The game of golf is prone to spectacular blowouts when winning looks easier than losing. You only need to look back through the history of the sport to find countless examples of players snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
In December 2023, Laurie Canter was the latest player to join this infamous list after his lapse in concentration on the 18th green at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
Laurie cantering to victory before the unthinkable happens
The Englishman looked for all money to be on his way to earning his playing privileges for the upcoming 2024 LIV Golf season during the final promotions event in Abu Dhabi. Canter led the field during the final round but bogeys on either side of the turn would ultimately mean that the 34-year-old finished for a tie of second and had to enter a playoff to secure his golden ticket to the Saudi-backed league.
With Finland’s Kalle Samooja claiming first place, Canter would join Jinichiro Kozuma and Kieran Vincent in a three-way playoff with only two spots left up for grabs.
However, the Bath-born golfer showed no sign of nerves and in reality, couldn’t have dreamt of a better start to the playoff as he hit the par five green in two while his two opponents were drastically out of position.
In Kozuma’s case, the Japanese golfer had to take a penalty drop after going into the water while Zimbabwe’s Vincent had to chop out sideways after going into the trees; it wasn’t so much advantage Canter as it was welcome to LIV Golf in 2024.
This confidence was shared by LIV CEO and former golfer Greg Norman who took the time to high-five Canter as he made his way onto the green to make the putts that would see him become a member of the most lucrative golf league in the world.
In Norman’s mind, it was a foregone conclusion but the golfing gods, in their infinite cruelty, had other ideas. Somehow, Canter would three put for par while his opponents both scrambled miraculously to make five. It was back down the fairway to play the hole again.
While the opportunity was still there for Canter to make a success of the playoff, the psychological blow of allowing both Kozuma and Vincent back into the contest when winning looked assured would have all but ended his chances. At least, it is incredibly difficult – if not impossible, to access the composure needed to remain focused in the wake of these circumstances.
That was evident during the second playoff hole when Canter would find the water and the sand before making a double bogey seven. Meanwhile, Vincent’s birdie and Kozuma’s par would be enough to clinch the last two qualifying spots for the 2024 LIV roster which now also includes Jon Rahm, as seen on CBS Sports.
This time, as a dejected Canter walked off the green, Norman’s hands stayed firmly in his pockets and his eyes fixed on the ground.
What causes a choke this like?
On account of how psychological golf is, it’s impossible to say what causes a choke with any outright certainty as every golfer fights their own set of inner demons.
Rory McIlroy’s long-standing battle at August National following his 2011 meltdown when he shot 80 in the final round after leading by four is a good example of how great players can develop personal mental blocks that become permanent obstacles.
And while the online betting site Betway might price McIlroy, as of the 12th of December, at just 9/1 to win the 2024 Masters, the truth is that after a decade of trying and failing, it will take a Herculean effort to change this trend. Overall, the main point is that putting your finger on the root cause of a choke is not always straightforward.
The one common denominator, however, has to be a strong degree of complacency.
To this end, there are parallels to be drawn between Norman’s ill-fated high five with Canter and Jean van de Velde’s improbable collapse at Carnoustie.
Van de Velde’s meltdown is well documented, by ESPN between others, for a reason given that he could afford to make a double bogey six on the 18th to win the Open in 1999 but instead, contrived to make a seven. Defeat to Paul Lawrie in the playoff would follow shortly after.
Looking back, the warning signs were there for van de Velde after he narrowly missed the water when taking the somewhat reckless decision of hitting his driver off the tee. Having got out of jail, the Frenchman turned to the chuckling crowd, shrugged his shoulders, and lifted his arms as if to say: “When it’s your day it’s your day.”
Only 30 minutes later, that hubris was long gone as Lawrie lifted the Claret Jug.
It’s not over until it’s over
Van de Velde’s histrionics aside, the wider takeaway is that it’s only over when the winning putt has safely nestled at the bottom of the hole. Until then, any premature show of celebration has shown time and time again that a player leaves their bubble of concentration. Once out of it, the consequences can be life-changing.
As far as Canter is concerned, with £100,000 guaranteed to the person coming last in LIV Golf’s 13 events in 2024, his meltdown would have cost him £1.3 million at the very least.