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Making The CutCopyright © 2007-2008 Robert MiddletonOne of the hardest working groups of Independent Professionals out there are professional golfers. It may look like they have an easy job just hitting a ball around while enjoying the outdoors, but as Paul Harvey says, "Here's the rest of the story..." I spent a good hunk of this past weekend watching the U.S. Open golf tournament with my wife's son, Palden. He's a passionate amateur golfer and knows everything about the game, from obscure rules to the history of most players on the tour. He pointed out one player, Justin Rose, and related the following. Rose was a golf prodigy and, at age 17 in 1998 when still an amateur, came in 4th place in the British Open (no mean feat). As an amateur you don't earn any winnings, so buoyed by his success, he turned pro immediately, no doubt anticipating a rosy future (pun intended). And then for 26 consecutive tournaments he didn't make the cut! This means he didn't score well enough in the preliminary rounds to play in the final rounds and earn some prize money. In fact, Justin Rose didn't earn a dime in golf for about three years! I can only imagine how disappointing and frustrating this must have been for him. But you've got to hand it to the guy. He was passionate enough to slog it out for 26 tournaments. That's true persistence and commitment. Did he give up golf as a bad job and turn his hand to something else (as most reasonable, sane people would do)? Not on your life. He kept at it. In 2001 he earned the paltry sum of $30,755. In 2002 he jumped to $206,000 and it increased steadily from there. In 2006 he earned $1,629,000. Rose is no Tiger Woods, but he's not a bad player. In fact at the beginning of the last round on Sunday he was actually even with Tiger for a few holes. Ultimately he slipped behind with a final score of 11 over par and tenth place. It was a tough game on a killer of a course. Even Tiger ultimately lost to the Argentinian, Angel Cabrerra (by one stroke), in one of the most exciting finishes to a golf match I've ever seen. Rose may not have won the tournament but he did earn $154,000. Not bad take-home pay for a few days work. He's already surpassed a million for this year and the golf season is less than half over. I suppose the message for Independent Professionals is pretty clear: It takes persistence in any endeavor to ultimately make a mark. And even if you work with focus and commitment, it doesn't mean you'll end up at the top of your game. After all, there will always be people like Tiger Woods whom you'll rarely beat. But you could hardly call Justin Rose a failure. Just the contrary. Now Rose makes the cut most of the time. And he makes a very decent living doing what he loves. Think of Justin Rose when you can't get the attention of a prospective client. Imagine his persistence when you don't get an appointment. Consider his determination when a deal falls through. One thing you can know for certain, Justin Rose would keep slogging on the links until he made the cut. About The Author:
*** Digital Reprint Rights *** *** Author Notification *** We ask that you notify the author of publication of his or her work. Robert Middleton can be reached at: robert.middleton@thephantomwriters.com *** Print Publication Reprint Rights *** If you desire to publish this article in a PRINT publication, you must contact the author directly for Print Permission at: robert.middleton@thephantomwriters.com
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