State of Grace

A State of Grace is when there is a presence of divine guidance. You are protected from enemy and foe -- your slate has been cleaned and your spirit renewed with the bountiful presence of the Holy Spirit from God. It is a gift of God to humankind -- one of infinite love, mercy, favor and goodwill shown to humankind by God.

I have only experienced one Ryder Cup in the flesh -- the 1999 matches at The Country Club in Brookline. The experience was something that I never thought would be equaled with such astounding performances. When I was at the event, I remember Ben Crenshaw experienced a feeling for the U.S. team on that Sunday. They were in a State of Grace. This is something that I don't think happens very often. Perhaps it is more common than we all can recognize.

If you watched the 2006 Ryder Cup, the European team was in a State of Grace. It may have been one of the most astonishing, remarkable performances I have ever seen in golf.

We as Americans could have had some difficulty watching the turn of events as these matches unfolded. But truly once you could and if you could get past the devastating feeling of losing the Ryder Cup and simply experience the game for how it was played with such amazing Grace, you would have seen the spirit in the European team that I refer to as a presence of the divine mighty power, a Divine guidance. The putts fell and chips toppled in. Iron shots from the fairway were constantly answering the Americans. I could not help myself from thinking about how things in life really work. How could you not think about it? There was something in the presence of those players that allowed them this Grace.

The world watched Darren Clark, who perhaps was the justification of why such grace had been shining so brightly, along with 11 other talented men without proviso, play some of the best golf of any Ryder Cup ever played. The one distinction that this championship displayed more than any other Ryder Cup was the love that these players had for one another and this love that I refer to was not partisan to one team, it was something that all 24 players felt and I would have to say all of Ireland. The display of love for one another is something that raises the game of golf to unparallel appeal. The 2006 Ryder Cup made me feel proud to watch such sportsmanship.

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