Golf Flow

like size, talent, and strength tend to dominate during the early years of the game (i.e., junior golf), the philosophical approach that golfers take into their careers tends to separate the wheat from the chaff over time.

Facing the Game’s Challenges
    On this note, every PGA Tour golfer I’ve ever spoken with has a story about a junior golfer they knew who was loaded with talent but lost his or her way. Talented junior golfers to whom the game comes easy never learn how to compensate effectively, to absorb adversity, or to manage their weaknesses (largely because their weaknesses are not yet exposed). Those golfers who are able to traverse the obstacles of the game learn to approach golf with a mind-set of long-term learning. They train themselves not to get embarrassed because it is widely known on the Tour that not even the most technically sound golf swing can be repeated when a person’s mind is clouded with the prospect of embarrassment. Tour players seldom get angry because anger blocks the brain’s ability to learn and distorts the ability to make the adjustments required to get better. They view setbacks as opportunities and interpret bad scores as the game showing them areas that they can explore, refine, tweak, and improve. And they always listen closely to the game, seeking opportunities for constant growth and improvement.
    Much of the mastery philosophy that I teach my golfers anticipates that they will eventually need to learn how to cope effectively with setbacks and failure. Mastery athletes in general, and mastery golfers in particular, realize that the game requires them to take risks continually to test their limitations. Because pushing their limits to the point of failure becomes an end in itself, failure is a key variable in the equation of success. More accurately, becoming comfortable with failure and learning the valuable lessons that result becomes paramount.
    Golfers sometimes encounter difficulties beyond the usual challenges. Scott Verplank is a prime example. While an amateur at Oklahoma State University, Scott won the 1985 Western Open (becoming the first amateur to win a Tour event in 30 years). He has won 5 times on the PGA Tour, been featured inside the top 20 in the World Rankings, played on 2 Ryder Cup Teams, and earned more than $27 million dollars on the PGA Tour.
    Two bullet points on his impressive resume are often overlooked. In 1998 he was awarded the PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year, and in 2002 he was awarded the Ben Hogan Award, which is given to the player who “has continued to be active in golf despite a physical handicap or serious illness.”
    Not only did Scott have to face the usual challenges associated with professional golf—golf swing, putting stroke, physical aches and pains, self-doubt—Scott also endured a serious back injury for much of his career. On top of that, he has battled a left wrist injury, which prevented him from competing for much of the 2010 and 2011 seasons. And he has waged a lifelong battle with serious diabetes.

In golf, as in life, adversity can trigger the growth and improvement that leads to greatness. Scott Verplank’s career is an inspirational example of resilience.

    Jack Carroll/Icon SMI
    Consider the following stories of other PGA Tour golfers who have squared up and met adversity head on:
As a junior, Scott McCarron was kicked off the UCLA golf team, lost his scholarship, and returned the following year as a walk-on, putting left handed as an attempt to cure the yips. After graduation, he joined a failing business venture with his father that broke them both. After taking out an $8,000 loan, he failed to get through Qualifying School the next two years. In 1996, $2,000 in debt and on the verge of bankruptcy, he won a tournament in New Orleans (and $270,000). Midway through 2001, he had earned over 5 million dollars on the PGA Tour, had secured three victories, and contended in several of golf's Majors.
When Bob Jones first came out to watch Nicklaus play the 12th at Augusta, cool, calm Jack proceeded to shank his shot over their heads. He went on to win 6 Masters and amass a total of 70 PGA wins.
After being struck by lightning as an amateur golfer in South Africa, Retief Goosen had to overcome an array of ongoing health hazards. As if that weren’t enough, he suffered a broken left arm in a skiing accident in Switzerland prior to the 1999 golf season (a year in which he beat Sergio Garcia in the World Match Play