If you play golf, serious golf, you will face some adversity along the way. Life is like that, too. Life has a way of throwing curve balls at us. Adversity is sometimes failure, sometimes bad luck, and maybe bad decisions. On the golf course we face adversity every time we go out and play; some of our own making and some just by chance. Adversity and misfortune are wicked bedfellows. The 1st Century Greek philosopher Epictetus once said, “It’s not what happens to you, it’s how you react to it.” When bad things happen, it can cause some people to choke, and others to respond with a brilliant performance.
A perfect example of the latter was Rory McIlroy’s triumph at the Masters on April 13, 2025. McIlroy, 35, had been battling demons in the majors for more than a decade. After winning four majors early in his career he had not won another in 11 years. In the 2014 Masters he had a four stroke lead going into the final nine holes, but sadly slipped to a 4-over-par 80, and finished tie for 8th. This time in the final round Rory made two double bogeys on the front nine, and two more doubles on the back nine. Fans were thinking this is “déjà vu” all over again. But Rory defied the odds. He also slayed the demons with brilliant birdies to erase the doubles. And it was a winning birdie on the single playoff hole.
McIlroy had been working with the most respected and most well-known golf psychologist, Dr. Bob Rotella, who was there to support Rory at Augusta. In his book How Champions Think, Rotella explains about “failures” in golf: “On the golf course, it’s best to treat failure as an accident.” And that’s exactly what Rory did on Sunday after his four doubles. Rotella has also equated adversity with mistakes. He has said that the game of golf was originally created with mistakes in mind, and that’s why golf courses are designed the way they are, with hazards and pitfalls of all sorts; mistakes will most assuredly happen. Golf would be boring otherwise. Rory has not disclosed any of the advice that Dr. Rotella had provided, but there is no question in my mind that sessions with the good doctor made Rory mentally strong enough to handle the guaranteed adversity and win the Masters.
Do you struggle with being able to handle adversity? An important aspect of how you react to calamity is what you are telling yourself when disaster strikes. Are you someone who says under your breath, “I just ruined my round!” Or can you take a blow-up hole in stride, and continue to play on confidently, as if it never even happened? Positive self-talk requires you to be your own caddie and lift your spirits when you’re sagging. Golfers who have mental resilience can quickly recover from setbacks by maintaining control of their emotions, staying focused on the task at hand and having a positive mindset. There’s an old saying that goes, “If it doesn’t kill you it will make you stronger,” and it applies to golf. We all need to understand and accept the fact that adversity, setbacks, awful mistakes and bad breaks are inevitable in golf. If there are too many of them in your game, and it’s getting you down, don’t get depressed - put in more time practicing and get professional instruction.
Charlie Blanchard is a guest columnist. He is a retired golf teacher and writer. He worked with NMSU’s head coach for men’s golf, Herb Wimberly, and is credentialed by the PGA for playing ability. He can be reached at docblanchard71@gmail.com.
