Without doubt, it would have been THE greatest of all sporting achievements if Tom Watson had made a par four up the last at Turnberry to win his 6th British Open. Imagine what the headlines would have been:
“59 year old man wins British Open after hip replacement!”
Who would have ever thought that this could possibly ever be a reality?
The way that Watson carried himself both during and after the tournament was a joy to behold. A throwback to a bygone age. No hype, no fuss, no fancy trousers – just a supremely talented man who still believed that it was possible to win against incredible odds. He truly is a credit to the game of golf. His week at The Open will inspire millions. It certainly inspired me.
How fortunate we are to play a game that we can KEEP playing to such a good standard well into what used to be thought of as retirement age. Watson has always been an example of someone who has known what is right for him. He goes about his business trusting in his method of swinging and his method of thinking.
In the work I do, it becomes clearer and clearer each day that it is up to each individual to find what is best for him or her. You cannot just blindly follow the advice of the moment or latest trend.
It is about discovering what makes you tick.
On any given day whilst you are playing golf you will have good events, neutral events and bad events, nothing we can do will change that unalterable FACT.
In any round of golf, Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, and Phil Mickleson will hit some good ones, some bad ones and some OK ones. So, in your game you will have things that work out, things that are just OK and then things that definitely are not OK.
Becoming aware of how you react to these Good, Bad and Neutral events on the course is a good first step to understanding how you tick.
How do you react to the neutral, good, bad, (and even ugly!) events on the golf course?
Leave your feedback and comments below!
Regards,
Karl
Ps – I’ve just released a new topic in the ‘How to Think Like a Pro’ course which will help you to choose the most helpful response to these three events. Members can login here (non-members can signup for my MIND FACTOR Players Coaching programme here).
What do you think? Please comment below to tell me.
5 Responses so far »
Tags: british open, tom watson
on Jul 21st, 2009 at 6:03 PM
Good golf shots encourage and keep my confidence levels high. Bad golf shots annoy but I accept that you will hit some bad shots as it isnt my job 40 hours week , Ugly really annoys me as its so at odds with Good & Bad and is usually so destructive.
It ruins in 1 or 2 holes in what is acceptable in 16 .So a no Ugly round usually equals a very acceptable level of golf.
on Jul 21st, 2009 at 7:53 PM
Ever since I read Ray Floyd’s book “the elements of scoring” I have been better able to handle bad shots on the course. Before, I was always striving for perfection, which, for a 14 handicapper is a recipe for disaster, but I played like this for years, getting really frustrated.
Floyd’s book tells you that you are going to hit lots of bad shots, so make sure you try and miss into good places.
He starts by saying “If I had your exact physical game I would beat you 19 times out of 20″ and proceeds to tell you how, and it has utterly transformed my enjoyment of the game and made me a better player too.
on Jul 22nd, 2009 at 9:35 AM
I agree doing what you do well and feeling comfortable and confident about that is very important and was amply demonstrated by Tom Watson’s almost fairytale performance at the Open.
However I also think the closing stages of the event was a case study in the power of the mind -or more accurately the power of the mind to destroy your game when you allow thoughts of accepting second place to take over.
When Tom Watson walked up the 18th to that fabulous ovation he had the tournament won. Only he could lose it – and that’s exactly what he did. The moment he played his shot from the edge of the green, it looked in doubt. The next heart-hearted putt sealed it.
He’d accepted how well he’d done to get as far as he had, to get so close at his age etc etc. None of which is in doubt. But from that moment on, the play-off was a foregone conclusion.
Cink was in the clubhouse – a beaten man having ended on a birdie – and now he was given a lifeline. He was never going to throw that away. Just as Harrington took the same chance with both hands when Garcia threw it away at Carnoustie two years ago.
But what was interesting to me was the extent of Watson’s collapse. Suddenly everyone was talking about how tired he was and what a strain four rounds take on such an old man. Really? Could he really not muster the strength to swing the club – including putter – another 16-17 times? Could how really not manage to walk another few hundred yards without weariness affecting his game? Did he really lose his swing? Did his technique fail him? Did his luck run out? I don’t think it was any of those things. He had simply given up mentally and accepted that second wasn’t such a bad result for a man in his position.
The result was a pitiful spectacle as he made mistake after mistake and ended well beaten over four holes.
If ever there was an example of how the mind can destroy a great golfer at a crucial time – we saw it at Turnberry. Such a shame but a lesson to all!
on Jul 22nd, 2009 at 6:47 PM
Couldn’t agree more with the comments made by Kerry re Ray Floyd. This is a game where you are trying to control TWO things. The BALL and YOURSELF. Unfortunately nobody yet in the history of the game has worked out how to not hit bad shots! Until that happens there will always be a MIND FACTOR. The better you get at controlling yourself the more that you will get the best out of yourself at controlling the ball.
on Jul 26th, 2009 at 6:14 PM
I have to admit that I have not enjoyed watching a golf tournament so much for a very long time. Tom Watson, with all his experiience, was giving us all a very good lesson in how to behave during the last 9 holes. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a good bounce on the 18th green. It’s a cruel game and we all know it. I was then very sad and dissapointed to see him loose his mental strengthness in the playoff, but not even Tom Watson is perfect.
I do think my game has reached another level, by following the tips of accepting the bad shots.
I always walk to the next tee excited about the opportunities that lay ahead! But as you have said before, one has to continuosly work very hard on each aspect of the mental game. It is a wonderful challenge!!!