The Loneliest feeling in the world

Fig Jam

When Sean O’Hair stepped onto the 18th Tee Box at Bay Hill Country Club on Sunday, he was tied for 1st place.  He was where every golfer with aspirations of greatness would want to be:  on the 72nd hole of a PGA tour event with a share of the lead.  The chance to grasp victory was upon him.  

I’m sure he had a sinking feeling on that tee box though.  A feeling of inevitable defeat.  The kind of feeling you get when your team is down 4 with 2 seconds to go in a basketball game and  you know that the chance of victory has all but evaporated.  In fact, I’m pretty sure that as Sean O’Hair prepared to play the 18th hole on Sunday he was the loneliest man in the world.   The crowd knew he was going to lose.  His caddy knew he was going to lose, and deep in his heart, he knew it too.  For standing next to him, the man with whom he shared the lead, was none other than Tiger Woods.  Golf’s Megatron.  Cold, ruthless, and devastating.

Now,  this is not an indictment on Sean O’Hair.  In fact, of all the young and talented golfers playing on the PGA tour today O’Hair has displayed more potential for greatness than most.  He is 26 years old, has 2  tour victories to his name, and has over $9 million in career earnings since joining the tour in 2005.  He is a great player.  But when it comes to a face to face showdown with Tiger Woods, he is just like every other player in the world:  hopeless and helpless.

Watching Woods systematically destroy people is really a sight to behold.  He has a greater mental advantage over his opponents than any athlete I have ever seen.  When in contention on a Sunday, Woods doesn’t bend, break, or even flinch when it comes to mentally dominating his opponents.  He may hit a wayward shot every now and again. Make a bogey or give up a stroke where he shouldn’t, but none of that gets in the way of his mindset that he is going to win. 

What amazes me about how Woods conducts himself out on the course is his unbelievable ability to mentally conquer a game that was seemingly invented to confound.  I can’t think of a sport where there is more of an ‘unknown’ factor than there is in golf.  You have so many moving parts required just to hit the ball it is a wonder anyone ever makes contact.  Once you hit the ball you are at the mercy of mother nature.  A golf ball is small and susceptible to wind.  A golf ball is hard and can bounce in any number of directions based on where it lands and how it lands.  Greens are smooth and golf balls are apt to hit them and roll, often times all the way off the green.  In short, there is only so much you can control.  Much of the game is left to chance.  Anyone who has ever grasped a club is aware of this.  They know how much of a mental puzzle the game is.  That is, except for Woods. 

Tiger Woods has the anti-yips.  On Sunday he won yet another golf tournament by draining a 20 foot putt as darkness set in around him.  On the round he beat O’Hair by 6 strokes, so he made up a stroke every 3 holes that he played.  Against world class competition, that is truly amazing.