See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1, NIV)
Take it from me: Sam Burns is not only a great golfer (he’s won five times on Tour) but also a great guy.
Early in his career, he got paired with Tiger Woods, which could be intimidating. When they met on the first tee, Sam told Tiger, “I’m really surprised to see how many people have come out to watch me play!” Funny!
Recently, the roles were reversed when an amateur, Nick Dunlap, and Burns teed off together in the final round of a tournament.
Dunlap led at the start, but Burns had the lead with two holes to go. Burns finished with two double bogeys, while Dunlap finished with two pars and became just the 9th amateur since World War II to win on the PGA Tour. Almost every eye was on him, and the celebration was appropriately a thing of joy.
But I was watching Sam. I’d seen him in victory and now in defeat. He was equally gracious in both. After Nick’s caddie, Sam was the first one to embrace Nick and congratulate him.
As Sam walked off the green, one of the TV commentators said, “In this game, you never stop learning.” That reminded me of a statement at a Tales from the Tour event in 2022.
Russell Henley, his fellow panelist that year, once said he had this competitive advantage: “I don’t need to win.” Sam knew what Russell meant and kept thinking about it. Then he got in a playoff and lost. Russell’s words returned to him, and he knew he did not need to win.
His identity is not in victories on Tour; his identity is in Christ. Like Russell, playing golf is something he does; it is not who he is.
Who are you? Are you your bank account, your job, or your accomplishments? I hope not. I hope your identity is in Christ.
Sam wanted to win, and I’m sure he was disappointed in his last two holes. But I’m also sure he still knows who he is.
Prayer: Father, may our identity be always and only in Jesus, our Lord and Savior. In His mighty name, Amen