The Masters ended with a bang yesterday in a sudden death play-off, with Rory McIlroy finally earning his career grand slam, over a decade in the making. Just after sinking the putt to finish the four-day tournament, McIlroy collapsed to his knees crying. I’ll admit, after seeing that, even I shed a tear.
While The Masters is the most notable golf event of the year, bringing together the best golfers from across the world, the history of the Masters hasn’t always been pretty. Until 1975, there had been no black players to qualify for the event, much later than other major sports events like baseball and tennis, which made this move forward in the ‘50s.
For years, the Masters represented the last corner of America where prejudice still reigned supreme, even down to the land the Augusta National Golf Course is on. The golf course used to be an indigo plantation with a history of slavery.
Now, while the Masters still upholds some of its old traditions, the event represents something different and something we all need. The Masters, and golf as a whole, represent global togetherness, equality and the spirit of humanity, even when it feels like division is ruling the earth.
Despite financial barriers to entry, golf is one of the only sports where everyone is equal the minute that they step onto the course. You don’t have to be tall, and you don’t have to have a certain hip to shoulder ratio. Whether you are playing with the best clubs or multi-generational hand-me-downs, success in golf comes down to only two things—the player and their mind. The game is a true test of mental strength, creativity and poise. The true winners of golf are the ones that can hold it together, both when it is going well and when things couldn’t be worse. It is a true test of human strength.
Quite possibly the most rewarding aspect of golf is the comradery that comes with it. Despite being an individual sport, it is rarely played alone. If you’re pretty good, you get to play with a caddy. And if you play golf like I do, you get paired up with random people from ages 13 to 70. Either way, you are forced to spend at least three hours with someone, for better or for worse. Despite the social anxiety that can come when you are playing with someone else, true humanity is at the forefront when you are playing golf. There is no human connection like the one you feel when you miss a three-foot putt for par and slowly turn around to find your partner with a pitiful and goofy smile. There is also no feeling like watching your partner get a hole-in-one and knowing that you are getting free drinks after.
Golf is also one of the only sports with a global major that consistently has impressive viewership numbers. This means that in every golf tournament, players might be partnered with someone that speaks a completely different language or has a wildly different background, and that is what makes golf beautiful. When people step onto the course, there are no more divisions between backgrounds. Instead, it becomes a focus on the game, one which everyone has in common.
In America, both political factions are focused on us. For one side, the goal is to bring the old idea of America back. For the other, they want to craft a new America. But maybe what we really need to be doing is focusing both globally and on a human level, like golf does. How can we be better global citizens? How can we be better playing partners? How can we continue to highlight humanity when it feels lost?
This past weekend, the Masters reminded me to reflect on these things. So next time you are on the course or just living your life, remember to find humanity in the people around you. That might mean giving them a free stroke here and there, and it also might mean allowing some healthy competition and a little bit of good-natured smack talk. No matter what situation you are in, just remember this: We might all suck at golf, even the professionals sometimes, but that doesn’t matter, as long as we are good humans. Choose to be one of them.