Strong work ethic essential in golf as in life

When it comes to work ethic on the PGA Tour Ben Hogan was a legend in his own time. Those who knew Hogan and wrote about him described his practice routine as highly organized and on the verge of obsessive.

That dedication to perfection was instrumental in Hogan winning 64 tournaments on the PGA Tour, including four U.S. Opens among his nine majors. Along the way to reaching the pinnacle of golf excellence, Tiger Woods followed Hogan’s example of extreme devotion to the work of practice. In explaining the secret of his relentless practice, Woods even used Hogan’s words: “To be on top you have to dig it out of the dirt.”

There is no doubt that it is an individual’s willingness to put in the seemingly endless hours of work for crafting skills and confidence that results in becoming a champion. Work ethic is essentially a set of values guiding a person’s goal-driven behavior, encompassing integrity, responsibility, discipline and habits.

While studying the traits that led to a person becoming a success at their chosen profession, author Malcolm Gladwell posited that it took 10 thousand hours of practice to become a top, elite performer. In his book “Outliers: The Story of Success” (2008) Gladwell states: “The people at the very top don’t just work harder than everyone else. They work much, much harder.”

Among current top players on the PGA Tour known for very strong work habits are Colin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Keegan Bradley, Scottie Scheffler and Sungjae Im.

Also in that group is Aaron Rai, winner of the PGA Championship in the middle of May. Just following Rai’s win and commenting to Golfweek magazine about Rai’s work ethic, Xander Schauffele, winner of the 2024 PGA Championship, had this to say: “Rarely do you feel like people work harder than you… Aaron is always there. He’s always at the gym. He’s at the range. (I saw) Aaron finishing up his little putting session at 9 p.m. and going to the gym at 9:45. This was three years ago. I think that’s what it’s about to be a major champion. You put the work in when nobody’s looking.”

A golfer with unparalleled work ethic who used that habit to rise to what many regard as the greatest of all time, with 18 major wins, is Jack Nicklaus. The dedication that he showed as a kid learning golf at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, as well as on the Ohio State University golf team, Nicklaus transferred to his dominance for decades on the PGA Tour.

Nicklaus would often practice for over six hours a day, emphasizing the importance of repetition and consistency. His work ethic reminds us that talent alone is not enough; hard work and perseverance are essential for success at the top.

So, how does work ethic relate to recreational golfers who are serious about improvement and playing the best game of golf they possibly can?

I think it starts with making a thorough and realistic assessment of each aspect of your game to identify what exactly you need to work on to upgrade your performance. Consider setting up a planned schedule for practice as well as a plan to work on certain parts of your game.

As Hogan said, we have to “dig it out of the dirt.” We have to practice more than we do now. Maybe not so our hands bleed; but more, and harder.

If you know you need to increase your strength and flexibility, consider joining a local gym. On days when you don’t feel like practicing or working out, it takes determination and discipline to stick to it and put in the time and effort regardless.

Work ethic is one of my 14 principles of mental toughness, and it doesn’t just apply to the men and women golfing professionals. It applies to everyone.