Bobby Jones and Fate

I believe in Bobby Jones’s belief that fate determines the outcome of golf tournaments.  Kyle Stanley’s experience in the past month attests to this.  At San Diego he came to the last hole with a 4 shot lead.  Brandt Snedeker birdies ahead of him to cut the lead to 3, then Stanley makes an 8 and loses in the playoff.  The next week Stanley wins in Phoenix when the wheels fall off Spencer Levin.  In the 1923 U.S. Open Bobby Jones had a 3 shot lead with two holes to go and finished bogey, double bogey to fall into a playoff.  He won the playoff, and that was the beginning of his 13 major championships.  If he hadn’t maybe he never would have won anything.  Just ask Jan Van de Velde, who never overcame his collapse at the 1999 British Open.  Fate.  Greg Norman almost did the impossible and won the 2008 British Open, but didn’t and Tom Watson lead until the last cruel bounce on the 72nd hole in 2009.  It wasn’t meant to be.  But Watson won in Hawaii six months later over Fred Couples, when his full wedge shot from the rough rolled up the green to six feet and stopped.  At Turnberry it rolled over the green.  He made the birdie putt and won in Hawaii – it was meant to be.  At Turnberry he missed from eight feet and lost the playoff.  It wasn’t meant to be.  We can’t fight fate, we just do our best and see what happens.  We can’t fight fate, just ask Jack Nicklaus about the 1986 Masters.

#tomwatson #GregNorman #jacknicklaus #bobbyjones #kylestanley #janvandevelde