Master's Thoughts

Okay, so I'm back in the blogosphere. It's been a while, but it has mostly to do w/ trying to finish a basement before a new baby comes. Had to post some Master's thoughts, though. There are truly few things I enjoy more on a Sunday afternoon than major golf championships. I love competition, and the competition in golf in the four majors is so individual and intense. The Master's is the apex of that pressure.

You know, when Tiger first came on the scene back in the mid 90's, I wasn't sure what to think of him, but my respect for him is incredible now. He is the most publicized player ever, which means he also receives the most scrutiny. His 2nd place finish on Sunday seemed to be the biggest shock of the tournament. Tiger didn't win. He didn't make a Sunday move at Augusta National. And people were shocked. Tiger has made winning look so easy that he's made us believe it's easy. It's not. My brother is a high school football coach and he says, "It's hard to win games, but it's really easy to lose them." But I thought this years Master's displayed Tiger's greatness like never before. He didn't play great...and finished 2nd. He didn't have his best on Sunday...and was the only player in the top five that didn't shoot over par. And what is always the coolest to me about Tiger is that his perspective on his game is so raw and honest. He didn't putt good -- end of story. But he doesn't look at 2nd place finishes as a disaster like the press does, because he realizes that excellence is measured over the long haul, you can't hit a home run every time at the plate, and winning isn't easy.

Leaders that strive for excellence have to understand this. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and understanding excellence is crucial for perfectionist. Tiger did not play excellent this weekend. But he is still an excellent golfer. If he retired today, he'd still have an excellent career. Moreover, he realizes there's more excellence to be made. Leaders can get mired in poor performances or down times, not realizing that there is more excellence to be made. Somebody's got to make it, might as well be you. You will drive yourself crazy if you judge excellence by every move, but if you want to be excellent over the long haul, take the steps that will get you in that position when the long haul is over. And look to the future, don't dwell on the past. When one reporter asked Tiger if what losing the Master's does to his confidence as he pursues more major victories, he smiled that Tiger-smile and said, "Well, there's three more." Because there's more excellence to be made.