19 years without a major win. 19 years of finishing in second place or worse when it comes to the big matches. 19 years, but who is counting? Would you stop counting? Or would that number loom large in your head as you faced yet another challenge in your professional career?
Almost two decades is a long time even in our ever-increasing lifespan. Assume a life span of 100 years and it is one-fifth of your time on earth. When would you cut your losses on move on?
Sergio Garcia put one in the record books on Sunday with his win at the Master’s Tournament. Winning the Master’s is a big deal for any golfer. It is an elite club and only a very few have managed to have repeat success at the event. For Sergio, it was even sweeter as he put his first major golf title win in his bag…after 19 years on the tour.
When would you have quit?
A strong start as a youngster put him on the scene in 1999. Into the early and mid-2000, he remained a contender. However, bouts of temper and unsportsmanlike conduct showed when things did not go well. Perhaps the focus on natural talent got in the way? Early wins have a way of doing that.
Then came the challenging years with near misses of wins and near misses with the media and fans. Emotions got the best of the young Spaniard. Bad luck seemed to follow in the years of 2007-2008. Then an absolute slump in performance came in 2009 and 2010 and Sergio withdrew from several tournaments and announced he was taking a break from golf. Would you have the grit to continue on?
The break was short-lived as Sergio returned to golf in late 2010. Yet still the wins did not come. Media and golf commentators provided their own views saying he just didn’t have “it”. “It” being the champion’s mindset that was needed to get to the top. Even Sergio came to share this same view, stating in 2012, “In 13 years, I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to play for second or third place.” What mindset shift would need to happen to move past the failures and the predetermination of just second?
I don’t coach Sergio and don’t even know him personally. Observing from the outside, I see a young man who has matured in the spotlight, brave enough to let the world see what it takes to get to the top. All the pieces came together and you can use this as your own guide:
Talent – that was continually developed and refined
Grit – sticking with it even in the lowest points
Mindset – shifting from fixed to growth, learning from the failures, refining and moving forward.
19 years is a long-time. It was just the time that one young man needed.