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July 19, 2005

Brad Faxon, Champion

Congratulations are due to Tiger Woods, who won the British Open this past weekend, and in doing so, won his tenth major tournament and the career Grand Slam for the second time.

For me, though, the hero of the weekend was Brad Faxon. (Full disclosure: I’m biased; he’s a pal of mine.) Brad has had a tough year, due in part to a knee injury which you never hear him use as an excuse. Consequently, if he were going to play in this year’s Open, he had to win a spot in a qualifying tournament.

Many golfers, under the same circumstances, would choose to stay at home and rest or play in the United States at a less prestigious tournament where the chances of taking home a paycheck are greater. (I don’t begrudge anyone’s choice, by the way. Professional golfers have families, too; families that they need to spend time with and take care of.)

Brad chose to go to Scotland and attempt to qualify for the tournament, one of almost 400 players trying to snag one of only a dozen spots in the Open field. He played against a field of Scots, Brits, and other Europeans on a links course. (For you non-golfers, a links course for an American golfer amounts to playing an “away game” in other sports; most U.S. golf courses are nothing like a links course.)

Brad was the only American out of almost 90 playing at Lundin Links for an Open spot. He shot 11 under par over two days and earned his ticket to the Open by a single shot.

Brad not only went on to make the Open cut, but played very well. The first two days he shot an even par 72 and a bogey free 66, ending up not only making the cut but putting him on the leaderboard. On Saturday, in spite of an early double bogey, he shot 70 and was tied for fifth, only four shots behind leader Woods.

Unfortunately, Brad had a couple of bad breaks on Sunday, shooting a 76 to finish at four under par and tied for 23rd.

By any measure, though, Brad’s a champion, and a teacher of an important lesson for all of us. If you don’t try, you won’t succeed. If you stay at home, you’re automatically out of the race. Sometimes you’ve got the winning “stuff,” even if you don’t feel like it.

Congratulations on such a great run, Brad. Thanks even more, though, for a great life lesson, my friend.

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