John Daly, as Golf Fans of a Certain Age know, can hit the ball a LONG way. Even so, it seemed odd for him to pull a putter out of the bag…when he was still about 200 yards from the green.
Soon enough, though, I understood: His drive on the 8th had trickled into a thick stand of pine trees lining the fairway, so he had no choice but to take his medicine – using the putter to poke his ball back out into the short grass before attempting an approach shot.
So…how you gonna wriggle out of this one, John?
Another member of the threesome – Jeff Maggert, I think it was – found himself in a similar fix…staring out from under the trees as he took his second swing. And for a duffer like me, there was a certain comfort to be had in witnessing this scene from the Ascension Charity Classic on Friday afternoon.
Hey, if two-out-of-three deeply experienced pros can get into that kinda trouble with their drives on a single hole, then maybe I should cut myself a little more slack when I hit my (frequently) errant shots out on the course. Just a thought.
It also occurred to me how little the energy surrounding this group of golfers resembled the social vibe I’m used to when playing with the guys in my league. That was true of every threesome we followed on Friday, in fact. There was very little chit-chat occurring amongst the pros. You might hear the occasional congratulatory word after a great shot. But for the most part, these guys kept to themselves. Alone in a crowd, as each one worked his way around the course.
That’s the difference, I suppose. For the pro, this is work – checking the yardage, swinging the club, reading the putt. A fair amount of focus is required – and banter only breaks your concentration, ultimately detracting from the result.
Hey…are any of you guys actually having fun?
Now, I don’t mind watching these professionals work. It’s kinda entertaining for me – although I can also understand why many normal human beings would find it more profitable to spend the afternoon rearranging a sock drawer.
At the same time, as I contemplated the pros and their mutually-agreed-upon silence, I felt blessed to be in the company of one of my best Golfing Buddies on Friday afternoon. He and I don’t mind a little chit-chat when we’re working our way around a course. In fact, we look forward to making such a connection, because good things tend to happen when we’re together. Grace often flows.
Grace, and profound mystery, too – just as Jesus promises us in this week’s gospel passage.
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
It’s really something, isn’t it? Even when you’ve worked yourself into a thicket, a little love – a little Christian fellowship – can help you find a way. And that’s a lot better in my experience than trying to go it alone.
What a blessing, to know that we really don’t have to do all this alone…
Let us pause now…to recall that we are in the presence of the Holy & Merciful One.
IHS
With Us Still 