Balance; stability. Composure. Dignity of manner.
Last evening Y.E.Yang upset Tiger Woods to win the 91st PGA Championship. Y.E. who?
The ingredients: a 37-year old guy who started playing golf at age 18 but only turned pro in 2004. He was 145th in money winnings in 2008. This year, won the Buick Open, but had never seen Tiger Woods up close until yesterday when he was paired with him down the stretch. Tied with Woods for a number of holes.
The cake: Yang pulls ahead going into the last few holes by chipping in a ball for an eagle. He keeps his head and the lead.
The frosting: Tiger needed to birdie the 18th in order to tie and force a playoff. Yang had never been close in a major, never seen any kind of pressure like this in his life. So who gets the birdie with brilliant shots? Not Tiger. Yang. He was the picture of composure.
The explanation: Yang, who is from South Korea and doesn't even speak English, needed a translator for the post-tournament interview. When asked what the pressure was like, he said he tried to control his emotions. When he can control himself on the inside, he can maintain control of his body on the outside.
The lesson: We can all learn something from the first Asian golfer ever to win one of the Majors. When we find ourselves suddenly playing with the best, we can either doubt ourselves or behave like champions, staying calm and doing what we do best. I look forward to those opportunities and strive to put myself those situations. How about you?
Oh, the other lesson: Tiger's human after all.
--Dave
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