It Is So Hard To Be Good

Good morning…

My son Max had a great experience the last few days caddying for a friend of his Zander Winston at the US Open Qualifiers - they call it golf’s longest day. Zander says he did not have his best stuff, but grinded all day through the 36 holes and tied for 8th, missing by just two shots.

My son is a really good player. He played with Zander this year when Zander was trying out for our Grass League golf team ‘The Hat Tricks’ and was in awe of his game. We picked Zander for our team of eight golfers.

It was easy to follow along the qualifier yesterday from the website and Max was scoreboard watching while he caddied. Preston Summerhays, a young amateur, plays at our home course Silverleaf in Scottsdale and won this whole qualifier to make it into next weeks US Open. His older brother, the better player, was not close.

Max texted me near the end of the first round in the morning as Zander was grinding in a field where Max knew and had played with so many of the great players…’it is so hard to be good’.

Indeed Max. A good life lesson.

Max Homa who is Max’s favorite player and last year 10th in the world, carried his own bag yesterday in his qualifier. Max Homa did NOT qualify.

It is not just hard to be good in golf, it is almost impossible to stay good.

I have not played golf in months. I have had zero interest. I gave it up for now with my two jobs - Social Leverage and Stocktwits CEO. I am sure I would miss golf it if I had any sort of game, but I don’t. It long faded. I have this vision of me taking the game back up seriously, but I love work, I love cycling, I love my fitness routine and so I have zero time to get back to good enough to enjoy playing the game. I love watching golf more than ever despite not playing, especially if I get to watch Max play.

So, cheers to all the golfers grinding it out on the course and range trying to be good. In no other sport or profession (barring injury) - other than maybe investing other people’s money - can you go from working yourself to the Top 10 to ‘where the hell is my ball going’ and having to start all over again from the bottom if you want to play in The US Open.