Psychology of Golf...makes you NUTS!

Anyone who follows the PGA Tour on a regular basis either saw or read about Mark Calcavecchia at the PODS Championship a couple of weeks back.  His travails over those four days is exactly what golf is all about.  And what is golf all about you ask?...It's about driving you absolutely nuts!

Calcavecchia packed his bags after shooting 75 Thursday, checked out of his hotel and was heading down the road.  Then he shot 67 and made the cut.  Checked back into the hotel, unpacked, went out in the 3rd round and shot a 62 for a share of the lead!  Earlier that week he purchased a putter for $256.18 and he started using it Friday...what golfer hasn't done that??  Sunday he hit some solid shots, made some long putts and missed some short ones.  On 18, he had about a 6 footer to win with his opponent about 5 feet for birdie to tie him if he misses.  Calc hit a good putt (according to the announcers) and it didn't go in.  Looks like a playoff.  Slocum, his opponent with the 4 footer to tie, misses and Calc wins.  Give me a break!  My emotions changed 5 times...what went through their minds?

I'll tell you what went through their minds, "That's golf."  Anything can happen in golf and the best way to deal with it is react to it and move on.  I had the pleasure of hearing Bob Rotella speak a few yeras back about his take on the psychology of golf and basically his take is you need to react to your experiences on the golf course but don't dwell on the negative experiences.  I'm not a big believer in reading books to fix your game, but I have Rotella's books (as a result from a father trying to be the funny gift giver) and although I haven't read them from cover to cover, I have read different parts and for a round or two, it was helpful.

Calcavecchia reacted to his poor round Thursday by packing his bags.  He relaxed, went out made the cut and then put himself in a position to win for the first time since 2005.  Slocum reacted to his experience of having a putt to go to overtime by missing a putt badly and handing Calc victory.  I don't know either golfer personally...but they're over it because that's what golfers do...we're NUTS and we LIKE IT!!