Spencer Levin had a poor 2016-17 season on the PGA Tour, losing his card. He spoke honestly about changing equipment in January...
Spencer Levin On Equipment Struggles: “I Took The Money”
Spencer Levin has given a brutal, yet honest answer, as to why he struggled so much in 2017.
The American finished 157th on the FedEx Cup points list and ultimately lost his Tour card.
He changed equipment from TaylorMade to Callaway in January, and put that down to his poor season.
“I took the money,” he told the Sacramento Bee.
“Everybody said don’t do it, and they were right. I learned the hard way.
He signed with Callaway in January. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
“I gave them their money back and went back to my old TaylorMade driver and irons,” he said.
“It kind of sucked that I didn’t like (the Callaway clubs). Their guys were really cool. I just couldn’t find a driver I liked.”
Levin has played nine seasons on the PGA Tour, amassing earnings of $8.2m.
WATCH: Spencer Levin’s hilarious reactions during PGA Tour final round
From January to March, he missed eight straight cuts including four in his home state of California. In total, he missed 18 of 31 cuts.
After his disappointing 2016-17 season, he played in the Web.com Tour finals and finished 77th – missing out on his card.
Levin went back to his trusty R9 TP irons. (Photo by William Howard/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
However, luckily for him, he is now fully exempt on the Web.com Tour thanks to playing five full seasons on the main Tour.
He received a phone call two days later with the news.
“It was like I had won Q-school without even doing anything,” he said.
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Levin also spoke about fitness and the gym, and how not taking care of his body has harmed both his driving distance and his results.
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“The years I’ve made the most money, I was going to the gym and taking care of my body in the offseason and hitting it out there pretty far.
His best finish came at the Quicken Loans National where he recorded a T5. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
“For some reason, I’ve never really stuck with it in the gym,” he said.
The Californian averaged 279 yards off the tee in the 2017 season, ranking 180th. He was averaging just over 290 yards back in 2007.
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He picked up just under $470,000 this year, with his best finishing a T5th coming at the Quicken Loans National, after he had switched back to his TaylorMade clubs.
“My game was always good enough to get by, but if I want to win these tournaments and be the player I want to be, I have to get serious.
He was seen using the Titleist 917 driver at the Players Championship in May. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
“Everybody who is beating me is doing that. The second half of my career, it’s something that I’m going to have to do.”
After a poor season, it’s good to see Levin still has some optimism.
“The way it turned out, I’m happy about it. At least I have a job,” he said.
“If I play well, I’ll have my (PGA Tour) card back next year.
At least I have a chance to get back within a year, which is pretty cool. If I play really well, maybe even sooner. The whole thing right now is about getting back on the tour.”
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