Professional golfer Blayne Barber had finally qualified for the PGA Tour. It was a dream come true! However, a week after playing in the tournament that qualified him, he couldn’t get the leaf out of his mind. Yes, a leaf. In the second round of the tournament, he had accidently brushed a leaf in the bunker on the 13^th hole, so he marked his scorecard with a one-shot penalty for the infraction. Later that night, he learned it was a two-shot penalty. He played the final two rounds, but a week later, he didn’t have peace signing an incorrect scorecard, so he did the right thing. He disqualified himself, which cost him a spot on the PGA Tour. Blayne lived out the principle, “It’s never too late to do the right thing.”

Every once in a while we encounter an opponent in competition who, by all accounts, is unbeatable, and it prompts fear in our team. Some opponents seem to grow larger and larger as we approach game day. The media reports and general word-of-mouth discussions depict them as giants. How should we approach such an opponent?

Your opponents on the athletic field are worthy of your respect. They are not, however, worthy of fear! The work of God’s Spirit within us does not bring fear. It brings courage.

Chris Tidland is a very good golfer. However, for six straight years he missed the final cut in q-school by a couple of strokes. In 2005, it came down to the final hole, and he missed it by one stroke. Many athletes would stop trying after all those years, but knowing Chris, he would never give up. The following year, Tidland again found himself in the top 30 players on the leaderboard in the final round. Only the final 30 would advance to the PGA Tour the next season. Would he finish strong and get an early Christmas present?