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Another Day at the Golf Course

If it were possible to define heroism in sports, you have to give a nod to sports that are played as individuals. You are on center court, the final hole or the last lap. The goal and the outcome are in your hands. You are pursued or maybe even behind other competitors who want to win as badly as you do. All eyes are on you. Television sets around the world bring your effort to millions more onlookers. There is no Hail Mary in your play book unless you can throw and catch the ball yourself. It’s just suck it up and put it out there for better or worse.
Last weekend, at the most prestigious Open Championship, a young American Golfer showed what courage, grit, and determination can yield.
After spraying a tee shot over the crowd and into the utility area of the course, Jordan Spieth hit an acceptable shot to get back in play. He followed that with an excellent approach and nasty little putt. And for his efforts, he surrendered the lead for the first time in the tournament. Improbable as that hole was, what followed was so unbelievable that if pitched for a movie script it would have been turned down as being fanciful and naive.
Spieth hit his next shot six feet from the pin on the par three. The ball came to within inches of hitting the flag where it might holed out for an ace. He sunk the putt for a birdie.
On the next hole, he put his second shot in a reasonable position on the par five to expect another birdie. Instead, he sunk the 48 footer for a two under par eagle. He birdied Sixteen and Seventeen, pared the Eighteenth and won the tournament by three strokes.
Most experts thought with a three stroke lead on the final day, Spieth would win. He had all aspects of his game in hand. He played marvelous golf for three days. However, his fourth round was not a thing of beauty. His tee shots were not finding the fairways. His drive on thirteen was, according to Johnny Miller, golf commentator, “the worst drive he had ever seen in professional golf.” His putter up until the 48 footer on fifteen was on again off again including missing a brush-in putt.

It’s worth mentioning the Matt Kuchar, his playing partner, was trying his damnedest to win also. If it hadn’t been for Spieth’s ability to turn his game around, Kuchar would be our winner today.
People often ask me why I enjoy Professional golf so much. After all, it’s not a contact sport, it takes a long time to play a round and it can be tedious to watch. Like a one run baseball game. You have to be able to appreciate the craftsmanship of the players. What they do is not as easy as they make it look

I play the game and I have since I was nine years old. I know how good these guys are and how hard it is to remain consistent. Golf balls are round, but they roll on uneven surfaces. Nothing is guaranteed after you hit it. Anything can, and often does, happen that surprises you.

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