By Benescke Janse van Rensburg
Rory McIlroy is currently the world’s top golfer. It wasn’t always so. On 10 April 2011 he was, on the final day of the US Masters in Augusta, the leader by four shots and also the favourite to win - his first major golf tournament. Stress and tension however got to the 22-year-old Rory. He lost his concentration and managed to match the worst round in the history of the tournament. It was such a public humiliation that many sports anchors wondered if Rory would ever recover.
Two months later however, Rory surprised his critics when he won the US Open Golf Tournament with a record of 16 strokes under par. This time he enthralled the golf world and sports anchors started to refer to him as the new “Tiger Woods” of the golf arena.
What helped Rory to fight back after his shocking performance at Augusta? He answered this question in a recent article: “After Augusta I spoke to a few people and came to the realization that I was way too focused on the final day. I went to bed the previous night thinking about the final round and I woke up thinking about what possibly could go wrong. It made me totally anxious.
Today, Rory’s strategy is completely different. “I switch off after each shot I have played and speak to my caddie about the movie I watched the night before or a football game. Only when I get closer to the ball for my next shot will I start focusing again. In this way there is no time to ponder on what possibly can go wrong or negative thoughts or doubts to affect me. All I have time for is to consider the shot that needs to be played. I visualize where it should go, pull out my golf club from my bag and hit the ball.”
Rory’s words made me realize that we, like professional athletes, can easily fall into the trap of becoming so focused on what can potentially go wrong, that we become anxious or live in fear. In Ephesians 6:11, Paul reminds us to put on the armour of God daily: “Put on the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” And then in verse 17: “Put on the helmet of salvation.” In Romans 12: 2 we read: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”And in Philippians 4: 8 Paul gives the following advice to our mind: “. . . whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”
Are you consumed by negative thoughts or are you in faith visualizing your marriage being restored, you being able to afford your own home, the doctor declaring you healthy, you seeing two lines on the pregnancy test or you walking down the isle on your wedding day to the spouse you prayed for?
What we visualize in our lives (positive or negative), will eventually become our reality. We can therefore, like Rory at Augusta, have the worst round of golf in the history of the tournament or we can win with a record 16 under par. God bless!
Father God, thank you that I can wear the armour daily. Please help me to deliberately take negative thoughts captive and replace them with positive thoughts. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
For feedback or questions on the theme, please send an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Also, share your testimony of what God has done in your life