WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM ADAM SCOTT

This year’s Masters tournament provided a lot of great lessons we can learn from and teach our students.  The one that stands out the most in my mind is the patience that the winner, Adam Scott, exemplified during his final round.  Patience is something many of us preach to our students, or even try to work on in our own game, but it is more difficult to integrate than other skills. During the final round, Scott began his round with a bogey on the first hole.  His demeanor walking off the green was very calm; one couldn’t tell if he made a par or worse.  He parred the next hole, which is a par-5 that many players think is a birdie hole.  Again, he walked off the green very calm, not upset for making par.  Many players, including yours truly, start to press if they feel they are falling behind the leaders.  Scott kept calm and birdied the next hole. He then parred the next nine holes in a row, missing many makeable birdie putts.  His conduct never changed.  He stayed patient, knowing that he was hitting the ball well and that the putts would start to all.  If he would have started to press his game when he was not making birdies, he would have started to put more pressure on his ballstriking, possibly resulting in poor execution and possibly some bogeys. Scott made three birdies on the last six holes, eventually winning in a playoff.  His patience and calm demeanor allowed him to take advantage of great shots and not get in his own way, winning his first major.  It took me a long time to learn how to play this way.  I would always feel that missing short putts or not making birdies meant that I was falling behind the leaders.  Tournament golf is a long process.  You must stay patient and let the good scores come to you.