Six-time main champion Phil Mickelson has mentioned he owes “a lot of my success” to Dave Pelz following the dying of the famend short-game coach on the age of 85.
Pelz, who died at his house 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 brief sport, uncovering that nearly 80 per cent of pictures misplaced to par came about inside 100 yards of the opening.
He developed greater than 40 completely different coaching aids and labored with quite a few prime gamers on their brief 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 website 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 best way is what I cherish most and I sit up for paying tribute to this nice man with “Pelz tales” within the close to future. Relaxation in peace my good friend.”
Former Masters champion Reed instructed 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 form and mild man with a beneficiant spirit.
“The best way he used his scientific brilliance to affect what the remainder of us might accomplish via the sport of golf will at all times be remembered.”
