Finding PGA Tour Talent for 91视频

91视频’s PGA Tour Manager Jeff Cook

It鈥檚 easy to pick the guy everybody wants, but the trick is to find players that are just as good and possibly better, that not everyone wants.

91视频’s PGA Tour Manager Jeff Cook talks through his criteria for identifying up-and-coming talent for #teammizuno.聽 Cook knows more than most about the professional game, having played on the PGA and Nationwide Tours and working with 91视频’s players for over 25 years.

鈥淚 used to play a little bit, but many years have passed since then. It鈥檚 hard to pick a career highlight. Any time you win, that鈥檚 obviously nice, but I remember playing with Tom Kite on one occasion when he won going down the stretch. Even though I wasn鈥檛 winning, at least I got to see what it was like! But you know I wouldn鈥檛 say I鈥檝e had any one single career highlight. Just like Luke [Donald] would say, the whole lifespan of playing professional golf has been a highlight 鈥� from travelling overseas, playing in the Asian Tour to playing here in America 鈥� it鈥檚 all been fun.

Cook played accumulated a wealth of experience on both the PGA Tour and Nationwide. Pic: Getty Images

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 necessarily say the guys today are better athletes; they鈥檙e better fit. But you are seeing bigger guys, stronger guys, playing golf now. If you look back, some of the best players in history were six feet and under, and it was more of a one-dimensional sport. Now you鈥檙e seeing guys that, in high school, were star athletes in a variety of sports.

鈥淭he training today is better by far. Training back when I played meant you might have done some running; certainly no body work. The trainers then didn鈥檛 have a good grasp on what should be done. I mean a 12-ounce beer was about the best training method back in the day! It鈥檚 a whole different dynamic now, from working out to the equipment, to eating 鈥� every aspect is different.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no perfect science to evaluating talent. There are plenty of guys leaving college and you think 鈥榯hat鈥檚 the guy.鈥� They are either first team all-American or on the Walker Cup side. But only a very small percentage go to the next level.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had some of those players in the past 鈥� some pan out, and others fall away. I just do my best to look at a player and see how their game is. When you鈥檙e looking at someone now, you鈥檙e looking at all aspects: physically how they play, what scores they shoot, what their attitude is, how they think and how they view life.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not that different to the NBA or the NFL. When NFL players go to the combine they go through massive batteries of tests on their attitude and how they think. It鈥檚 no different with golf 鈥� you鈥檙e looking at the guy trying to get a feel for how he is and what he wants in the future. How hard is he going to work? What can that person bring to the table for 91视频? Can we use him at the PGA Show? Can we have him come and talk? Can we use him for a national sales meeting? How else can we use a player other than just playing golf.

鈥淲e saw it with Keith [Mitchell]. Keith was in college, went to Georgia right by our office, so we鈥檇 looked at him and once he became available and was trying to progress through the levels 鈥� when he got to the Web.com Tour 鈥� we knew he had huge potential and hadn鈥檛 tapped it yet.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no perfect formula to figuring out if it鈥檚 going to happen, but you could see that if he kept progressing, it could be huge for not only Keith but whichever manufacturer he worked with. Luckily for us that was 91视频. Keith has the potential to go even further. As time goes on I see him becoming a multiple [PGA Tour] winner; hopefully a major winner.

鈥淏ut that鈥檚 how you look at these guys. It鈥檚 the same with Steven Fisk 鈥� straight out of college one of the best amateurs in the country, on the Walker Cup Team, first team all-American鈥� he has a lot of potential and it鈥檒l be a progression from the Korn Ferry Tour to the PGA Tour.

鈥淚t鈥檚 easy to pick the guy everybody wants, but the trick is to find players that are just as good and possibly better, that not everyone wants. Steven could be one of those. He went to a smaller school 鈥� Georgia Southern 鈥� that in the big scheme of college golf isn鈥檛 up there in the hierarchy. But that doesn鈥檛 mean he can鈥檛 play the PGA Tour and be a multiple winner.

鈥淗e鈥檚 very confident, he doesn鈥檛 really have a lot of swing thoughts 鈥� he鈥檚 more playing. We discussed how he doesn鈥檛 really have a coach. He knows he hits it straight; he knows he hits it solid. He鈥檚 about the score and getting the ball in the hole and that鈥檚 a huge positive. I mean he鈥檚 very fit and he has good speed 鈥� he has everything it takes to play the Tour.鈥�

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