I'm sure we've all seen what happened to Dustin Johnson yesterday at the PGA Championship. For those of you who missed the final hole, a quick recap: after an amazing instance of "Mashed Potatoes" captivated audiences worldwide, the drama really unfoled with Johnson's 72nd hole, and his apparent gaffe that cost him a chance for the PGA Championship. Lying in what was later identified as a bunker, Johnson buried his club to get out of the muck, a rule which incurs a 2 stroke penaly by course and PGA rules. Johnson's inability to correcly identify the lie as a bunker meant he missed out on the 3 hole playoff for the title.
What we may not have immediately recalled is that Johnson is same person who blew a 3 stroke lead on the last day of the US Open earlier this year. Imagine that - 2 major championships flushed from your grasps within 3 months of each other by one unfortunate person. The anguish running through Johnson as he lumbered off the 18th green Sunday night must have been crushing.
And thus, the world of sports finds a way to teach the rest of us lessons of the world. Is it fair that Johnson loses 2 major championships in such gut-wrenching fassion? Of course it's not. But life's not fair. People lose their jobs, their wives, their husbands, parents, friends, faith, and car keys. Spouses cheat. Children leave home. Friends die in far-away wars. Democrats get elected. Yet, people somehow find a way to persevere. Johnson will do the same.
Oftentimes, folks ask how so many of us can be such suckers for all things sport. Be it baseball, football, basketball, golf, NASCAR, hockey, horse racing, the Olympics...there is drama, heartbreak, triumph. All the things we love about life, and all the things that make life rich, can be captured on camera on one Sunday evening in late August. Is it the Fairy Tale ending we wanted? No, unless you think that Prince Charming should be eaten alive by the dragon while the evil King has his way with the Princess. But that's life - it's not always fair. Not even close. But overcoming the heartbreak and anguish is what drives the human spirit. Just imagine how much better Johnson's first major title will be, having gone through the bummer of a season he's had since June.
Or don't. He may not win one. Ever. Life is like that. As is sports.
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