Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson have become the new kings of Augusta playing sweeping fades off the tee of the course’s many dogleg- lefts. For power players, a fade is easier to control than the hard draw those holes demand of right-handed golfers. Of course, most weekend hackers slice the balls, and since they’re overwhelm- ingly right-handed there is a pervasive belief among lefties that courses are built to favor the other guys. Transla- tion: if you’re a lefty, you better learn to draw the ball. “A lot of courses are right-handed
preferential, if you want to call it that,” says Dalton. “That’s what we believe, anyway.”
On the other hand, left-handed-
ness has long been linked to certain traits that translate well to the golf course. A 2013 article in Scientific American reported that, “Left-hand-
ers’ brains are structured differently from right-handers’ in ways that can allow them to process language, spatial relations and emotions in more diverse and potentially creative ways. Also, a slightly larger number of left-handers than right-handers are especially gifted in music and math. A study of musicians in professional orchestras found a significantly great- er proportion of talented left-handers, even among those who played instru- ments that seem designed for right- handers, such as violins. Similarly, studies of adolescents who took tests to assess mathematical giftedness found many more left-handers in the population.” Mickelson and Watson are cases in
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point—they are without a doubt the two most creative players in profes- sional golf, which also explains their success at Augusta National, a vast
canvas that rewards artistic expression. One thing that seems shared among
right- and left-handed golfers is the desire for a good boondoggle, and in that regard, it’s tough to beat the LHGA. In addition to lots of domestic tournaments, there is always an annual gathering in a fabulous international destination. Dalton has competed in lefty events in Scotland and New Zealand, and hopes to travel to South Africa later this year. Japan will host in 2016, Australia in ’17. Like the other members of NCLHGA, Dalton is clearly proud of being left-handed, but he expresses a sentiment that 100% of us can agree with: “The club is really just an excuse to play more golf.”
ALAN SHIPNUCK is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated. His introduction to golf came as a cart boy at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
SPRING 2015 /
NCGA.ORG / 11
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