Winners and Losers

Two weeks ago, I watched the Masters Golf Tournament on the final Sunday. I've been to the Masters once many years ago. It is, to me, the most beautiful and wonderfully traditional tournament of all. To win is to put one into the company of some very accomplished people.

As I watched the tv coverage which was so slanted toward the return of Tiger Woods, I found it really tiresome. On the other hand, I was truly awed at how incredibly well Phil Mickelson played. Some of his shots over the last 5 or 6 holes were just unbelievable! I was happy that he won.

When it was over and Tiger was being interviewed, I was struck at how self centered he is. In the entire interview, he talked only about how poorly he had played on the back nine, that his game grew worse there. Not once did he even mention anything about the marvelous round Mickelson played...not once. The character, or lack of character, truly showed.

A friend sent me the following excerpt from his local newspaper. It is a letter to the editor. I don't know the paper, nor do I know the name of the writer, but I would like to share it for it strikes the same chord I felt at the time. It says what a lot of us were thinking and feeling as The Masters came to a close. I hope you will enjoy it.

From anonymous:

"Phil Mickelson

For the past few days, while I tried to enjoy one of the greatest golf tournaments in the world, all I was entertained with was the Tiger Woods show. As soon as one golfer would hit a tee shot or make a putt, it seemed that the next view would be that of Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods just missing a putt that would have put him in contention with the other golfers. Tiger Woods hooking his drive which showed how his time off had hurt his game. Tiger Woods trying to “respect” the game. How it seemed that the Tiger was able to put his past transgressions behind him and was able to concentrate on the job at hand. It just kept going on and on about Tiger this and Tiger that.

On the other hand, a little miracle was occurring at the Masters;
one golfer just kept smiling. He smiled if he made a good drive, or if
he made a bad drive. He smiled if he made a 50 foot putt or missed a 5
foot putt. As he walked between holes, he smiled and shook hands with
the crowd. He never cursed a bad stoke or blamed another person for a
miss. All he did was smile.

Why would Phil Mickelson be smiling? Here was a man whose wife has breast cancer. Here was a man whose mother has breast cancer. Here is a man who rather than allow his wife and mother to fight this battle by themselves, took time off from the PGA tour to be with them. Here was a man that returned to the game he loved when his wife ordered him to. Here was man, who was so glad for the miracle that was happening as his wife moved closer to a cure, that he rewarded her oncologist by allowing him to be his guest caddy at last week’s golf tournament. This move, which could have cost Mickelson thousands of dollars in purse money, was his gift to a man he knew he could never thank enough for what he had given to him.

During the last round today, Phil’s wife was staying in their hotel room since she was still weak from the chemo treatments she is receiving. Phil did not know as he walked up to the 18th tee that his wife would be there. All Phil did was smile. He smiled to the crowds, he smiled to the TV audience, he smiled to God.

After his last putt found the bottom of the hole, he hugged his caddy and
others and walked to the scorer’s shack. He then gave the biggest smile
of the whole four days. He saw his wife, and even in the midst of
thousands of people, it seemed that only two were there.

Tomorrow I am going to smile. I am going to smile if it is nice
weather or bad. I am going to smile at the driver who honks his horn at
me, or the driver who cuts me off. I am going to smile if I get the
order or not. And when the day is done, I am going to save my biggest
smile for the person who makes me complete. Then I am going to look to
the heavens and give thanks for being able to smile.
Thanks Phil!
God bless you and your family. And keep on smiling!"

AMEN from me!