It is well known in Masters History that The Masters doesn’t really begin until the back nine on Sunday. This year was certainly no different.
Tiger Woods Augusta National experience served him well as he managed the final round chaos on Sunday. Mistakes made by world’s best players on the shortest hole at Augusta National constantly amazed the viewing audience. Ben Hogan imparted his golfing wisdom over 60 years ago that you never attack the flag on number 12. The play is to aim at the middle of the bunker. If you come up short in the bunker you still can make three. If you take on the flag and come up short you make five, six or seven. In the last three groups Woods was the only player to adopt that strategy. BTW he won the tournament.
What really impressed me was how committed he was to his process for all four days. Even better he knew what his process was. To quote Woods” I just plodded along”. To do that in the midst of a final round when the patrons were cheering at noise levels that were at an all-time high is truly spectacular. Never once on the back nine did he deviate. Woods has always had great capabilities, but he also has the capacity to see them through when others do not.
University of Pennsylvania Professor Angela Duckworth in her book Grit defines it as “the perseverance and passion for long term goals”. The athletic world has known for years that Woods has both. He has struggled, faced adversity, and encountered hardship along the way. Perhaps, he has finally found the way to balance the perseverance and passion to be an elite athlete and Father. It is not too often you hear Grit and golfer in the same phrase, but in this case it does apply.
Woods won back a lot fans on Sunday not only by his play, but revealing a little of himself to the public, which he has never really done before. America loves comeback stories and to quote Jim Nance” this is one for the ages”.
Until Next time!
Follow on Twitter @Betweentheears2
Between The Ears 