Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Smylie Kaufman and Justin Thomas are some of the top names in professional golf right now. But this week, they're doing something a little different. The four golf pros and friends are on vacation together in the Bahamas, and some people aren't so pleased with the shenanigans of this famous foursome.
Video and pictures posted to Snapchat show the group goofing off on a golf course playing in bathing suits, wearing headdresses and even a re-creation of Jordan Spieth's chunked wedge from the 12th hole at the 2016 Masters that lost him the lead and eventually the green jacket.
The comments section from news outlets that covered the story is filled with mixed reviews. Some people see it as kids just having fun; after all, we're talking about four people barely out of college and in their young 20s. Others see it as insulting, stupid and even disrespectful to the game of golf which is known as a gentleman's game and should be treated with more dignity and respect. But I believe it's perfectly healthy because champions need rest and recovery strategies.
Look at the day-to-day lives of these golfing superstars. It's filled with hours of practice, travel, media appearances, charity events, speaking engagements and celebrity appearances, shooting commercials, and always being in the public spotlight. The enemy of creativity, clarity and being the best at what you do is excessive cognition, or having too many thoughts to process at the same time. The old cliché, "you can't see the forest for the trees" applies when this occurs. Cognitive overload is a problem for many top performers. Champions know we are living in the age of the mind, where operating with optimal clarity is critical.
This is why they schedule time to get away, unwind, relax and have fun. Most people see this as vacation or time off, but the pros know it's something completely different. Investing in solitude gives performers a chance to slow their thought process and elevate their consciousness in order to gain perspective. When champions' minds are clear and focused, they turn their power to being even better than before and experiencing new levels of success. The great ones know their single greatest asset is their ability to think, and no place is this truer than on the golf course and with the pressures of professional sports. Champions do whatever it takes to make sure their minds are fresh, rested and clear. These guys are just coming off The Masters tournament, one of the most prestigious and pressure-packed golf tournaments in the world. They've pushed and pushed in preparation and need to rest and recover in order to remain the best.
If you look at the photos and videos, they're not doing anything wrong or disrespectful. They're not doing illegal drugs, destroying property, cursing, being violent, setting a bad example or anything else. It's four friends having fun, taking a break from the daily grind and getting ready to comeback to compete at The Player's Championship and swing of three summer major championships. And the fact that they're friends, even though they're competing against one another and going head-to-head for millions of dollars each week, is even more commendable.
Whether you play professional golf, are an engineer, accountant, teacher, police officer, doctor, entrepreneur or whatever, you need some time away. Follow the example of Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Smylie Kaufman and Justin Thomas and work hard but also play hard. Who knows, it might just turn you into a world-class champion in whatever it is you do.
As for this famous foursome spending the week in The Bahamas, they'll continue to dominate and I wouldn't even be surprised to see some of them pick up some wins in the next few weeks because they're going to be back even better, stronger, hungrier and more focused than before.
As Author Grenville Kleiser said, "Periods of wholesome laziness, after days of energetic effort, will wonderfully tone up the mind and body."