Instead of playing in a pro-am at the PGA Tour Championship today in Atlanta, Andrew Landry will be going over his memorable 2017-18 season with swing coach Chuck Cook in Austin.

What the Port Neches-Groves ex hopes to walk away with is a clear understanding of how to be more consistent.

Though Landry had a career year that will be difficult to top, with his first victory, a second place, five top-10s, $2.6 million in winnings and going three rounds into the FedEx Cup playoffs, it was pretty much feast or famine. If he wasn’t contending, he was back in the pack or going home early.

Counting the five top-10s, he made only 14 cuts in 27 starts. His highest finish outside the top-10s in a full field event was a T42.

Whenever he was in contention, he was a pressure-proof closer. When he wasn’t, he was pretty much a non-factor.

“It was a dream season in so many ways,” he said. “It is definitely one to remember and be thankful for. Going forward, I could have some really good years and not top the bottom line. But to be the kind of player I want to be, I need to figure consistency out.”

“What I think I have proven is that when I get in a contending situation going into the weekend, I can handle it. I have total confidence that I have what it takes to go ahead and win when the chance is there. I just need to be more consistent about getting into that position.”

When Landry and Cook meet today, they will go over statistics and the areas where he must improve to be more consistent. Andrew says he doesn’t pay much attention to stats during the season. He admits his stats from the past season may not look great, but says numbers can be misleading.

“You look at my 2016 season, and I was top-10 in overall driving, strokes gained putting and maybe overall putting. I wound up having to go back to the final stage of Q school. I know I don’t have anything close to those stats this year.

“Take a look at my current stats and the first thing you would say is ‘how does that translate into winning $2.5 million?’ The game is funny that way and I see that. So what is good golf? I think the whole key to it is self-belief and I have that. But you still have to be consistent.”

Landry, as he reflects on a season that earned him respect among peers and set him up with financial security, has only one major regret. He feels his first victory should have come in January at the CareerBuilder Championship in LaQuinta, California.

That’s the one where he birdied the 72nd hole to force a playoff with No. 4 ranked Jon Rahm, missed a six-foot birdie for the win on the second extra hole, then lost on the fourth hole.

“It’s the one that really stands out to me,” he said. “Win that and the extra FedEx points would have put me in the Tour Championship, with a possible chance to win. I am still kicking myself for that one. Otherwise I don’t feel I let anything get away.”

Among other things, Landry’s victory at the Valero Texas Open assured his PGA Tour card through the 2019-20 season. It also gets him into tournaments that weren’t an option this past season and creates scheduling flexibility that didn’t previously exist.

He will be taking advantage of a couple of those new options early in the upcoming fall schedule. After opening his season Oct 4-7 at the Safeway Championship in Napa, Calif., he’ll travel overseas to play in the Oct. 11-14 CIMB Classic in Malaysia and the Oct. 18-21 CJ Cup in South Korea.

“The tournaments in Malaysia and South Korea are limited field, no cut with guaranteed money and FedEx points,” he explained. “I want to get off to a great start again and climb enough in the Official World Golf Rankings to get into some of the World Golf Championships.

“Those tournaments give me that opportunity.”

Landry’s current OWGR is 78. Players in the top 50 automatically qualify for the high dollar WGC events, but he says getting to 65 often gets you in.

He really wants to have an OWGR high enough to be in the field for the March 28-31 World Match Play Championship in Austin.

“We are building a new home in Austin,” he said. “I want to build my brand in the city that is going to be my home for the rest of my life. It would be so cool to rank high enough to play in that and to get the fans in Austin behind me.”

In the meantime, he’ll be focused on what comes out of today’s meeting with Cook, and gradually letting go of the disappointment at not spending this week in Atlanta.

“It was obviously a great season, a helluva season,” he said. “But I wanted to be in Atlanta, I should have been in Atlanta. I have not gotten over being upset about that. I know lack of consistency kept it from happening and I have to change that.”

Most folks who know where Landry came from, and how he got to where he is, would not bet against him.
CHIP SHOTS

PNG ex Braden Bailey didn’t start Baylor’s season as well as he hoped in last week’s Fighting Illini Invitational at Olympia Fields in Chicago. Bailey shot rounds of 74-72-74 on the par 70 layout to finish tied for 38th at 220.

Baylor finished a disappointing 13th in a field of 14 teams. …

Another PNG ex, McNeese State sophomore Karlei Hemler, placed T48 in the USA Intercollegiate played in Mobile. Hemler shots rounds of 75-75-76 for a 10-over 226. McNeese placed 13th. …

Lamar’s women’s team, playing in the same tournament, finished seventh. Elodie Chapelet paced the Cardinals with a two-under 214 that tied for sixth. …

In the Monday Senior 50 Plus 2-ball at Babe Zaharias, the team of Bob Byerly, Gary Fontenot, Tom LeTourneau and Roger Baumer won the front with minus-2. On the back, the team of Bob West, Bob Luttrull, Don MacNeil and Pete Reobroi finished first at minus-6. …

The Saturday Super Senior 2-ball was reduced to a “Par 3” game because of Zaharias’ soggy conditions. The team of James Shipley, Thad Borne, Andrew Sigura and Larry Foster won the front with even par. On the back, the foursome of Kenny Robbins, Danny Robbins, Bim Morrow and Reobroi placed first with minus-3.

•

Golf news should be emailed to rdwest@usa.net.