There are some parallels here with athletic endeavors of a slightly different bent. One can have the absolute worst day EVER, and, if the attitude is right and the spirit willing', learn lessons light years beyond what a 'mere victory' would have yielded.
I am not a golfer anymore. When you decide to dive into long course triathlon, your available hours for anything other than swimming, biking, running and recovering are virtually nonexistent. Add that to the fact that I simply could't keep that stupid little white ball between the OB markers, and the choice was as easy as Obama vs McCain. I do have some funny stories from my days on the links however, along with the precious few memories of a round well played or, as my buddy Beets used to say whenever it mysteriously happened, "THAT, was a nice golf shot."
Making Todd Holzman's excellent wrap story on the Rory McIlroy waltz thru the US Open a keeper. Crisp writing (...empty since Tiger Wood's recent series of unplayable lies), high drama, great story. And the lessons…..
How quickly we forget. Humility, lessons of self and the game, confidence. Sounds like Rory might have been slugging out a marathon instead of mashing a Titleist long and straight.
Dad came over yesterday with one of his old three irons. He had it marked where he wanted the shaft cut to fit eight year old Elliott's size and swing. I resisted the urge to suggest that maybe Elliott would rather ride his bike than golf.
After reading this story, I think I'll let Junior decide for himself how he wants to spend his sporting time.
Pix: Stacking the pancakes of success upon the lessons of the links. Whew.
7 comments:
ahhmmm, I am no longer a runner, tri-lete (well not even) or biker, I am now officially back to the sports I was sort of good at years ago, namely golf and tennis. who needs all that pain and punishment anyway. lack of fan support, etc. (really I can pretend to do them all with my schedule.)
Go get 'em ej. We wish you major success. This isn't for everybody.
rory made $1.44 million by winning the us open and his related sponsorship earning over the next year will easily exceed six times that. but running and biking is popular and all and will improve ones aerobic capacity and is more fun than golf. money and popularity are only two aspects to the equation. rory will likely seriously regret he didn't give up golf.
Todd doesn't know golf. rory is well known and better known than tiger by golf observers. tiger has always been a hermit. also, he doesn't mention the real competition, jason day, adam scott etc...it would be like omitting three out the four top tri contenders.
The point was not about the prize, sir.
desire the prize and the rest will follow
All well and good for THE ONE. What about everybody else? No rewards there? One of the reasons we take alternative routes is that in running, biking, tri-ing, the practice is the prize. Makes each day valuable, not just pay-day.
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