Making A Huge Mistake

MAKING A HUGE MISTAKE in a key situation can haunt an athlete for years. But when Retief Goosen missed a short putt that would have given him the United States Open title in 2001, he quickly regrouped.

In the final round, the 32-year-old South African played in the day’s last pairing. He reached the 18th hole in the lead, one stroke ahead of Mark Brooks at 5-under-par. After hitting a solid tee shot in the fairway, he chipped his ball to about ten feet from the pin.

Needing only a par-4 to claim the Open championship, Goosen gently tapped the ball. It rolled to within two feet of the hole. Inexplicably, the golfer hammered his next putt, overshooting the hole by three feet. Instead of winning the championship, Goosen recorded a bogey, leaving him tied with Brooks.

Since the U.S. Open rules require an 18-hole playoff in the case of a tie, the two golfers teed off the following morning. Goosen prepared for the extra day by scheduling a session with sports psychologist Jos Vanstiphout, who advised the European Tour player to think good thoughts and forget the past. Fellow South African golfer Ernie Els wished Goosen the best by writing a note in Afrikaans, their country’s native language.

After Brooks took an early lead, Goosen opened up a five-shot margin through 16 holes. His bogey and Brooks’s birdie on 17 cut the gap to three, but Goosen saved a bogey with a six-foot putt on the final hole. His playoff round of 70 bettered Brooks by two strokes and brought him the U.S. Open title.

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POINT Retief Goosen could have spent the hours between the tournament’s final round and the playoff by mentally beating himself up. Missing a two-foot putt is almost inexcusable to a professional golfer. He could have focused on his past error and what might have been instead of on his future opportunity. But Retief relied on his friends’ advice and looked to the future. He captured the crown.

Too many times in life we dwell on past errors and disappointments. We focus so hard on what’s gone wrong in our life that we miss future opportunities. But that’s not God’s way. He’s the Father of new beginnings! He forgives and forgets your mistakes, and so should you.

GOAL! On a separate sheet of paper, write down any past errors or mistakes that still bother you. Now rip up that paper and throw it away to symbolize putting those problems behind you. Ask God to help.