Webb Simpson ran away with The Players Championship by finishing 18-under for the tournament, including tying the course record (63) in the second round.
Starting the final round on Sunday with a seven-stroke lead, he held off the charge by multiple golfers, securing the win by four strokes and becoming victorious for the first time in over four years.
His drought was partly due to the PGA Tour banning the "belly putter" putting style that Simpson used to win the 2012 U.S. Open and three other PGA tournaments.
He was forced to adjust his game, learn a new way to putt and overcome both mental and physical hurdles. This proved to be a difficult process before rising back to the top.
Over the weekend, Simpson discussed the journey he's been on to regain his confidence:
“Confidence is so big, and it can change the way you think…even more so maybe with putting. Putting there's read, there's grain, there's speed…there's the stroke, the aimer, and then there's you.
"I had tournaments where I putted well, but I never had stretches of three months, six months, eight months where consistently I was a lot better.
“Once that kind of four, five, six months of good putting hit, I started to believe again that I'm a good putter. It had been a long time since I had really felt that and believed it.”
A golfer has to be confident that he has what it takes to win, can hit any shot, and make the difficult putt. On or off the golf course, most of us can probably relate to what it feels like to lose our confidence and belief in ourselves. We know what it means to allow self-doubt to creep into our minds.
This happens when we focus on our limitations, weaknesses, setbacks, and failures. We start to buy the lie that we’re not good enough to accomplish anything and unable get the job done. We convince ourselves we can’t be the spouse or parent or employee we need to be, and all of these negative beliefs can cause us to give up.
However, when we follow Jesus and begin to realize the power and courage available to us through Almighty God, our confidence should rise.
When we believe and understand we’ve been called out of darkness into a life with Christ, our self-doubt should be replaced with trust in the One who lives in us. If we’re empowered by the Holy Spirit, then we can overcome failures and setbacks while our weaknesses lead to relying on the One who gives us strength.
We can be a “good putter” again, not because we just believe in ourselves, but because we place our trust in Jesus. Confidence results when we trust He’ll provide the way to accomplish His will and use us for His glory.
Hebrews 10:35-36 (NLT) says, "So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.”
As we think about Simpson saying, “Confidence is so big, and it can change the way you think,” let’s remember where true confidence comes from. Let’s boldly believe “the Lord will be your confidence, firm and strong, and will keep your foot from being caught " (Proverbs 3:26-AMP).
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can unpack that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I pray my confidence and belief would be in You. Help me trust You when I start to feel self-doubt and want to give up. Please give me the strength when I’m weak and empower me to do Your will and use my gifts for Your glory. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
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