Gary Player On Translating Mastery In Golf Into Mastery Of Your Life

How do you become world-class at something? Do you find yourself building a career as a soloist? Have you faced adversity and don’t know how to move past it? Struggle to find time to improve your physical or mental fitness? Want to know the role of love in your career?

If you’re curious about or relate to any of these ideas, come along with me as we talk to golf legend Gary Player, aka “The Black Knight”.

Admittedly, I’m not a golf fan, but I am a fan of hard work, dedication, mastery, and the unexpected lessons we can translate from one arena to another.

So, I sat down with Gary Player to see what we can learn from his success.

Golf is an inherently individual sport. What’s your advice for anyone in a career where their success weighs heavily on their independent performance?

Success begins with what’s inside a person. How badly do they want it? How hard are they prepared to work? Golf is no doubt a very lonely game. And the same can be said for a number of other sports, as well as business. In the end, you can’t rely on others too much. Sure, you may need help along the way, whether it’s advice or encouragement. But in the end, success falls mostly on the individual.

Of course, there will be “naysayers” who try to put you down. Really, it’s up to the individual to rise above and overcome any adversity that stands between him and success.

Please share about one professional relationship you’ve had where the outcomes of your efforts together were multiplied exponentially beyond your ability to do so alone. What did you learn from that?

My first manager, and the man who basically invented sports management through IMG – Mark McCormack – was instrumental to my success on and off the golf course. He was a visionary, who saw that sports figures should be able to capitalize on their persona through endorsements and being a spokesperson for companies and other brands.

All of our talent is on loan. I’ve seen so many golfers over the years who woke up one day and could not even make a cut anymore. So, Mark taught me how important it is to capitalize on your success in the moment. Don’t wait around for tomorrow. Get your deal done. And here I am in my 83rd year, still representing global companies like Rolex, SAP and Berenber, and building my own brand along the way.

You’ve talked about how success is 10% preparation and 90% mental fortitude. How does one defeat her own insecurities and increase his or her mental fitness?

For me, it was overcoming adversity at an early age. My mother died of cancer when I was young. At the same time, my brother went to war, my sister was at boarding school, and I seldom saw my father as he was working his tail off 8000 feet underground in the gold mines.

But that made me stronger. I taught myself to be independent. I worked hard on my golf game, but even harder on my mind. I remember being in my hotel room, looking in the mirror, slapping myself and repeatedly saying ‘You are a champion!’, ‘Have guts!’, ‘Prove yourself!’, ‘Be patient!’

Known as “The World’s Most Traveled Athlete” ™. To date, Gary Player has traveled more than 28 million air kilometers around the world during his 65-year career.

You went through a tragedy early on in your life, around age 8. How did that propel you forward, and what can others learn from this when they face adversity?

The world does not owe anyone anything. It’s how you respond to life which determines your successes. After my mother died from cancer, and there was no one to really look after me, I could have – probably should have – gone down a dark path.

I remember my mother lying on that hospital bed. She got a call from a friend (who knew she was sick) and she asked how my mother was feeling. To my surprise, she said ‘I feel fantastic!’ When she hung up the phone, I just looked at her in disbelief. But the words she said next ring in my head every day. She said, ‘Gary, don’t put your problems on somebody else; they have enough of their own.’

Face adversity head-on with tenacity, determination and grit. You will be a better person for it.

Fitness is something for which you’re equally as famous as you are for golf, and you credit it for much of your longevity and success. Any tips for those of us who struggle to integrate this into our lives?

One hour exercising is only 4 percent of the day. That’s my mentality. A person who exercises has more energy. If you don’t have time to go to the gym, buy yourself a treadmill. If you can’t afford a treadmill, walk around your neighborhood.

There are so many ways to be active. It helps your body and mind in so many ways we don’t even completely understand. We are at our infancy in understanding how fitness and diet can help your longevity. You need to sleep well. Meditate. Be grateful. Smile. Spend time with family and friends. Get outside and into nature. Help others.

I hope my life, and how I have approached fitness and diet, can be a case study for future generations.

Love isn’t a word often used when someone is mapping out his or her career. However, you’ve shared that you believe it’s the most important element for a life and career well-lived. Care to elaborate?

Love is the most important word in any language. If you have love in your heart, you will be fulfilled no matter what.

What advice would you give your 8-year-old self?

The exact same advice my brother gave to me before he left to fight in WWII – work hard, exercise every day, eat healthy, love unconditionally. Those words have served me well.

For anyone who aspires to achieve something great, what advice can you share?

Under no circumstances will this come easily, but you have to believe in yourself first. Visualize your goals. Remain positive. Be happy. Be enthusiastic. And never, never give up, no matter what the circumstances.

SOURCE:  FORBES.COM

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Patrick Reed holds off Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler to win Masters by one shot

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Never one to back down from a fight, Patrick Reed sure had one on his hands Sunday in the final round of the 82nd Masters.

The hero of the 2016 Ryder Cup took some mighty blows from Augusta National Golf Club but never went down – he is Captain America, after all – and now has a green jacket to drape over his red, white and blue cape.

Armed with a three-shot lead after 54 holes, Reed, the fiery, confrontational raging bull, channeled his emotions, held his nerve and called upon his considerable golf skills to withstand a host of the game’s best players on a tense, wild Masters Sunday that had the staff handling the famous white scoreboards working overtime.

“To win your first major is never going to be easy,” said Reed, who had never broken 70 in his previous four starts in the Masters. “It definitely wasn’t easy today. I knew it was going to be a dogfight.

“It’s just God basically saying, ‘Let’s see if you have it.’ Everyone knows you have it physically with the talent, but do you have it mentally? Can you handle the ups and downs throughout the round?”

