When you look for the greatest runs in amateur golf history, Tiger Woods’ streak of six consecutive USGA titles is undoubtedly at the top of the list. But it didn’t take long to get to Ryan Moore and his dominant 2004 summer.
Moore started the run by fielding in the NCAA Championship. He then won the Sahalee Players Championship and his second Public Links title before collecting the Western Amateur trophy. That led to Winged Foot and the 2004 US Amateur, where Moore defeated Luke List to cap one of the greatest runs in amateur golf history.
On the last episode of the Podcast subpar, Moore discussed his “superpower” during that winning streak. Looking back now, Moore knows his game was solid. But it was his mind that allowed him to earn victory after victory, even with a target on his back.
“I was trying to explain, like, what I was in that moment, why I was playing so well, and also trying to get that professional back,” Moore told co-hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz. “I played some pretty phenomenal golf in 2004-2005 and honestly probably as good or better than I’ve ever played professionally to some extent. The way I like to think about it, to be a really good, high-level golfer, whether it’s a professional or a high-level amateur, you either have to be really good at one or two things, or you can be just as good at everything that I like. I didn’t do anything that I thought was outstanding, but I did done everything right, it was a long enough golf driver and it was a solid iron player, it wasn’t a short game, but I got away very well.
“I just felt like I was very well rounded, and I didn’t feel like I had any weakness at that point in my game. My mental game was very strong. I just got to that place, especially in 2004, when I was winning all summer, it was just that I showed up not trying to beat anyone because I knew that they were all trying to play golf. I would play the best knowing that it would give me a good chance to go to the last round or the last match, a good chance to win, I felt that I lost very little energy for others, and I just focused on playing my best golf possible, when you can get to that point and feel like you’re right in front of you. “.
