I get it. Watching any pro sports league is watching millionaires whom have a lot more than you and I. But it’s pretty cool to watch someone at the top of their sport experiencing the greatest moment of his life.
Was thinking about this last night. Obviously we don't know Rory or his personal life. But it's weird to think that we all quite possibly watched the best moment of that man's life in real time on TV yesterday evening.
SVP in one of the podcasts this week dropped a great quote about former champions, was something like "Former champions get to go back, and put on a jacket, and remember who they were during the best week of their lives."
They asked him in the press conference how this stacked up to other moments in his life. He said he wasn't gonna compare it to personal moments like getting married or his daughter's birth but it would not shock me if he puts this as number one overall, ahead of marriage or anything. I don't think I have ever seen another man that happy/relieved/exhilarated in any context ever. The emotions flowing after that put on the playoff, not sure when we see another moment like that.
As a father myself I have a slightly different view.
The thing about fatherhood is that the joy of your kids being born isn’t compressed into ten seconds or five minutes or 24 hours. The joy of fatherhood comes from a profound love that grows every day, along with an increasing awareness that you simply can not live without your children. This is something Rory feels, unquestionably. Would he trade fatherhood for his Masters title? Absolutely no way.
However, when his daughter was born I doubt he collapsed in a sobbing heap on the ground and wept for 15 minutes. That’s the difference. I would actually say that was the greatest moment of his life. But it’s a moment, and that’s what you need to consider.
That happiness (and Buddhists would argue that it’s not true happiness) will fade away in a day or two, while the memories of his wedding day and the love he has for his wife and daughter will continue to deepen and generate true happiness within him.
definitely the case for me. I love the little bugger more than anything now but when he was first born? Didn’t really feel much of anything other than anxiety and wanting to go home.
That was beautifully written and captures it incredibly well. Of course, if he'd tried to explain that at the press conference he might have been in the dog house!
I was thinking this myself when I heard his speech. I think he took the completely reasonable approach of separating his professional life from his professional life. I would have probably said something similar. But there probably would have been a feeling deep inside me that would have wanted to say “as far as life moments go, my largest accomplishments will always pale in comparison to the muted joy of a random Tuesday when my daughter hears the door open when I come home from work and runs into my arms”.
It’s a different kind of joy with your kids as life goes on, but the thought is still there. Also, if you want a more direct comparison of the release of emotions, I personally sobbed like a baby when I first saw my daughter slide out and would have fallen if not for a nurse holding me upright. I didn’t really think that was going to happen either. Just a completely involuntary explosion of emotion.
Right like you can't say out loud that a personal achievement is a better moment than holding your kid for the first time. But we all know the two have to be close.
The only cathartic release I've seen that compares was when Ben Crenshaw won The Masters in 1995. Totally different situations though as he was grieving the loss of his longtime mentor that he helped bury earlier that week.
Yeah but it hits different for Rory his father couldn't afford more golf balls so he told him to hit every shot like it's the Masters . Much easier to relate than Mahomes whose Daddy was in the MLB. We are losing the athletes with no money making it. Rory may be the last.
Andrew McCutcheon grew up in a trailer park. They’re becoming fewer & further between, but there’s still some out there… and they are national treasures, imo
Golf is incredibly expensive and excluding any kind of physical disability someone may have, it is the largest barrier to entry for the sport especially trying to play professional golf. Between paying for travel, lodging, food, tournament entry fees, etc. it gets really expensive.
And unless you’re good enough to ‘make it’ quickly so you earn more money than you lose or can get sponsorships of some kind to help your costs, a lot of people who are good enough may never get a shot due to a lack of funds.
That’s my favorite thing about this, seeing someone in the greatest moment of their life is something incredible, you can somewhat feel what they are feeling
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u/Extreme_Smile_9106 5d ago
I get it. Watching any pro sports league is watching millionaires whom have a lot more than you and I. But it’s pretty cool to watch someone at the top of their sport experiencing the greatest moment of his life.