When is a loss A good loss?

When is a loss A good loss?

Author: Steve Madigan
Date Created: Feb 10, 2007 - 4:30:07 PM

While playing the number one seed in a match play tournament, I was the 16 seed. Rightly so, I was supposed to lose handily, something like 8 and 7. But this day, all the world was right. Jupiter and Mars were in line with whatever they needed to be in line with. (Did you know Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise on its axis, that is the fact for the month)?

We were playing early in the morning, while the dew was still prevalent. I could watch as my opponent hit putts that just rimmed the cup, or worse, fell in. Still I am down only a few holes, which for me was quite an astonishing accomplishment against this particular player. I had a lot of holes left. Next thing you know, the match is all square (ya’ll thought I was going for the "Jed’s a millionaire" sinario, din’t ya).

Well, as we came down to the last few holes, I realized that I might just be able to overcome my opponent. THEN, DEPRESSION SET IN.

Instead of playing the golf course, as all amateur golfers should do, I did exactly what my opponent wanted me to do; I went MANO Y MANO with him. He hit it straight as an arrow, but only about 275 yards. I torqued my body like a circus acrobat and hit it as far from the fairway as possible.

I hit a good second shot with my 3 iron, he hit half a lob wedge with backspin to within 8 feet. As we moved to the green of the sixteenth hole in our match, I have the 8 foot putt, my opponent has a 23 footer, which of course he drains dead center with authority. If that putt does not hit the hole dead center, it is 10 feet past the hole and a goofy, slicing putt back to the hole. So, do I give up, HELL YES, I gave up, Mentally. That was the best lesson I have ever learned. When you have mentally conceded a match, YOU ARE TOAST.

Regardless of how well you are playing. That was the best loss I have ever had. I had given up, mentally conceded.

As I shook his hand on the 17th hole, his pager went off. His pregnant wife was going into labor. "Hope to see you tomorrow, guys" he said as he headed for his car to go to the hospital.

If I had not conceded, MENTALLY, I would have won the match, which means that he, of course would have lost the match (VIA FOREFIT). That was a good loss for me as a player. I learned a lot playing this tourney against such a good player, and I am sure, he would have considered it a good loss as he was about to become a new father.

That is really the only time a loss is a good loss, if you can stay competitive with someone that is supposed to: clean your clock, take you downtown, wrap you up like a pig in a blanket, or just beat the living crap out of you , and be back in the club house before his coffee gets cold. TEE IT HIGH, LET’R FLY, AND DON’T BE AFRAID TO TAKE YOU HAT OFF TO THE GUY THAT YOU’RE PLAYING WITH TODAY!

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