For many of you who watch golf, it seems like every weekend we have another nail biter on our hands. In the midst of March Madness, most of you were probably on the verge of flipping channels when Brett Wetterich decided to make it interesting at Doral. And make it interesting he did.
Keep in mind, he had no chance at the start of the day, at least, according to everyone in the golf world. Tiger Woods had a four-lead shot and as we all know, Tiger NEVER blows a lead. And it certainly seemed that way for most of the day, didn't it? Tiger seemed in complete control of his game and of the tournament. But had a couple of Wetterich's short putts dropped late in the round, who knows what the headlines would be blaring today? Brett didn't get caught up in what most people saw as a fruitless endeavor. And he didn't try to play for second place. He did all he could, every single shot, and he made what could have been a blow-out, quite interesting in the end.
And that leads to this week's "A Lesson Learned". You have to stay focused and determined. Golf is never a game of "give up". Whether you are a weekend warrior, trying to get your TOUR card, or simply an average golfer, remember, ALWAYS focus on the next shot. It doesn't matter how your ball got to where it did, it's how we REACT and PREPARE for the next shot. You never know what the next shot brings, and if you stay committed, it could be glory. If you lose your focus, it could be tragic. But that's part of the beauty of golf.
Take Zach Johnson. Twice this week, he chipped in from off the green -- which probably made him tens of thousands of dollars. Or how about Mark Calcavecchia? He would definitely agree. Here's a tour pro trying to make the top ten on the money list before the Masters, to ensure a trip to Augusta. Sitting in the middle of the fairway on #18 at Doral, he probably didn't envision an 8 on the hole. But even as the wheels came off a bit, he regained his composure. So he made an 8, he didn't make a 9 or 10 -- and he's headed to Augusta.
And as for Tiger, our champ this week at The Blue Monster, he threw criticism aside instead of caution to the wind, and hit an iron off of #18 tee, laid up, hit a mediocre at best approach, and made bogey to win by two shots. However, he had a plan, and stuck with it, to ensure victory. An approach that Jean Van de Velde and Phil Mickelson might want to look in to. Wetterich on the other hand, 6 shots behind Tiger at one point, made quite a charge down the stretch. Just a few good breaks or putts dropping that had good chances to, and he might be holding the trophy. Regardless, again, he stuck with his plan, played hard down the stretch, and came in commanding second place (a few hundred thousand more than T-3rd).
Remember our lesson learned this week, every shot counts, so have a plan, make your shot, and react. Don't get hung up on the past, because playing the next shot may be your best chance for a better golf game.
Andrew Mitchell is the Director of Golf Operations at Grande Pines Golf Club in Orlando, Florida. He is a proud alumnus of Penn State University and has worked with Mariott Golf since early 2000. He has worked in every aspect of the golf industry as a golf shop manager, head professional, and now director of golf. Andrew served as Head Professional at The Frog golf course at The Georgian Resort in Villa Rica, Georgia prior to arrival at Grande Pines.
