Be Tough or Quit?

During a practice session at home this week, a friend made the observation to me that I beat people in tournament play "because [I] have more guts than them." On the surface, I didn't really agree with that statement because I was thinking of "guts" as the boldness to go for and pull off heroic shots. On further thought, however, I realize that he meant "guts" in a different way. I have the guts to follow my plan and to believe that my work-ethic will carry me to success over players who may have more talent than me. I have the guts to out-work and out-smart my competition and to believe that my style of golf will win. 

The important thing for me is continuing to display those guts when things get difficult. I titled this post "Be Tough or Quit" because I feel like those are the two options I have when facing a challenge. Clearly, I would never quit in the literal sense by walking off the course during a competition, but the moment I start to doubt my work and doubt the fact that I am good enough to be successful, I have quit in a way. I want to have the guts and the toughness to continue believing in myself and my process even when I face a challenge. Any time that I am faced with the option to be tough or quit, I want to be tough. 

This conversation is directly relevant to my most recent tournament experience, but it can be applied almost daily as well. When I reflect on letting the 54-hole lead get away from me at the Web.com Tour event in Cleveland, it is clear that my three-putt bogey on the sixth hole in the final round really rattled me. Instead of displaying the guts that it takes to stay committed to my routine and believing that good results would follow, I panicked and tried to force the good results to happen. Essentially, I quit believing in my process. This same way of thinking can be applied almost everyday in my practice as well. When things get difficult, I have the choice to be tough and stay committed to my plan, or I can quit and be less focused towards my goals. I want stay committed to my process and to believe that I will be successful. That takes toughness, and I've got it. 

I think it's worth noting that being tough doesn't guarantee successful results every time, but it does put me in the best position to get the very most from my practice and tournament play. 

I am ready to go do it! Alicia and I hit the road/air tomorrow (Monday, 6/22) for a four-week trip on the Web.com Tour. We start in Wichita, Kansas. 

I have done great work over the past seven days. I took two days completely off from golf and fitness on Monday and Tuesday to rejuvenate. I then had three fantastic days of work at home, which included some quality time with Jake Reeves. Over the weekend, I made a quick trip to see Mitchell. I got in a lot of great work and feel like my game is continuing to get better. As for my Process Goals for this week, I did a great job of knocking them out in a short time period. I completed many elements of my Full Fitness Routine and Full Practice Schedule, but in the end I can give myself credit for only a Light week of each. Still, I'm quite pleased with the work I did, and I feel well-prepared as I head back into competition. 

Thank you very much for following and supporting my career. Great things are coming, so keep it here to enjoy the journey with me!