Watching the Masters last week reminded me of something I was told many years ago as Al Geiberger and others helped me understand tournament golf.  The nugget is this: playing golf well is not about hitting perfect shots. This is one of those “do as I say not as I do” things: I’m WAY too hard on myself when it comes to golf!  But it’s SO true. Recent example: last Sunday Charl Schwartzel hit his second shot so wide of the first green that most 5-handicap amateurs would have been fuming.  But it didn’t bother him a bit; all he did was chip in the next shot and he was off and running. Yes, he did make birdie putts on the last 4 holes to win, but in between he went 11 holes with no birdies at all, not even on 13! It was still good enough to win a major championship in one of the most tightly contested majors in recent years. Want another example? I’ll let you eavesdrop on a round I played recently with Al. He didn’t know I was filming him. Listen carefully to what he says  and the way he says it. He’d just missed a green from 160 yards out. There’s no anger, no panic, he’s just having fun playing the game. So if one of the best players ever doesn’t get upset at a missed shot, why should I? So here’s the tip: Be focused on the shot at hand, strive to make a smart decision and execute to the best of your ability, and then let it go. You’ll have more fun and you’ll play better too!