Southern California's No. 1 Source for Golf
STROKE OF THE DAY |
"Winning isn't everything, but wanting it is. " |
-Arnold Palmer |
SITE
SEARCH
GOLF
CALENDAR
PEOPLE
|
||||
 Fitness, nutrition and relaxation are part of what I call the general mode. The No. 1 element of the general mode is integrity, which is the ability to look in the mirror each morning and know that you're doing everything you can to make yourself better. Golf is such an honorable game, and one of the most satisfying aspects of working with good young players is having a role in shaping them to be good people, too. None of them are hitting or putting it perfectly now, but I have seen some great things from them on the golf course. • During the third round of the AT&T Classic on the PGA Tour in May, John Merrick hit his drive into the rough on the 18th hole. The marshal signaled that he had located the ball. Merrick checked the ball, confirmed it was the same brand and number he was playing and wedged it back into the fairway. Before playing the next shot he realized it wasn't his ball. Merrick returned to the tee and made an 8 on the hole. He came back the next day, shot a 66 and tied for 24th. • At the BMW Charity Classic on the Nationwide Tour in May, Peter Tomasulo thought he saw his ball wiggle as he began to address his putt on the 17th hole. He called a rules official and told him what happened. Tomasulo told the official that he didn't want to get out of his playing "mode," so the official offered to review the tape with him after the round. The official determined that Tomasulo hadn't incurred a penalty, which allowed him to subtract a stroke from the score he wrote on his card. • I was with John Mallinger at the PGA Tour's Zurich Classic in New Orleans and during a practice round I spotted a young man in a wheelchair. I told Mallinger to give the kid a ball, and he hesitated. The situation made him uncomfortable, but it was a perfect opportunity to teach and learn. Mallinger handed me a ball and I gave it to the kid, who responded with joy. A few weeks later, at the Players Championship, Mallinger spotted a young boy who was disabled. I saw him whisper to his caddy, who handed him a second ball. He hit his tee shot down the middle, pulled out a Sharpie and signed the second ball and handed it to the boy. The kid absolutely lit up. Mallinger chipped in for birdie on the hole, made the cut and had a nice week. • Travis Johnson recently had the opportunity to compete in the Big Stakes Championship for a record prize of $2 million. During interviews, players were asked what they would do with their winnings. Most mentioned buying cars and houses, but Johnson said he would give one-third of his prize money to charity. It was an amazing gesture by a young man who hasn't established himself yet on the professional circuit. It's easy to get caught up in the mentality of hitting perfect shots and shooting low scores, but the game is more than that. We struggle on the course, get frustrated and lose sight of why we're there. It's why I'm confident in the abilities of these young men. Not only are they dedicated and focused athletes who train to get the most out of their abilities, they're more than that. By evidence of their recent experiences, they're also on their way to becoming great men. It's a terrific lesson and example for everyone to follow. SG Jamie Mulligan is a PGA professional the chief operations officer at Virginia Country Club. |
||||
RSS Subscribe
Digg This Article
