Father’s Day is always special for me. Now that my two daughters are well into adulthood, it is a great time for me to reflect on their childhoods and the many great memories that I have of those times. However, it is also a special day for me to think about my own father, not just because it is Father’s Day, but also because it is traditionally the day of the final round of the golf’s US Open. While neither my dad nor I would be mistaken for great golfers, we enjoyed both playing and watching golf together. One particular occasion that stands out in my memory was watching the final round of the 1987 US Open in a hotel room after he and I had driven from Long Island, New York to Marietta, Georgia, for the closing of the purchase of my first home the next day. While I do not remember too many of the details of the golf that Sunday, I do remember Scott Simpson winning the tournament and how hard the golf course was, which is usually the case for the US Open.
This year’s US Open was no exception. It was held at Oakmont Country Club, just outside of Pittsburgh, PA. Oakmont has traditionally been known as one of the most difficult courses in the US Open rotation, and some were predicting a winning tournament score over par. With its extremely thick roughs and lightning-fast greens, Oakmont would be a stern challenge for the world’s greatest golfers. While rain before and during the tournament made the greens more receptive and slower, Oakmont was still very formidable, with only winner, J.J. Spaun, shooting under par; and only one stroke under par at that. As I watched the various golfers this weekend deal with the adversity and challenges of playing Oakmont, it made me think of businesses who are currently or will soon be dealing with adversity, as they face the potential impacts of tariffs and a possible recession. In today’s column, I will address how those who were most successful in the US Open provide us with tips on how to best address the possible challenges ahead. Here is what I learned from the US Open that you can apply to your business and the uncertain road ahead.
- In Tough Conditions, Nothing is More Important than Adaptability and Sound Decision Making: The combination of the tough course conditions (e.g., thick roughs, fast greens) and changing weather (e.g., rain) made things very difficult for the golfers. The golfers who were better able to quickly adapt to changing conditions and make good decisions were the ones who were at the top of the leaderboard at the end. For instance, as the rain picked up during the final round, the softer and slower greens allowed the golfers to shoot closer to pins and be more aggressive with their putts. For business leaders, be ready to adapt as conditions change and make decisions that are driven by your strengths and market conditions.
- “Take Your Medicine”/Don’t Take Unnecessary Risks: In challenging conditions, if you make mistakes, do not compound them. The most successful golfers in the US Open were those who, when they missed the fairway on their drive, often just pitched their ball back in the fairway to limit their damage to a bogey. Typically, those who attempted a “miracle shot” out of the rough ended up making a double bogey or worse. Similarly, in a challenging business environment, bad things will happen. Manage those issues rather than trying something extremely risky that will likely make your problem worse.
- Resilience, Patience, and Discipline: This recommendation is similar to one directly above, but most importantly, remain resilient with a positive attitude when things are not going well. Keep working at it and be disciplined in your approach. Consider golfers Scottie Scheffler and Robert MacIntyre at the US Open. Scheffler, clearly the top golfer in the world right now, did not have his best stuff this tournament. However, he continued to compete hard throughout the tournament, worked on his game after the round ended, and remained disciplined, knowing he was not playing as well as he had in recent weeks. At the end of the tournament, he ended up tied for seventh place, five strokes out of the lead. We would all take “bad weeks” like that. On the other hand, MacIntyre did nothing spectacular during the tournament, but his steady play, which included three birdies and nine pars in rainy conditions, earned him a second-place finish. Similarly, in your business, demonstrating resilience, patience, and discipline will serve you while your competitors are floundering around you.
- Lean on Your Team: When things are the toughest, it is time to not try to do everything yourself. J.J. Spaun leaned on his caddy down the stretch of the tournament and his coaches (including former AU national championship coach, Josh Gregory) throughout the preparation for the tournament. In business, when things are most challenging, it is the most important time to collaborate and allow a team effort to lead you to success.
Every business leader has to face his or her Oakmont at some point or another. Yours might be coming soon with the threat of a possible recession and potential impacts of tariffs. When you have to play your Oakmont, I hope you will look at the lessons of the US Open to persevere and win!
