May 23, 2021 a Golf win for the ages

Phil calmly walked the fairway on the eighteenth hole of Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina. His demeanor on the outside was one of calculated confidence. He looked to all the world like a man out for a stroll on the final fairway of the PGA Championships.

Inside his stomach was playing leapfrog with his lungs. 

After over a year of playing golf before small crowds of people, this was the first large crowd in over a year and it was ready to burst. Phil felt buoyed by the support of the maskless crowd. They were seeking release from the pent-up emotions of the last year of frustration. The people grabbed the inspiration of a fifty-year-old golf legend. He could sense the impending eruption of emotions. 

He stepped over his ball and held on to his stomach and his heart.

He tuned out the thousands of supporters and focused.

His swing was smooth and effortless. He felt the perfection of the moment as it froze in time. Almost in slow-motion, he watched the ball sail true. The crowd knew it was the right shot. Inside he knew it too. He couldn’t see where the ball landed but he could hear the roar of the crowd, he pumped his fist and smiled. 

The energy of the fans flowed through his veins and he walked the final fairway to the 18th green. He looked over at his brother Tim and they shared a feeling of accomplishment. Tim, his wife, and himself were the only ones who actually believed the fifty-year-old could pull off the improbable and win a major championship at his age. Now they were two putts away from wrapping up the most unlikely and possibly the most exciting victory of his thirty-year career on the links. And the crowd was right there with him. 

A crowd many were unsure could even be there at all 

Vaccines have been rolled out and the weather was warm. On this sunny Sunday in South Carolina, there were thousands of fans carrying him to victory. 

It was overwhelming. And it was awesome. He felt the press of people as he reached the final green. For a brief moment, he felt panic. He breathed deep, looked at his brother, and settled his surging emotions. 

There was business to be taken care of and he would not falter this close to glory. Time stood still, he thought of his wife watching at home, he reached out to her and drew her support to himself. He looked at his brother and nodded.

Fifteen feet to glory. He needed only two putts. He was not going to screw this one up. For Phil, time froze as he watched the birdie putt roll toward the hole. It wasn’t quite on the right line… let it be close. He willed the ball to stop. 

As he stood over the last putt for the win, he thought back to his first victory thirty years in the past. The feeling of winning felt just as sweet now as it did back when he was a raw rookie of twenty. Today, he savored it that much more knowing it could be his last.

Phil Mickelson stood over the ball, only two feet for the win.

Silence enveloped him and he knew nothing other than the ball and the tiny space it needed to cover. Don’t miss it.

The roar of the crowd deafened him for a moment as the ball dropped out of sight. He turned and his brother was there to embrace him. It was a victory for the ages. The crowd began to chant his name and his whole body vibrated with relief. It was a good thing Tim had a hold of him in that brief second. 

The people of South Carolina and golf fans everywhere joined him in the release and excitement of triumph. 

It gave people hope and gave them pause to never doubt themselves. Everyone can accomplish the improbable if they work hard enough. Even though it was only a game, it was a source of inspiration for thousands, maybe millions. 

In many parts of America, the time to celebrate is near. 

In the moment of triumph, Phil Mickelson basked in the glory of it all. His smile warmed many at a time when so many needed a smile the most.