Ryder Cup Reflection: From Confident, to Near Collapse, to ‘Clutch’

It has just been over a week now since the Europeans took the Ryder Cup in dramatic fashion in front of a very loud and partisan American crowd. Once could feel the tension on the last day as the seemingly insurmountable European lead dwindled to the point of an amazing comeback being completed by the USA. The Europeans confidence on the first day was all there to see, there pairings were in sync and it seemed they were in a state of ‘flow’. This is a term coined by Mihaly Czikszentmihaly as a state of being where everything comes together and clicks and indeed it was for the Europeans on the Saturday. Then came Sunday and the Americans sent the European confidence into a tailspin to the point where the unbelievable almost became believable. Then stepped up Ireland’s Shane Lowry who was battling Russell Henley in a seesaw match that saw Lowry hit a wedge to 6 feet and then sink a nerve wracking putt to half the match and seal the the cup for the Europeans. As opposed to being in a state of ‘flow’ Lowry was ‘clutch’. This is defined as having deliberate focus, heightened awareness of the demands in the situation, and intense effort (Swann et al., 2017). Despite having some ups and downs with his round that day Lowry was able to come through and make it count when it was most needed. Indeed, as he was walking down the 18th hole that day towards the greatest pressure he had likely ever known on the green he said to his caddie, “I’ve got an opportunity to do the greatest thing I’ve ever done today”… and he did it! 

Let Sport as Life teach and support you as an athlete to be clutch, embrace the pressure, and feel that each and every time the game is on the line you have a chance to succeed!