There he [Elijah] came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9, ESV)
After a first-round, four over par, 74, and finding himself well outside the cut line to secure one of the nine spots to qualify for the 2026 US Open, Gordon Sargent quit—the big WD!
As is typical of social media posts, this twenty-two-year-old is hearing about it. A few posts are seizing the moment to give him a tongue-lashing. Unless you are in the inner circle of Gordon’s life, I propose withholding judgment.
Who knows what other issues are pressing against him? I can think of any number of scenarios that would prevent premature judgment— maybe he is injured; maybe he is sick.
He has been out of form for some time and may be grappling with serious self-doubt. Since turning professional in June 2025, he has missed seven of ten cuts and is 150th in the FedEx standings. That alone would cripple many.
Before he teed off in the second round, Gordon might have asked himself the same question that God asked Elijah, “What are you doing here?” Like Elijah, in a moment of despondency, Gordon might have concluded, “I am wasting my time.”
Haven’t you ever been down in the dumps about your golf ROI? Given the time, money, and energy you’ve invested in this game, haven’t you had those moments when you’ve wondered whether it’s worth it?
Haven’t you ever pondered, “Am I wasting my allotted time on Earth chasing that little white ball?” I cannot answer for Gordon, and I refuse to pass judgment, especially since I’ve had more than a few “dark nights of the soul.”
A few years back, Bill Rogers, the 1981 Open Champion, discussed the issue of “finding significance in life” with me. In today’s video with Jeffrey, he discusses this important subject again.
If asked, Bill would readily recommend Bob Buford’s book, Half Time, to you, as he did to me three years ago.
In this insightful book, the theme of moving from “success to significance” in our lives goes to the heart of what was happening in Elijah’s life.
Elijah was coming off the biggest win of his life. He had just bested King Ahab’s and Queen Jezebel’s army of wicked prophets. Then wicked Jezebel sent a messenger bearing a death threat.
Afraid and apparently alone, he ran until he found himself hiding in a cave from Jezebel’s fury. After three failed attempts to hear the Lord’s voice about “what’s next,” Elijah heard the Lord whisper his new marching orders.
Like Gordon, it is one thing to struggle after failure. Like Elijah, it is another matter when we find ourselves struggling with a lack of purpose after success.
Many of us are at “half time” or in the “fourth quarter” of our lives. In the privacy of our hearts, we ask, “Is this all there is?” I’ve made enough money. I’ve climbed the corporate ladder. My house overlooks the 14th fairway, and I’m posting low scores. Yet that sense of significance is missing.
Bill Rogers would echo Buford: Half Time should be a season of reflection, reassessment, and reorientation — a time to ask: What really matters? What am I gifted to do? How can I use the rest of my life for significance rather than mere success?
Like Elijah, God is asking all of us, “What are you doing here?” In our modern manner of speaking, the Spirit of God presses in on us and inquires, “What are you doing with your life?”
That answer takes some soul-searching!
Prayer: Lord! Show us how to move from “success to significance.”