Paul's Thoughts From The Masters

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a practice round at the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta Georgia. It was one of my good friend’s 50th birthday gift from his wife and I thought I’d better accompany him to make sure all went well. It was a very special experience in so many ways. We drove down over three days, were able to play some golf and see the various sights of the US along the way.

As many of you know, on our team Reg is the most passionate golfer with Adam Watson a close second. I too enjoy golf and its many challenges, but don't take it too seriously.......most days. 

The tradition of this golf course and the challenge it poses to the best golfers in the world was something really amazing to witness in person. It also hits on my recent writing topic around resilience. The level of difficulty on this golf course left many professionals looking like weekend amateurs. However, immediately after their practice round, they head right to the range or putting green to work on problem areas and are excited to return to the course the next day to tackle it again. 

 So many great traditions unique to this event include:

• Amateurs from many parts of the world getting invited.
• The Champions Dinner with past winners sharing stories and their various cultures through food.
• Cheap food and beverages for the patrons.
• No cell phones allowed on the course. 

All these little things provide a hint of the long history at this golfer’s paradise. I have to say the lack of a cell phone caused me some worry at first, but in the end, it allowed me to fully experience the 10 hours on the property and all it had to offer. 

Seeing each of these professionals practice for the whole 10 hours lends support to the fact that any endeavour worth achieving takes commitment and is never as easy as it looks. 

Seeing them miss shots, regroup and then focus on the next one has some similarities with our various processes on our Team. Admittedly, we are not immune to the occasional mistake or miscue as we navigate the financial markets and learn to adapt to the ongoing industry regulations. However, we do our best to learn from past missteps in order to provide a better service offering to our client families. It really is a case of progress over perfection. 

We drove straight home on Tuesday to get back to our routines and to take in the more serious parts of The Masters on TV.  It was so much more interesting to watch it after just being there days before.  The winner, Scottie Scheffler, is a young man that looks and acts much older. He totally kept his cool and stuck to his usual routine through challenging weather conditions and high pressure situations.  Again, some similarities can be seen with the financial markets where the most successful investors are able to stay calm and rational when uncertainty and panic occur.