I was playing the third round of the Texas Open with Ray Floyd and Dave Hill. The weather had not done the greens any favors. The days before the tournament, it had rained and then gotten very hot and humid. The greens had been cut down for the tournament and were very affected by the wet and the humid heat. The grass suffocated from beneath and from above. The few blades of grass that were left were surrounded by crusty dirt. The greens made a crunching sound as we walked over them. And they were fast, really fast.

On a par three on the back side all three of us hit the green beyond the pin to the left. We all basically had the same putt; left to right and definitely down hill. We all looked at the putt and wanted to pass just go to the next hole. Do not pass go and do not collect $200. I was away so I did have to putt first. Ray and Dave were watching with great care. I studied it until time was up and had to hit it. I thought I had hit a pretty good putt. It ended up 10 feet past the hole!! Each in their turn hit their best putt. At the end of two shots, I was the closet to the hole!! And they thought I hit a bad first putt.

BUT, heres the point of the story; all three of us made pars! We all two-putted the green. We were happy to leave that green with pars. Moral: when the greens are ultra fast, hit your approach shots BELOW the hole. Uphill putts are easier.