The Putt Before the Putt

The U.S. Open is known for being a challenging tournament as its tough courses result in the field of golfers dealing with mistakes, horrible shots, bogeys, double bogeys, and scores above par.

That was especially the case this year, as the 125th U.S. Open took place at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania, with adverse weather conditions contributing to the high scores and mistakes.

However, as difficult as the tournament was for every golfer out on the course, or as hard as it was for us to watch at home, the ending turned out to be remarkable, with J.J. Spaun securing the surprising win. Before we get to the final putt, the story of J.J. Spaun is fantastic.

The 34-year-old, a walk-on at San Diego State, had only one other appearance at the U.S. Open in 2021 when he missed the cut. Before yesterday, he had one PGA Tour win, and last summer, he thought his career might be over.

Spaun was up at 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning, running to CVS for his sick daughter. He started the final round with a bogey on five of the first six holes, scoring a 40 on the front nine, and then finished as the only golfer under par for the tournament, thanks to a dramatic bounceback on the back nine, including an epic final putt.

On the 18th green, Spaun hit an unbelievable 64-foot, 5-inch putt for birdie and a two-shot victory! It was a thrilling and exciting way to win, but what allowed him to make such a long and challenging putt was thanks in part to Viktor Hovland. It was the putt before THE putt!

Prior to Spaun hitting the winning putt, Hovland faced a similar putt in almost the exact location but missed the hole. Hovland's putt turned out to be a "teach" for Spaun as it revealed the right speed and line needed.

Putting first, Hovland’s shot (even though he missed) served as a guide for Spaun to determine the green's break and the best approach to take on his putt. Spaun watched Hovland's putt, learned from his mistake, and then read the green, knocking it in.

Following the tournament, Spaun said, "It was nice to get a little teach from Viktor [Hovland's putt]."

Spaun was wise to watch what Hovland did, make the correct adjustments, and avoid the same mistake, ultimately hitting it the right way into the hole!

When it comes to our lives, we know the principle of learning from mistakes, and oftentimes, we learn from our own. However, it's also an important reminder to learn from others' mistakes.

If we see others go down a path that leads to a "missed putt," then it is in our best interest to "hit it" differently and recognize the correct adjustments rather than making the same mistakes.

Just as Spaun saw the good elements in Hovland's putt and, in some ways, tried to emulate his shot, he also learned what not to do. Similarly, the same can be true for us. We can learn valuable lessons from our parents, siblings, mentors, teachers, friends, or even people we know from a distance, but we must also learn from their mistakes, as they often serve as a valuable "teach."

Thankfully, as followers of Jesus, the Bible is filled with stories of people we can learn from, not only in their obedience and faithfulness but also in their mistakes. We have to "read the greens" or, rather, read God's Word to gain wisdom and understanding of the best approach and the "right line" to stay on.

In 1 Corinthians 10:5-11 (AMP), Paul encourages people to avoid the mistakes of Israel. In previous verses, he writes about how they were miraculously brought through the Red Sea, and God's presence went before them.

In verse 5, he explains, "Nevertheless, God was not well-pleased with most of them, for they were scattered along the ground in the wilderness [because their lack of self-control led to disobedience, which led to death].

Then verses 6-11 go on to say, “Now these things [the warnings and admonitions] took place as examples for us so that we would not crave evil things as they did. Do not be worshipers of handmade gods, as some of them were; just as it is written [in Scripture], 'The people sat down to eat and drink [after sacrificing to the golden calf at Horeb], and stood up to play [indulging in immoral activities].'

"We must not indulge in [nor tolerate] sexual immorality, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand [suddenly] fell [dead] in a single day! We must not tempt the Lord [that is, test His patience, question His purpose, or exploit His goodness], as some of them did—and they were killed by serpents.

“And do not murmur [in unwarranted discontent], as some of them did—and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example and warning [to us]; they were written for our instruction [to admonish and equip us], upon whom the ends of the ages have come."

Today, let's learn from their mistakes and recognize the examples that have been given to us for our benefit. Let's not go down the same path but rather receive the instruction or the "teach" so that we can "hit winning putts."

Let's glean wisdom and understanding from others' missed putts, and most importantly, let's keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, looking to His perfect example as we follow Him and rely on Him for victory.

I'm Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please help me learn from others' mistakes and avoid repeating their sinful decisions. Please help me understand Your Word better and reveal the lessons I need to learn from the examples You've provided us. I desire to remain on the right path and ask for strength and wisdom to do so. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.