nothing stopping the momentum; it’s a feeling of completeness. Undoubtedly. It’s simply complete freedom of the ball.” Beard said.
Highsmith might have been doomed after that awful range session a few weeks back. Highsmith was able to make his way through it by prioritising mental clarity. Highsmith birdied the 3rd hole to move into red digits for the day after telling his caddie Joe LaCava IV that he wasn’t feeling well in Round 3. With excellent putting, he shot 7-under 64, the day’s round, with 5 additional birdies and an eagle over the final 15 holes. In the third round, Highsmith gained about three and a half shots on the greens and made 135 feet of putts.
“I putted as well as I’ve ever done, and then some.” Highsmith said after Saturday’s round.
The 2nd-year pro had another stellar day on Sunday, despite the fact that putting is frequently unsustainable on a daily basis, particularly on an outlier day like Highsmith explained. He shot another 7-under 64, gaining 3 more strokes on the green. In the last round, he made every putt within 15 feet. Not unexpectedly, he gained almost 12 shots for the tournament and dominated the field in SG: Putting.
“I think I played my greatest round ever.” Highsmith said on Sunday.
At one point, up to 4 players were tied for the lead, suggesting that the competition was headed for a spectacular conclusion halfway through the last round. However, the event was virtually done by the time Highsmith made it to the 18th tee, despite having 3 groups behind him. Highsmith extended his lead to 2 strokes by making birdies on holes 10, 11, and 13 and making a critical 21-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole.
