What I learned from The Masters

I’m not crying, it’s just allergies are bad in Texas…

Hard not to get choked up watching how much that meant to McIlroy on Sunday. A decade of chasing and hard work pays off in an instant and it wasn’t easy. That’s because…

Golf is hard. Like really hard.

I found myself in the minority relative to my peer group where most of my friends were rooting for Bryson. I was rooting for Rory. I wanted to see history. Love him or hate him, Rory is one of the most authentic athletes of our generation. He let’s you in more than just about anybody else.

Add to that… his game can be pretty relatable…

Until it’s not.

The round was an absolute roller coaster for Rory, but probably a lot more typical for many of us (more doubles and less birdies… but dynamic…). One of my biggest takeaways is just how determined he was. His ability to bounce back after extreme adversity. He gives up the lead on the first hole and immediately pumps it into a bunker off the tee on 2… But he regrouped and birdies 3 and 4. Tough holes.

Then just when you think he has it all figured out and is going to run away with it… he hits probably the worst shot I’ve ever seen a professional golfer hit under the circumstance. After laying up on 13, he has just 86 yards to a pin sitting at the bottom of a bowl. He could literally hit this shot 30 feet left of the pin and be okay… the only thing you can’t do is hit it right… and he did. It’s the first shot highlighted in TANGENT’s Coachable Moments.

My jaw dropped to the floor. You can’t make that mistake and after a careless bogey at 14, he’s lost the lead. Rory had a huge case of the rights. It’s probably why he chose to abandon driver a few times, but 3W was no better.

This points out a couple things from a stats perspective… fairways are over-rated. If you have a shot at the green… its a decent drive. Now… Rory had to hit it through some crazy windows in trees that I don’t suggest for us mere mortals… but fairways were optional.

Golf is hard… and the hole is too small… Especially when you are nervous. Rory’s putting was abysmal in the final round. He stuffed shot after shot and missed five putts inside 10’ down the stretch. It’s amazing he was able to hold on… I’m just glad the putt in the playoff was inside the leather.

Rory did what he needed to do. It looked exhausting, but he took every body blow Augusta had to give him and found a way to bounce back each time. He had 4 double bogeys on the week!

While just watching the emotional rollercoaster was exhausting… in the end its motivating! Hard work paid off. Rory has been so close and grinding for years. Lately I’ve been in a phase where I feel like I’m putting more into my golf game than I’m getting out. It can be maddening, but seeing the relief, the release, and the joy… Makes it all worth it.

There is so much you can learn from a round of golf and if you want to see how I use TANGENT’s Coachable Moments to learn from every round I play, check out the latest film room.