More comments on the US Open ---
Angel Cabrera's victory was a great achievement. The guy showed a lot of moxie coming down the stretch to win his first major. I first saw him in person a few years ago on the practice tee at The Masters. I was so impressed with his golf swing that I ended up watching him hit balls for 45 minutes. Aside from the tournament highlights, this was the most memorable part of my Masters weekend.
The main subject of this post concerns the two runners up, Tiger and Jim Furyk. From watching these players intently for four days - some in person, mostly on television - I got the sense more than ever before of why they rise to the top in major championships. Pure talent, especially in Tiger's case, is certainly a factor, but it's their mental attitude which makes the difference. This is solely my opinion, but I sensed that these two players were, perhaps more so than everyone else, completely "into the game." That is, their sole focus was on playing every shot to the best of their ability, irrespective of the other actions around them. They seem to be able to take the energy of the event and channel it into their own performance. I could see it in their eyes, in their mannerisms, and how they spoke. Yes, they both came up just short and were most disappointed, but they also left Oakmont knowing that they had given it their best shot, and therefore had no regrets. Both Jim and Tiger said as much in their post game interviews, and this sense of accomplishment reflected on their faces as Cabrera accepted the trophy.
Winning is important, but what's most important is a winning attitude. Both Woods and Furyk understand that they have no control over the action of others. This thinking has penetrated to the core of their belief system. They spend their time riveted on what they alone can do - being the best they can be day in and day out - which to me is the real definition of a "winner."
Here's to great golf!
Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder,
TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com
Angel Cabrera's victory was a great achievement. The guy showed a lot of moxie coming down the stretch to win his first major. I first saw him in person a few years ago on the practice tee at The Masters. I was so impressed with his golf swing that I ended up watching him hit balls for 45 minutes. Aside from the tournament highlights, this was the most memorable part of my Masters weekend.
The main subject of this post concerns the two runners up, Tiger and Jim Furyk. From watching these players intently for four days - some in person, mostly on television - I got the sense more than ever before of why they rise to the top in major championships. Pure talent, especially in Tiger's case, is certainly a factor, but it's their mental attitude which makes the difference. This is solely my opinion, but I sensed that these two players were, perhaps more so than everyone else, completely "into the game." That is, their sole focus was on playing every shot to the best of their ability, irrespective of the other actions around them. They seem to be able to take the energy of the event and channel it into their own performance. I could see it in their eyes, in their mannerisms, and how they spoke. Yes, they both came up just short and were most disappointed, but they also left Oakmont knowing that they had given it their best shot, and therefore had no regrets. Both Jim and Tiger said as much in their post game interviews, and this sense of accomplishment reflected on their faces as Cabrera accepted the trophy.
Winning is important, but what's most important is a winning attitude. Both Woods and Furyk understand that they have no control over the action of others. This thinking has penetrated to the core of their belief system. They spend their time riveted on what they alone can do - being the best they can be day in and day out - which to me is the real definition of a "winner."
Here's to great golf!
Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder,
TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com
Labels: mental attitude, mental golf, positive attitude, US Open, winning attitude
posted by Rick Semple at 7:19 AM
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