Athletes Sometimes Perform

ATHLETES SOMETIMES PERFORM better when they don’t know what the competition is doing. In 2000, Karrie Webb won the AFLAC Champions golf tournament by focusing on her own game—not her opponents’.

After three rounds, the 25-year-old Australian trailed coleaders Sherri Steinhauer and Nancy Scranton by two strokes. Despite needing only a top-ten finish to capture the LPGA Player of the Year award, she refused to check the standings. She also instructed her caddie to keep silent.

On the back nine, Webb opened with five straight pars and then hit three consecutive birdies on 15, 16, and 17 to tie Dottie Pepper for the lead. Both finished the final round with a 15-under-par 273. This score proved to be the best of the day, and the two women entered a playoff.

Pepper teed off first, hitting her drive into the rough. Webb originally planned to use her driver but switched to a 3 wood after observing the bad shot. The winner of six 2000 LPGA titles kept her drive in the fairway. Her approach shot landed on the green, 20 feet behind the pin.

Dottie’s approach advanced only about 50 yards, settling well short of the green behind some small trees. A great chip and a 30-foot putt almost salvaged par. In the meantime, Webb two-putted for par to claim the victory and Player of the Year honors.

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POINT Sometimes athletes choose not to learn competitors’ scores. The lack of knowledge keeps them focused on their own game and avoids the distraction of opponents’ excellent or poor play. Karrie Webb obviously made the right choice to mind her own business and pay attention to her own game.

Sometimes in life we become wrapped up looking at other people’s lives. We focus on them and don’t pay attention to what we’re doing. Jesus talked about that at the Sermon on the Mount. He said we should look at the big issues in our own life before we go looking for other people’s minor mess-ups. That way we won’t lose sight of what’s really important.

GOAL! Do you ever look at the bad things other people do to make yourself feel better? God wants to keep you focused on your own life.