Six-time main champion Phil Mickelson has stated he owes “a lot of my success” to Dave Pelz following the demise of the famend short-game coach on the age of 85.
Pelz, who died at his residence in Texas on Sunday, started his profession as a scientist with NASA earlier than turning into a golf researcher and was one of many first to analyse the significance of the quick sport, uncovering that just about 80 per cent of photographs misplaced to par came about inside 100 yards of the outlet.
He developed greater than 40 completely different coaching aids and labored with quite a few prime gamers on their quick sport, together with main winners Mickelson, Tom Kite, Lee Janzen, Steve Elkington, Vijay Singh, Payne Stewart, Mike Weir and Patrick Reed.
“I’ve so many issues to say about this unimaginable man,” Mickelson wrote on social media web site X.
“I owe a lot of my success to the various issues he taught me and he lives on as I share those self same insights to quite a few different golfers.
“The laughs we shared alongside the way in which is what I cherish most and I look ahead to paying tribute to this nice man with “Pelz tales” within the close to future. Relaxation in peace my good friend.”
Former Masters champion Reed advised SI.com: “I used to be saddened to listen to in regards to the passing of my good friend, Dave Pelz.
“Dave made an indelible mark on the sport of golf. He was an extremely variety and mild man with a beneficiant spirit.
“The best way he used his scientific brilliance to affect what the remainder of us may accomplish by means of the sport of golf will all the time be remembered.”
