Tony Finau found a way to get up after falling down at the Masters

Author Ryan Holiday is admittedly not a golf guy. That would be his father, who lives in Kapalua, Maui. But golf and particularly FedExCup No. 3 Rory McIlroy—always a favorite at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow—have lately popped up on Holiday’s radar. That’s because McIlroy, who won THE PLAYERS Championship in March, name-dropped four books during his long, introspective press conference at the Masters four weeks later. Two of them—“The Obstacle is the Wayâ€� and “The Ego is the Enemyâ€�—were written by Holiday, who is more known in NFL circles and has immersed himself not in golf but Brazilian jiu-jitsu. “It’s been really amazing to see the books make their way through professional sports over the last few years, but this one was different because it was probably the first one that impressed my dad!â€� Holiday, 31, said via email this week. “I know I had heard Cameron McCormick had been recommending it to golfers recently, but really curious to hear about how Rory heard about it.â€� McCormick, the well-known coach who works with Jordan Spieth and Kramer Hickok, among others, confirmed he has recommended the book but declined to elaborate. Was there a Rory bump from the Masters? Hard to tell. The book is already a juggernaut—the No. 1 seller in Philosophy and Movements on Amazon’s Audible. Which is to say McIlroy could have heard about “The Obstacle is the Wayâ€� through a number of channels. A 2014 release, the book preaches the ancient Greek philosophy of stoicism—meeting obstacles with equanimity instead of unhelpful emotion. It has found disciples in, among others, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon, sideline reporter Michele Tafoya, NFL teams like the 2015 Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots, and LL Cool J. “Stoicism as a philosophy is really about the mental game,â€� Holiday said in a Sports Illustrated article in 2015, when the book was taking the NFL by storm. Given how much time there is to think in golf, no wonder it’s now making its way to the course. Still, for as much as it resonates with athletes, this is not nominally a sports book. The late tennis player Arthur Ashe and Alabama football coach Nick Saban show up in its pages, but mostly Holiday draws lessons from other leaders and achievers: John D. Rockefeller, Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, U.S. presidents, Amelia Earhart. All of them, he argues, kept a cool head in lieu of flying off the handle, which dulls thinking and impedes right action. Related: Featured Groups, tee times | Power Rankings | Rose looks to rebound | The harsh lessons of losing can pay big dividends | Tiger’s inspiring message to Varner’s friend For McIlroy, stoicism dovetailed nicely with his stated goals as he enters the next phase of his career: maintaining patience, looking at longer time horizons, and refusing to get caught up in the emotional bungee-jumping of results, i.e. not letting his happiness be dictated by his scores. Perspective, Persistence and Poise. The 15-time TOUR winner drew on all three at TPC Sawgrass as he answered all the questions about not closing—five straight top-six finishes but no wins going into PLAYERS week—and then claimed one of the most significant trophies of his career. Afterward, McIlroy said the big win, like all those close losses, wouldn’t change him. Because that’s stoicism, too. “It’s to make the most of the next 20 years of my career,â€� he said at the Masters of his mental approach, which now includes meditation and juggling. “It’s not just about one week. This is a lifelong journey of trying to improve and learn and try to master my craft, which is golf.â€� You could hear echoes of Holiday there. The author, who writes and raises cattle, goats and donkeys on a ranch outside Austin, Texas, has been fascinated by the response to his work. He was on vacation in Florida when he heard about the shout-out from the 2016 FedExCup winner. “Completely unexpected and humbling,â€� Holiday said. Coincidentally, he added, he was already thinking a lot more about golf than usual. That’s because his next book, “Stillness is the Key,â€� will impart lessons gleaned in part from the career of one Tiger Woods. “It’s fascinating to me the way that athletes have become voracious readers and how openly they share these recommendations,â€� Holiday said. “It’s obviously great for authors but I think it sets an even better example for young people. … When you write a book, you are basing it on your experiences and your research, but you just don’t know how it’s going to stand up under pressure when people go out and use it in real life, in their difficult jobs. “Playing at the level that Rory plays at is quite a test of anyone’s material,â€� he continued, “so that he liked it enough to talk about it is a reward for the many frustrating hours I spent, alone at the keyboard, trying to get it right.â€�

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PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – In back-to-back groups Thursday afternoon, an amateur named Steve Green, and a two-time champion of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am named Brandt Snedeker were forced onto the beach to the left of the 18th hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Errant tee shots and mad scrambles led to an improbable par by Green and an all-world birdie by Snedeker. That they barely avoided the crashing waves in Stillwater Cove to stay dry and even get to their golf balls was a larger layer of good fortune. But like the rest of their competitors in this iconic tournament, they probably aren’t holding out too much hope for the days ahead, because the forecast is turbulent. Tee times for Friday’s second round have been pushed up to 7 a.m. local time, which means the first groups will be teeing off just as the sun rises. Heavy downpours are forecast to start late morning and, well, now is the time to embrace a positive attitude – and Roberto Castro is helping to set the tone. “It’s not going to prevent me from enjoying my favorite golf course in a tournament I love,� said Castro, who opened with a 4-under 68 to get into a share of 18th. He made those four birdies and 14 pars in relatively gentle conditions at Pebble Beach Golf Links and knows that everyone is now going to speculate about where in the three-course rota will it be worse Friday. Monterey Peninsula Country Club, which is probably the most exposed of the three courses? Spyglass Hills, which is longer and arguably the toughest of the three? Or Pebble Beach, which presents some severely challenging holes along the water and might offer the fiercest winds? “I don’t think it really matters,� said Castro, who will move over to MPCC Friday. “Monterey is probably tougher in worse weather, but it is wide open.� Instead of analyzing which course presents what sort of challenge, Castro prefers to put his arms around the mental challenge that awaits. “To me, tough conditions help me turn my brain off,� he said. “When I was in college and playing in the rain, I was more likely to play on instincts, no analysis.� Nick Watney, who shot 73 at Pebble Beach, always falls back on a memory of something he read as a kid, “how Tom Watson said it was all about attitude, that if you complain about it or fret about it, you were in trouble.� Watson was famous for playing well in adverse conditions and Watney said players need to think that way. Branden Grace, last week’s runner-up at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and a player who prides himself on an ability to handle tough conditions, opened with a 5-under 67 at Pebble Beach and approaches Friday’s round at MPCC with enthusiasm. “It’ll be on my mind, just grind, be patient, be patient.� No worries, either, about what to wear. “A shipment (of clothes) arrived yesterday,� laughed the South African. “I’m all stuffed up.� Castro said he’s prepared, too. “In both directions,� he laughed. “Yesterday I had two layers on and I was too hot. The next few days I’ll have enough clothes on to go skiing.�

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