Does It
Pay to be Nice?
Anyone who thinks that “nice guys finish last” hasn’t
paid much attention to golf lately.
Last week Jordan Spieth won the Travelers
Championship in amazing and miraculous fashion. During the final
playoff, his 60-foot shot from the bunker rolled into the hole and won
the match.
My grandfather, George Ulett, loved golf. I loved
him—and riding around in his little electric golf cart. When I turned
twelve he hired a pro to give me lessons. I anticipated years of chasing
little white balls around the local course. In time, I would excel and
Grandfather would probably want to buy me a golf cart of my own—pink
with tassels!
I showed up for my first lesson in baggy, plaid
Bermuda shorts and a huge t-shirt. I was beginning to develop a figure,
but not sure yet how to dress it. Plus, I was at that awkward stage of
poor coordination and a terrible fear of looking silly. Since golf
wasn’t a spectator sport in our town and since I’d do almost anything to
make Grandfather happy, it seemed like a good fit.
Jordan Spieth is now the youngest player (after Tiger
Woods) to win ten tournaments in his career. But that is not his most
important statistic. Golf Digest has ranked the “Top 30 Nicest Guys” on
the PGA tour. Players were graded on several criteria, including how
they treat their fans, their caddies, and how they behave when no one is
looking.
Jordan Spieth came in first place.
In 2014 he established a charitable trust that
supports youth with special needs, junior golf, military families, and
the fight against pediatric cancer. In an interview with Sports
Illustrated Spieth said, “When I look back on my life, what we
accomplish (with the foundation) will be more important than anything I
do in golf.”
He’s right. Poet and civil rights activist, Maya
Angelou wrote, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you
made them feel.”
People will eventually forget what Jordan Spieth has
said. They may even forget his impressive statistics in time. But he
will linger in many people’s memories as a really nice guy.
By contrast, “nice guy” is a moniker that Tiger Woods
will never recapture because his achievements were obliterated by his
moral failings. Tiger didn’t make Golf Digest’s list.
The New Testament authors have captured many of the
things Jesus said, but it was his genuine kindness that made him someone
that people wanted to follow.
Paul’s letters to the churches were written to
disciple new Christians. He wanted to help people grow to be more like
Jesus when he wrote to the Colossians, “Since God chose you to be the
holy people whom He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted
mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make
allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends
you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the
most important piece of clothing you must wear is love.” (Col 3:12-14)
I am grateful that my golf game isn’t the marker by
which my own life legacy will be determined. Even with weeks of lessons,
I couldn’t reliably hit the ball. Instead I left some truly spectacular
divots, spent a lot of time wading through water, and generally had no
talent for finding golf balls once I had hit them.
Riding around in the golf cart remained my favorite
part of the game. That and hanging out with my kind and generous
grandfather, George Ulett.
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