Monday Morning Match is a simple post – maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea – intended to spark some motivation inside each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning.
I spent a few days this past week at my local country club – The Ohio State University Golf Club. The course is just a few minutes from my home and from my office and for the last decade or so, it has hosted The Nationwide Children’s Championship – one of the first playoff events of the Korn Ferry Tour (formerly the Nationwide Tour), which is the level below the PGA Tour. The tournament sees some of the best up-and-coming golfers trying to earn their way onto the prestigious PGA Tour while several of the PGA players are scratching and clawing to try and keep their spots on the big tour without getting relegated to golfs’s “minor leagues.”
Where the PGA Tour represents the best 125 players in the world, the Korn Ferry Tour is the next level of golfers – still professionals – that aren’t quite at the top of their game. The main difference is the guys on the Korn Ferry Tour aren’t as recognizable as some of the regular tour players we welcome into our home on television every week like Tiger, Phil, Jordan, and Brooks. You still need a program and a quick peek at the name on their golf bag or the back of their caddie’s bib to know who you’re watching, but one thing is for sure, these guys are all trying hard to earn their way up to the big leagues.
As I watched the participants battle it out on the back nine today on the OSU Scarlet Course, I couldn’t help but notice that each of the players was laying it on the line to try and earn their exemption to the main PGA Tour. I took notes as I watch the players and here is what I learned.
9 Lessons from The Korn Ferry Tour Players for Grinding Your Way to the Top
- Treat every day as a great opportunity – Whether they advance or not, these kids are playing nice courses and have been given a chance to do what they want to do. How they approach each day will determine if they take advantage of that opportunity.
2. Show up ready – Each day on the golf course requires a certain level of attention, focus, and skill. Strokes on Thursday count just the same as strokes on Sunday, but if you don’t play well at the start, the weekend days don’t matter. Worry about the now before you even start to worry about the future.
3. Hold yourself accountable– Much like the independent contractor status of Realtors, a golf professional doesn’t have a “boss” to answer to. It’s truly a battle between the player and the course every day. What can you do every day to make sure you’re executing the “swing” needed to maximize your chances for success? Are you doing business development activities every day? Do you have a schedule in place to maximize your time focused on being with or in front of potential clients?
4. Fire at the flags – In a tournament setting like the Nationwide Children’s Championship, the players close to even par won’t be very excited about their finishing position. The winning score this week was twelve under par (winner Scottie Scheffler outdueled three other players who were -10). Making pars isn’t a bad strategy but if you’re looking to move up the leaderboard, you’ve got to have an aggressive mindset.
5. Trust your yardage book…and your caddy – From their first tee shot to the last putt, today’s professional golfer puts a lot of trust in “big data.” That data comes in the form of yardage books and green charts that show the undulations and breaks of the putting surfaces. Watching the discussions between players and their caddies on how far to hit certain shots, what clubs to use, and where to aim their putts shows you how important getting advice and support is to the best players in the world. The same can be said for today’s best Realtors as they seek guidance and advice from managers, coaches, and mentors. Who are you listening to that can help you get to the next level?
6. Strive to play in front of the home town crowd – Bo Hoag is a former Ohio State University golfer who got to come back and play on the same course he played in his collegiate days. In fact, he also went to nearby Upper Arlington High school, the same high school as me and my children right here in Central Ohio. Hoag had large galleries each day and his comfort level walking the same fairways and greens he has walked since he was a teenager helped him make the cut this week and give some of the locals a true “fan favorite” to cheer for.
7. Drive for show, Putt for dough – This old saying hasn’t changed much and while it’s impressive to see how far these young men hit the ball off the tee, what really matters is can then knock it in the hole when they get on the green? What are the “money” actions that you should be taking each day to give you the best chance for success? Follow up? Securing appointments? You’ve got to make some putts this week.
8. Pace yourself – Like most professional golf tournaments, the Nationwide Children’s Championship is contested over four days – 18 holes each day. While you can’t win the tournament on Thursday, you can certainly ruin your chances with a bad round on day one. First-round leader Viktor Hovland jumped out to the lead after a -7 under par 64 on Thursday but wasn’t able to make up any more ground and finished tied for 11th at -7. It’s great to get off to a quick start in your business but find a way to maintain momentum and keep the new business coming.
9. Build your confidence every time out – I’ve said it many times here on Carp’s Corner that confidence is one of the most critical aspects of success for any salesperson. Confidence is also incredibly important for a professional golfer and this week, the winner displayed an incredible amount of confidence in his swing and overall approach, especially down the stretch when he held off the other players to earn the victory. “This definitely does a lot for my confidence,” Champion Scottie Scheffler said. “It’s nice to get another win, it’s a lot of fun. So, I’m looking forward to the next couple weeks and then getting the season started here in about a month.”
So are you ready to head out and play the back nine of 2019? Are you prepared to finish strong and make it a great yeat by putting yourself in the best position to execute the shots when needed? It’s time to trust that all the practice you’ve put in so far this year is going to hold up under the spotlight of the cheering fans and the pressure of the playoffs. Head over to the first tee this week and get ready to put up a good score.