Winning Where It Counts Most: Part 1

Jun 25, 2013 by Jim and Jerolyn Bogear

As I begin to write this, Phil Mickelson is only half way through the US Open golf tournament. By the time you read this, Sunday, June 16, 2013 will have passed. It will be Father’s Day, Phil Mickelson’s birthday, and the conclusion of the US Open golf tournament.

Phil Mickelson is a professional golfer who plays on the PGA tour and has won a number of tournaments. He is considered one of the better ones to ever play the game.
I enjoy watching and playing golf, and have been a Mickelson fan for some time. Like so many others I only know of him, and like him, from a distance. We often hear how he will stay around signing autographs and taking pictures for the fans.  But I have watched his commitment to his family, which has also increased my long distance appreciation for him. I chose to write this before the completion of the tournament because it is not based on whether he wins or loses (he is currently tied for 1^st); rather for the values he demonstrated right before this prestigious tournament known as our National Championship, the US Open. It is considered one of the four Major Championships golf recognizes in one season. To win it has become a priority for all golfers. Simply put, Big Week! And Mickelson has finished a record 5 times as runner-up. Some have said if anyone should win this tournament, it is Phil Mickelson.

So many players, often including Mickelson, show up early in the week to prepare for this week. They have been working on their game, practicing, focusing on this week. Even in the previous tournaments, although they want to win, the talk is of how their golf game is looking in light of the upcoming Major tournament. Nothing else seems to matter and nothing else gets in the way. Everything else appears secondary. This week… it is the US Open!

But this is where the value of something so much more than golf and major championships shows up in Mickelson’s life. He demonstrates a value of family.

This may be a Major tournament, but it doesn’t compare to the Major of Family for Mickelson.

On Thursday’s blog, we’ll see how Phil wins where it counts and how this applies to our lives.

~ Jim