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Control Streak: John Cook

John Cook is a prime example of how controlling your ball is the best way to stay on top of your game for a long time.

BY JAMIE MULLIGAN, WITH GREG FLORESPublished: July, 2006

The PGA Tour has become notorious for lengthening golf courses in an attempt to counteract big hitters. But that just plays to their strengths. Making courses hard and fast is all that’s needed to level the playing field and give shotmakers their day in the sun.

Although I love the power game, and my staff works with a lot of players who can launch it, it’s nice to watch players who can control their ball. It takes us back to the basics of what the game is all about — getting the ball in the hole quickly.

I saw that firsthand while attending the St. Jude’s FedEx Classic in Memphis in late May. Jeff Maggert, Tom Pernice, Jay Delsing and John Cook were among the names on top of the leaderboard during the final round. These guys have been playing competitively for a long time, and they were all having success by controlling their ball better than anyone else in the field.

Golf is a game of moving the ball from one position to the next. It’s a chess match played on a giant field. Play your shot from the tee to the proper side of the fairway. Play your approach to the correct spot on the green for the best chance to make the putt.

It has been a pleasure to work with and watch the career of Cook for a long time. He’s had remarkable success, winning 11 times on the PGA Tour. He’s never been one to consistently drive the ball 330 yards, but he knows his strengths, and they don’t include chasing the power game.

Cook, 48, plans to hit the Champions Tour running. He knows that his success at the junior, collegiate and professional levels has come through controlling his ball. He mentors a lot of the tour professionals we work with and his knowledge is undeniable. To watch Cook take these young players under his wing and explain how to control a ball from a flyer lie or select the right club around the green speaks to his ability to control his ball.

Learn how to control your ball better and you’ll get a great deal of enjoyment from this game for a very long time.  

Jamie Mulligan is the chief operations officer at Virginia Country Club and the SCPGA golf professional of the year.

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