Full Circle at Ogden Country Club: Total Driver Control to Win the Utah Open

PGA Legend Mike Malaska reflects on his 1974 Utah Open victory at Ogden Country Club to teach the importance of driver control. He contrasts modern distance-first mentalities with his 'artistic' approach, where the driver is used as a precision placement tool to hit specific windows and shot shapes.

• Treat the driver as a 'placement club' similar to a wedge rather than just a distance tool.
• Visualizing the curve (draw or fade) helps navigate narrow fairways and doglegs more effectively than trying to hit it perfectly straight.
• Consistency off the tee (hitting fairways) is often more valuable for scoring than the raw distance provided by modern technology.
• Developing an 'artistic' feel for the clubhead allows for better control over trajectory and ball flight.
• Historical success with 'spinny' balls and persimmon woods proves that clubhead control is the foundation of a great driving game.

Go deeper

• Off the rails — Causes, drills and coaches for this miss
• Course management — The lesson, across every coach
• Malaska Golf — Every video, sorted by what it teaches