Two Plus Two Golf Forum - Scott Fawcett and DECADE Origins

General Discussion
#1

For those of you who don’t know, Scott Fawcett used to post on the Two Plus Two golf forum (primarily a poker forum, but they created a golf subcategory)

There are some wildly entertaining threads that Scott started back in the day about trying to qualify for Q school and interacting with Will Zalatoris. The collision of Scott’s poker hobby, the shot link database and his work/mentoring of Zalatoris is a big part of how DECADE was created (there is more to it and surely Scott is the best guy to lay it all out but I think I am directionally correct).

If @jon approves, I will post some links to some of the classic threads, otherwise go search them out on your own.

As someone who has been involved both places, I think what @jon has set up is the best place to be for someone who is trying to improve today (that’s why I am posting here and not there) but there is some classic content that everybody would benefit from reading.

It’s also very interesting to see Scott working on early ideas that he was then able to go get evidence for with Shotlink and Broadies work which turned into DECADE

Cheers,
Nick Papageorgio (from Yuma)

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#2

Sure go for it! I know Scott loves that forum so I’m happy for you to provide some relevant threads for people to research.

#3

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/93/golf/drive-show-putt-dough-really-true-1042836/

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/93/golf/here-we-go-again-ship-just-entered-q-school-888479/

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/93/golf/using-your-stock-shot-1003740/

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/93/golf/have-you-ever-heard-i-played-us-open-brag-924488/

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#4

I recommend starting with the “hitting your stock shot” link… 2nd link above

Sorry to any of you animals who wanted to get some work done today :slight_smile:

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#5

I really like that stock shot thought and have been applying it to my game this year with good results. Unless it’s a shot less than 80 yards or a recovery shot from the trees, I am only taking my full, natural swing. I don’t try to take anything off or gear up anything and the result is better, more predictable shots.

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#6

“Have you heard I played in the US open” is just Scott telling stories from Q school and mini-tours and is unbelievably entertaining

There is also an all time Arnold Palmer story buried in there

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#7

Wow I had no idea he used to post there. I used to post on those forums (for poker) around that time but hadn’t started playing golf seriously.

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#8

Thank you for posting that! I got nothing done this afternoon, but that was worth it.

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#9

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/93/golf/2011-q-schoolgame-1083930/

He begins to talk about Zalatoris here in 2011 when Zalatoris was 14. Really great stuff

#10

Thanks for posting. Wish I had more time to read through and there was less “noise” but I’m just getting picky and selfish since I want to read it all quickly and soak up the knowledge.

#11

Sometimes you gotta dig through the dirt to find the gold!

I usually just scroll through and look for Scott’s posts. He is pretty good at replying with the quotes

#12

This line from someone on there in 2011 is particularly true this week
“I’m sure there are a few scratch players who can putt as well as sergio, but there are no scratch players who can hit it as well.”

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#13

He hit some beauties last week coming down the stretch

#14

I’ve gone sufficiently down the rabbit hole. Interesting how I think Scott says back then something to the effect of “I’m not sure driving is more important than putting” as he started looking into the data, but now I think he’d say driving (distance) is definitely more important than putting.

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#15

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/93/golf/advanced-golf-strategy-course-management-thread-1179781/

^^^ quite a bit of this ends up being DECADE

#16

My favorite stuff is the 1) tour stories and 2) him mentoring Zalatoris.

The fact that he and Zalatoris went on a run in US junior golf (Scott caddied for him in a few tournaments) while they were experimenting with all of this stuff is awesome. Scott basically journaled the entire journey on the forum, and put quite a bit of effort into it (his writing is pretty darn clear on a pretty difficult subject to cover with text).

I always played baseball and picked up the game in college so it is really fun for me to live vicariously through these threads.

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#17

One last thing :slight_smile:

Fawcett was playing to +6 or +7 handicap and talks about how you need luck to get through q school

Truly humbling to know that a guy who is spotting a scratch golfer 3 per side is going to need his A game and some luck to qualify for the tour

ANYONE who has finished q school or made some cuts on the tour has played golf at a level that’s honestly pretty difficult for the avg. recreational golfer to grasp

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#18

Have a friend who played KFT (nationwide/web) for a while & PGA for a year. To have seen how good he was (won KFT event) and know he could only get to tour for a year is crazy. It’s not a ritzy lifestyle unless you’re in the top 100ish consistently. These guys are really good and grinding like crazy.

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#19

Definitely. I got to spend some time with a younger guy who had PGA Tour status last year but lost it. Sounds like best case scenario for KFT is that you break even, but most of these guys are losing money when you factor in traveling, caddie, and coaching expenses. BRUTAL lifestyle. I think there really are only about 200-300 golfers who are making a “good living” worldwide playing golf professionally at most. But he says he will literally play forever even if he ends up on mini tours because he loves it so much!

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#20

Does he have kids and wife?

Some people have a burning desire to chase a goal. I found out professionally that some of the “juice” I thought I had really changed when my kids were born.

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