“I’m Such an Idiot”

I think that most of the time when we read about superstar athletes, we are both in awe of their great skill and perhaps jealous of their fame and wealth. Some of these super humans seem to be fine-tuned machines of bone and flesh. Golf however, does not conjure up these images. When I look at these guys, they look like regular “Joes” you might work with or be related to.

Now don’t get me wrong, golf is a difficult sport. I would call it a finesse game. Speed and strength don’t seem to be much a part of control and accuracy. Although like any other sport, there is also a mental component. Perhaps the allure of golf as a spectator sport is that so many people relate to it because anyone can play. Old or young, big or small, guy or gal, in-shape or barely able to walk — they are all out there hitting a ball and following it around. Certainly soccer is a more exciting game to watch, but alas, we Americans still cannot relate to the game the world calls “football.”

In most sports, it seems the athletes were bred to play the game. Others attempt to get even more of an edge using performance altering substances. Except for Tiger Woods who seems to have been born with a club in his hand, I simply don’t get this impression from other golfers. This “regular guy” impression was reinforced this past weekend when Phil Mickelson declared himself “an idiot” for his U.S. Open loss.

It seems all Mickelson needed to do is make some very basic shots to win the tournament, but a series of “chokes” cost him the victory. The humility of the situation can best be visualized in the photo of Mickelson searching for his ball in and around a garbage bag just off the fairway.

It’s nice to know that, like us, Phil is just a fallible human susceptible to the agony of defeat.

See more Men’s Golf Champions.

Add comment June 20th, 2006