Inbee Park missed several months with back pain and considered quitting the game. But she decided to keep playing.
And now she's leading the Bank of Hope Founders Cup as if she hadn't missed a beat. She even had a 59 watch going for a while on Saturday. That tends to happen when you're six-under after five holes.
You might want to read Randall Mell's article over at golfchannel.com about the last few months of her life. It's very interesting. And the video here lets you hear a bit of how she's thinking right now.
But what fascinates me is how she continues to blow her competition away when she's not as long as the big guns. In one round this week she was playing from 40 to 50 yards behind her opponents.
And this is something that weekend players should learn from.
Look, I'm not saying that length isn't an advantage. It can certainly help you post a low score if you're able to capitalize on it. But even among the pros, length doesn't make most players into contenders. DJ and Justin Thomas are the exceptions, not the rule. And unlike Tiger in his heyday, even they haven't proven they can win as consistently as the Big Cat did. I mean, DJ has won every year for over a decade now... but Tiger won five times a year for over a decade.
The players who win consistently are the players who learn to take what they have and post a good score with it. That's a matter of mindset ("I can compete with these other players") and strategy ("My game allows me to do these things really well"). And even if you can't knock the cover off the ball, you can learn to capitalize on your strengths by playing smart.
It's still working for Inbee Park. And while she doesn't win all the time, wouldn't it be wild if it worked today?
I'm not betting against her.
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