Pairing The World’s Best

PAIRING THE WORLD’S BEST male and female golfers in a mixed team, alternate shot, match-play format sounds like a great idea. But in 2001, Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam, David Duval, and Karrie Webb may have wished they hadn’t agreed to compete, as wild weather forced them to put into practice everything they’d learned about golf.

ABC television hosted the event at Palm Desert’s Bighorn Golf Club. When the foursome teed off at 5 p.m., the temperature registered 103 degrees. The rules called for men to tee off on odd holes and women on even ones. The unique format coupled with high crosswinds and dusty conditions created problems in this made-for-television event. Shots headed into bunkers, banged against trees, landed in the rough, and got caught up in bushes.

The Woods-Sorenstam team built a two-hole lead through seven, but double bogeys on 10 and 11 allowed Duval and Webb to move in front. Woods and Sorenstam fell two holes behind with three remaining, but a late rally and 12-foot birdie putt by Sorenstam on the final hole tied things up.

Moving back to the 18th tee for a playoff, Woods connected a three-foot putt for par, giving his team the win after a 4-hour and 29-minute match. Afterward, Sorenstam and Webb rushed to catch a flight to London to compete in the British Women’s Open.

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POINT In such weather conditions, most amateurs would pack in their clubs and head for home. Sorenstam and Webb probably wanted to zip up their bags and board their flight. But the golfers had signed contracts. On that difficult evening when bogeys were like pars, they put into practice all they’d ever learned about golf.

In life, some days hand us dusty, gusty winds of change. Others bring dark clouds of disappointment or storms of grief. A few dawn with the cooling rain of refreshment or the bright sunshine of spiritual renewal. But whatever life holds, God asks that we put into practice all we have learned from him. Then his peace will go with us.

GOAL! Spend some time practicing a skill you have learned. Ask God to help you put into practice what you’ve learned from him.