19th Hole Interviews PGA Tour Player Michael Allen

I spoke with PGA Tour Player Michael Allen a week ago about how he felt about the coming season and he was kind enough to share his thoughts.

He said he's in the best shape of his life, which is big words for a man about to turn 51. His biggest concern was changing his irons to the V grooves (vs. square grooves that have been allowed in recent years). V grooves don't grip and spin the ball like the square grooves. Think of deeply rutted off road tires against run-of-the-mill street tires.

I had a similar conversation with Rocco Mediate at the Callaway Invitational at Pebble Beach (another guy on the precipice of the big 50). He was thrilled about this upcoming season with a healthier back and a leveler playing field for wily old ball strikers like him. In previous years he's been giving up 10-60 yards to other players and even if they were in the rough they could spin and control their ball. This year, with the new grooves, their recovery shots from the rough will come our knuckling.

Michael Allen said the Hawaiian Open will tell volumes about the equipment change, in regards to scoring, because the ball sits deep in the Bermuda rough out there. It will be really hard to control distances unless your hitting from the short grass. Michael, by the way, is in 13th after two rounds.

I've got a prediction that this year Michael Allen wins on the PGA Tour and the Champion's Tour. That's his goal as well. If you do get a chance to follow him at a tournament, do it. He is a beautiful ball striker and I think the best all around driver on tour. If he can get hot with his putter, he may hoist quite a few cups in the next few years!

I think this tournament and many others will be rewarding good drivers of the golf ball. There will less emphasis on bombing the ball and hitting 50% of the fairways. It'll be very interesting to see what names excel with the new equipment regulations and if the scores change at all fom the previous years.