Upon a golfer winning their first major championship, a lifetime dream is suddenly fulfilled. A whirlwind of attention also ensues. Sound great? It probabably isn't.
How Angel Cabrera has fared is up in the air, but Zach Johnson and Padraig Harrington seem to have suffered the same plight. Although they’ve played well most of the time, Johnson even having won another tournament, both were overcome by schedules packed with interviews, TV appearances, travel, celebrations, and oh yes, tournament commitments, all on both sides of the Atlantic. Not to mention spending time with family. Trying to keep up with all the demands and still go forward with a career is nigh impossible.
Neither Johnson nor Harrington have likely had the opportunity to let their wins, as they say, "sink in." That may be what has kept them playing at a relatively high level. The off-season, however short, may tell the tale for their futures. Time to reflect on their accomplishment, one of the reasons they do what they do, will either spell doom or spur them on to higher heights.
Take, for example, Tiger Woods, Michael Campbell and John Daly. Each have won majors. With each major win, Woods seems to hit another "determination gear." He’s driven to achieve heights that no other golfer has seen, or maybe will ever see. Since his PGA win in 1991, Daly’s career has stopped, started, sputtered and started again, several times. But he managed to win another major along the way. Cambell, by his own admission, lost the drive to stay on top after he reached the summit. He’s just now getting things back together after his 2005 U.S. Open win.
For this year’s first-time major champions, the hope is they can keep the faith and ascend even higher. From the Woods-Campbell-Daly example, they have about a one in three shot.
