McDonnell on The Masters

The Masters was played at the famous Augusta National course in Georgia state, USA. The course is well-renowned for its rapid, undulating greens and finely manicured fairways, which require precise approach play and an imaginative short game. What you don’t see on the television is that the Augusta National course is very undulating from tee to green, so calculating the distance compensations is a key skill.

The tournament was very exciting to watch with Britain’s Rory McIlroy and American Patrick Reed leading the way into the final round. As various players mounted their challenge, Patrick Reed stayed on top to claim his first green jacket, while McIlroy dropped some shots and still searches for his first Masters victory to complete his Major career grand slam.

After the tournament, Reed was asked about the secret to his success, which he put down to his mindset for the week. He had incredible self-belief, stuck to his game plan and focused on just playing golf without letting the occasion distract him from playing naturally. Even with victory riding on his final putt, he never lost his cool.

This really goes to show that the mind is such a powerful tool to use when it comes to achieving anything in golf or life. There are thousands of great professional golfers in the world, but what separates the best players is their mindset. Going into most Majors you could give any player reasons for winning, but at the end of the day it comes down to who has a relaxed mentality under pressure.

Here at the Golf At Goodwood Academy, we really focus on these key, mental elements of the game. Having the self-belief to get onto the golf course is so important for any beginner or young player and we strive to create an encouraging environment for all types of golfer. We offer a structured programme for juniors and women that want to try the game at their own pace – something we showcased at our recent Academy Open Day.