Last week, we saw two great champions who fell down to deep depths only to rise again, and it was great. Both Henrik Stenson and Trevor Immelman won tournaments. Stenson won the Deutsche Bank Classic on the Fed-Ex Cup finals and Immelman won the first leg of the Web.Com finals/PGA Tour Q School.
Both are terrific stories of persistence and determination to get back to world class status. Stenson looks to be having fun on the course and Immelman took his potential loss of a tour card in stride. I embrace these stories and I hope you do, too.
Immelman had injuries that stymied his career after winning the 2008 Masters. Severe tendonitis in his left wrist and elbow cut short his 2009 and 2010 seasons, and since then he struggled to regain his form. Only a positive outlook and a great family rooting section kept his spirits moving forward. He is indeed a champion again. Welcome back, Trevor, you are where you should be!
Stenson won the 2009 Players and climbed to number 4 in the world golf rankings. That was followed by a monumental loss of his game which led a dramatic drop to a low of 230 in the world rankings in early 2012. His rise has been nothing short of spectacular—coming in second at this year’s British Open and third at this year’sPGAChampionship. Therefore it came really as no surprise at all when he won the Deutsche Bank last week and is now #1 on the Fed Ex Cup Standings heading into the final two events.
These two men are proof that the talent never goes away, confidence and form may but talent never does. A commitment to getting back never left them for even one moment. It is a lesson we can all learn from—persistence, determination and love of and for the game never ends.