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New Release
The Fairway Of Life
Simple Secrets To Playing Better Golf By Going With The Flow ~
Rand Scott Marquardt
Life & Mental Golf Performance Coach 
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You can hardly turn around without hearing about Tiger’s recent fall from grace, or is it? Will Tiger reinvent himself and give the world a new message, one in which his father spoke of? His recent stumble has sure caught our attention, hasn’t it? How else do we learn or remember these kinds of lessons? Is it not the recovering alcoholic who makes the best AA teacher?
Life is always showing us about life itself. In order to receive this higher message someone has to experience adversity first – and those periods are the times of the greatest gain. Tiger’s celebrity status has the whole world looking carefully at this insidious disease called “infidelity.” Who hasn’t had the thought that the grass might be greener somewhere else, if even for a brief spell? Then cast the first stone if you will. The greatest betrayal of all is to oneself. I truly believe the greatest pain from all of this is Tiger’s own internal suffering that he has caused himself. The consequences of our own actions weigh heavily on the exact ones we love the most.
An enlightened Master spoke many years ago, “Do not judge and you will not be judged.” Many with very self-righteous positions will judge this event harshly. Even fellow pro’s have lashed out voicing their strong objections. And in the very moment you judge someone as not being on their path, you are not on yours either. Be very careful to judge another, rather I invite you to simply observe. Notice how you feel when judging another even though you might be right. No, I shall not condemn nor condone the behavior from the world’s most mentally tough athlete and perhaps the greatest golfer of all time. I shall simply observe and ask myself some even deeper questions; like what would love do now or how will this make me a better me? It is my observation that much of the world would rather be right then happy.
You see these kinds of personal issues left unresolved will literally eat away at you on the inside. You may appear to cover them up temporarily, yet sooner or later they will bubble up to the surface. They are like energy draining beach balls that we attempt to hold under water. When we are out of integrity with ourselves it affects all aspects of our lives including our own golf game. Therefore, it is essential to make peace with our past; to make peace with our selves; to come clean; to forgive; to tell the truth; and to reinvent or better our selves by becoming our higher or more authentic Self. That is my hope and desire for Tiger and anyone else who knows why they have received this message today. You just have to go inside – for if you do not go within, you go without. Perfectly imperfect is what we are.
I shall keep on observing Tiger’s World with hope and anticipation that he resolves his personal issues by telling his truth and making peace with himself. I eagerly anticipate his return to golf. I also look forward to the young guns like Anthony Kim, Rory McElroy, Camilla Villegas, and Rickie Fowler giving Tiger a run for his money too!
The 2009 Masters
What drama. What story lines. From the poor beginnings as a 10-year old caddy, Argentine Angel Cabrera emerges as The Masters Champion, his second major after winning the 2007 U.S. Open. Angel took pride in never needing a sports psychologist at his side. Instead, he opted for his trusty pack of cigarettes. There is more than one way to skin a cat. If Angel ever does get rattled it’s after some poor execution where he gets down on himself. On this day, for this occasion, he was the one left standing - for himself and perhaps - for the memory and honor of his fellow countrymen Roberto De Vicenzo.
The 2009 Masters began with some fireworks right from the get-go. The cool Texan, Chad Campbell, started off in record setting form opening with 5 straight birdies. Kenny Perry was playing on house money having accomplished more than he ever imagined with his golf. “Everything is a bonus,” he told us. He’s grateful and appreciative, a true gentlemen and sportsman. He set his goal to play in the 2008 Ryder Cup and now to win 20 times on tour and compete in majors. Everything is going along according to hoyle. It always does. The universe is always yielding to our desires and our asking; now it is up to us to allow it in. Anthony Kim found out he was taking his first round at Augusta National Golf Club way too serious. With the tragic death of Angel’s baseball pitcher, Nick Adenhart, it put it all into perspective for Kim. Life is a precious gift, “That could’ve been me,” he said with a somber heart. Kim set a Masters record with 11 birdies in his second round of golf, posting a 65.
Then came Sunday. First it was Phil to make a charge, next it was Tiger. The roars were deafening throughout the tall pines and magnolias, several groups ahead of the leaders. Everyone was following the two giants - the energy was maddening. The stage was set for a memorable Masters. Then Phil missed two short putts, and Tiger bogeyed…again. Soon after #’s 1 & 2 in the world exited the stage, three were left standing.
Besides the sheer exhilaration of just watching such an event, Nick Faldo provided extraordinary commentary into his own psyche, a past 3-time Masters Champion in 1989, 1990, and 1996. Personally, I resonate with his philosophy more than any other. On the inside I’m not too sure if Faldo’s philosophy is too much different than Cabrera’s mental mindset. It’s just a matter of what works and how we end up believing in ourselves, or not? Cabrera came from nothing but pure desire and sure will. He emerged from the caddy ranks onto the biggest stage of them all - winning a green jacket. Faldo had dreams too. He set intentions; he let his will and his belief in himself turn him into the champion that he is. He practiced training his mind. The key is to find out which way works for you.
Faldo says, “You really got to believe you will make everything. Today I will hole everything.” In order to pull off the shots you need:
Inner courage
Inner knowing
Inner self-belief
Faldo says, “What it takes is to be totally in the moment.” You need:
Creative visualization
A wonderfully def touch
And from high above the Georgia pines the golfing gods on your side
Faldo talks about meditating and how the new guys look at him and say, what’s that? He talks about how he used to meditate twice a day, which allows him to become more present, more peaceful, and helps set the tone and intention for his day and his round.
I write about all of these things in my book, The Fairway of Life: Simple Secrets To Playing Better Golf By Going With The Flow due out in mid-May. The best way is to find out what way works for you. Remember: my way is merely one-way and there are plenty of paths. Do you like what you are seeing with the results in your golf game? Are you making strides? What small action step can you take today that will make you a better you and a better player tomorrow?
Perhaps we can all agree that no matter what: life and golf is supposed to be fun!
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