A question I frequently get is, “What was going through your head when you made that putt on 18 to win the British Open?”. The same thing that was going through my head when I hit my 3 wood in on 18 (which hit the pin). Also, the same thing that was going through my head on the first hole on Thursday. Total commitment. The truth is, we never really know. In any endeavor, we have an end result in mind – we take the needed time to hone the necessary skills, we prepare externally, and then come time to execute. Sometimes the result is better than anything we could have expected, sometimes a fail. Regardless of the result, the process is most important. Yes, I was nervous on the 18th hole, I knew whatever was about to happen was going to be a big deal. But I was also nervous on the first hole, and there are times I get nervous in every single tournament.
There are two points I’d like to emphasize here:
- As with any “major” feat, I didn’t do this alone. My Dad taught me from a book in a homemade net in my driveway to get me started. A kind man let me sneak in the practice facilities for free as a child, and my college coach took a chance on me and let me walk on the team at UCLA. There are countless others who have been part of my journey, even an anonymous donor who sponsored my junior tournaments. It’s very important to recognize all the people who help up along the way, and just as important to keep helping others in turn.
- In anything we’re trying to accomplish, we need to create a process, and make commitment a habit… whether it’s hitting a 3 footer to finish a practice at dusk, or whether it’s a putt to win the British Open with the world as your witness. Make the same commitment.
– Melissa “Mo” Martin (2014 Woman’s British Open Champion), July 13, 2018