He did just that with a final-round 1-under-par 71, holding off challenges from Rickie Fowler, Ryder Cup rival Rory McIlroy and Ryder Cup partner Jordan Spieth to win his first major title in 17 attempts. With a huge birdie from eight feet on the 14th and gut-check pars on 13, 15, 17 and 18 – the last a four-foot par save to conclude matters – Reed finished with rounds of 69-66-67-71 to end at 15-under 273.

 “I stuck to my game plan all week,” Reed said. “Even today, I didn’t stray from it at all. It’s something that I needed to learn, especially at a place like this, how important it is to stick to what I believe.”

Reed wound up one clear of Fowler, who shot 65-67 on the weekend but came up short in his bid to win his first major, while Spieth, who delivered the biggest charge with a 64 that included a last-hole bogey, wound up two back.

“Patrick, he’s not scared,” said Fowler, who since 2013 has eight top-10s in majors, the most without a victory. “He’s not scared on the golf course. He’ll play aggressive. He’ll play his game. He won’t back down.

“Gave it our all, left it all out there. Made P. Reed earn it.”

Jon Rahm shot 69 to finish four back. McIlroy, trying to complete the career Grand Slam, added to his star-crossed Masters history with a final-round 74 and tied for fifth.

Reed got off to a shaky start with an opening bogey but settled down when he canned a 15-footer for birdie on the third hole – “I needed that,” he said – and added another red number at the seventh when he stuffed his second shot from 133 yards to a foot for another birdie.

By this time, the battle was joined by a few players, including Spieth, who kept pecking away at his deficit with one birdie after another. The 2015 Masters champ made seven birdies in his first 13 holes and finally caught Reed with the last of his nine on the 16th hole.

“I’m kind of glad he ran out of holes,” Reed said.

Reed, however, never lost at least a share of the lead and made birdie on the 12th from 22 feet – his first birdie on the devilish par-3 hole.

Then fortune shined on him when his approach to the par-5 13th from 186 yards stayed on the bank fronting the green instead of rolling into Rae’s Creek and Reed made par.

He regained the lead with a birdie on the 14th from eight feet and then two-putted from 75 feet on the 17th for par and two-putted from 25 feet on the 18th to win the green jacket, his sixth PGA Tour title and $1.98 million.

“Everybody really likes battling Patrick, because he loves it so much and eats it up,” said Spieth, who has a win, two seconds and a third in five Masters starts.

“My only wish or regret from the week was that I was playing with him at some point on the weekend. But he’s a member of the Masters club now, he’ll have a green jacket forever. His name is etched in history.”

SOURCE:  usatoday.com

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Big names line up for Masters dream

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Chasing a first Green Jacket is obviously tough. It is tougher if you start slower than you would have liked.

But a handful of big-name players clawed their way into contention on Friday, as tough scoring conditions presented themselves.

While 2015 winner Jordan Spieth came back to the pack, plenty who want to join him at the Champions Dinner, like Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler, made their moves.

McIlroy – chasing the career Grand Slam – added a 1-under 71 to his 69 opener to sit 4 under and tied fourth.

Johnson – the world No. 1 – birdied three of his last 11 holes to put up a 68 and move to 3 under and into sixth place.

Thomas – the FedExCup leader – produced a sublime 67 to rebound all the way to sixth place and will start six back Saturday.

Fowler couldn’t buy a putt for most of the day, but scratched out a 72 all the same to stay 2 under.

Rose – the runner up on two occasions – used a 70 to creep up on things and also sit 2 under.

They might not be leading the way – Patrick Reed dominated Friday to post in the clubhouse at 9 under – but they are close enough.

“Being up there around the lead going into the weekend, it’s a good position to be in,” McIlroy said.

“But I think I’m happier with how I’ve felt and how I’ve handled certain things and how my thought process has been. That’s been a pleasing thing.”

McIlroy was referencing his experience. In the past he felt the need to play aggressive almost always. Now he knows – especially on tough days – to bide his time.

And with heavy rain and possible high winds due Saturday, there is going to be plenty of grinding to come.

 “With the amount of times that I’ve been in contention or around the lead whether it be a regular PGA TOUR event or a major … every experience that you have in that arena in those situations, you learn a little bit from it each time,” he explained.

“Sometimes pars might be a little bit boring and you might feel as if you want to get a little bit more out of your round, but as you look up the leaderboard and you’re still there around the lead, that’s taken awhile for me to adjust to.

“When I first came out here on TOUR, I thought all these guys birdied every hole and you just had to hit unbelievable shot after unbelievable shot and hold the putt afterwards. It’s not quite like that.”

Thomas can make it two majors in a row with a big weekend and further solidify his spot at the top of the FedExCup.

His goal was to find his name on the iconic Augusta scoreboards on Friday and his six birdie, one bogey effort allowed it.

“You always want to see your name on that big board, because that means you’re doing something right, and I was glad to see I got thrown up there later in the day,” he said.

Fowler spent energy not getting annoyed with the plethora of putts that wouldn’t drop for him – instead believing his luck may change on the weekend.

He three-putted the 13th, 15th and 16th holes coming home.

“I’m happy where we’re at after two rounds,” he said.

“Definitely looking forward to the weekend and the putts are definitely due to fall.”

Johnson signaled his intentions early with an eagle on the par-5 second and although he was forced to grind through the middle of the round he stepped up when it counted with a couple of late birdies on 13 and 18.

The last world No. 1 to win the Masters was Tiger Woods in 2002.

In all there are eight major champions with 14 majors between them within seven shots of Reed’s lead. But only Bubba Watson (seven back) has won at Augusta.

SOURCE:  PGATOUR.com

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