He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. (2 Timothy 1:9, NIV)
“The fifteenth hole at Bellerive plays about 470, usually into the wind,” Gary said. “I was leading by two shots and knew I had to grind out a par if I was going to win the Open.
“I felt a sigh after I stroked in my putt for a par,” he said. “As I walked off the green, I saw I was leading by three with three to play.
“As I was making my way through the crowd to the tee, a well-meaning marshal whispered, ‘You’ve got it now, Gary.’”
I was sitting with Gary Player as he told me this story a couple of weeks later during the Philadelphia Golf Classic.
We need to know the Creator if we are to know why we are created.“His words broke my concentration,” Gary said, shaking his head. “I hit my tee shot right on the 218-yard three-par sixteenth hole and it buried. Blasted it out of the sand, but the ball rolled 20 feet past and I three-putted. That moment I heard the crowd roar at the seventeenth green. Kel Nagle, my closest competitor, had birdied.
“In one hole, I’d lost my three-shot lead.”
Gary may have defined himself as he walked to the seventeenth tee. “This is going to determine what kind of man you are,” he told himself. “Just par the last two holes and you can beat Kel tomorrow in the 18-hole playoff.”
He did. And completed the Grand Slam, becoming one of five golfers ever to win all four majors.
Gary said something else there in Philadelphia that rocked me. He’d concluded his win wasn’t enough.
“I’m a miserable man,” he said. “I don’t have any purpose.”
I gulped.
“When I was a young lad, I set a high goal in life,” he said, “I wanted to follow Ben Hogan and win the most coveted titles in golf. But since I’ve won, I feel a great letdown.”
Gary and I spoke for an hour and many times thereafter. Quite often we would have our Tour Fellowship in his room.
I’m happy to say, Gary found his purpose in knowing Jesus Christ and living his life for God’s glory. His story became the lead article for our first LinkS Letter, published 15 years later.
On Sunday, Bellerive paved the way for another major champion. But achieving the highest awards in life does not satisfy the deep hunger of the human heart. In St. Augustine’s Confessions, Book One, chapter one, he wrote, “Great are you, O Lord… Of your wisdom there is no end… You have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
We followers of Jesus believe we need something—rather, someone—beyond golf to be truly at rest within ourselves.
In other words, we need to know the Creator if we are to know why we are created.
It’s never too late to start a new chapter in life. If you feel this restlessness of heart, like there’s something missing, write us. We’ve been there and would love to play a part in helping you start a new chapter. And make the rest of your years the best of your years.
—
Jim Hiskey
August 15, 2018
Copyright 2018 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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