Rory McIlroy Played the Game in Front of Him

Lessons in excellence from the major win that eluded the golf great

Never give up.

Respond not react.

Play the game in front of you.

Rory McIlory entered the final round of this year's Masters tournament in a position to win. After 11 years of trying, it would mean a career grand slam, placing him on the Mount Rushmore of golf's all-time greats.

He was looking good—until hole 13, when he made a terrible double bogey, giving up his lead. The shot he missed may have been the worst shot of his career. Just an awful ball. A devastating unforced error.

But then, on holes 15 and 17, McIlroy made what may have been the two best shots of his career, placing him back in the lead. On the final hole, he had an "easy" (though in reality, there is no such thing) putt to win.

He missed. He choked.

He now had to compete in a sudden-death playoff. Throughout it all, he kept it together. Maybe just barely. But together.

And in the first hole of the playoff, Rory McIlroy played textbook golf, and he won the Masters.

Golf might be the ultimate test of emotional regulation. Over 4 days and 72 holes, nothing ever goes to plan. You prepare. You practice. You visualize.

Then stuff happens.

The real game isn’t the one you practiced, hoped for, or wished for—it’s the one in front of you. And the difference between those who collapse and those who rise? How they respond, especially when things don’t go their way.

This isn’t just about golf.

It’s about life.

It’s easy when everything is clicking. But things will go wrong. You’ll make a great effort and still fall short. You’ll face moments where your emotions flare and your plans fall apart. What matters most is how you respond.

Again and again and again.