Written by Phil Mickelson shocked the world and thrilled a large gallery last week by becoming the oldest major champion in golf history. He held off a charge by a much younger Brooks Koepka to win the PGA Championship on a thrilling Sunday afternoon. He looked cool doing it, too, wearing state trooper sunglasses and flashing a thumbs up to everyone who greeted him.
How did he do it? “I worked harder,” he said.
Mickelson, who turns 51 next month, decided a few years ago that he loved the game and wanted to continue competing at its highest level. But, to do that, he realized that he needed to make some changes. So, first, Phil dedicated himself to getting fit and started spending more time at the gym. Then, he educated himself on proper nutrition. Now, he is working on breathing techniques and meditation to improve his mind-body connection.
Lee Westwood, who just turned 48, is having a great season. With his fiancee as his caddy and accountability partner, he has focused on getting fit and taking control of his golf game. For too long, he depended on his former caddy and became complacent. His workouts focus on maintaining the strength and flexibility needed to have good posture, allowing him to avoid injuries.
63-year-old Bernhard Langer has been dominating the Champions Tour for the last thirteen years. He has won a record eleven senior major championships. In addition, Langher offers excellent advice to all of us on how to stay in shape as we age. He suggests we focus on what we can do, not what we can’t. Additionally, he urges us to know when to rest, stay active, and stretch a lot.
Tom Watson nearly won a major at age 59. But, unfortunately, he lost the 2009 British Open in a playoff to Stewart Cink, who is now 48 and having a good season. Westwood finished third. Watson attributes his longevity to “great genes, and a little bit of smoke and mirrors.” I think he was trying to be humble, as he preferred to stay fit by working on his horse ranch rather than going to the gym.
I remember being amazed by Watson at the 1994 PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Everyone there was in awe of John Daly, who had recently burst onto the golf scene. Only one guy we saw drove the ball as long as Daly, the “old guy” Tom Watson. The 44-year-old finished ninth that week. Nick Price, who turned out to be another ironman in the sport, won. Mickelson finished third.
The undisputed OG of golf fitness and longevity is the “Black Knight,” Gary Player. He is 85 years old and going strong, playing the Masters each year in the starting group. He does thirteen hundred crunches in his four or five times a week workouts. He loves doing planks. Player exudes personality and energy, lighting up every room he enters with his 5’-6”, 150-pound frame.
Lots of old guys play golf. It’s what old rich people do when they retire. We see many professional golfers getting fit and excelling at the sport as they age, but it is still rare. The record Mickelson broke was set in 1968. What separates Mickelson, Westwood, Langher, Watson, and Player from the others are that they genuinely have a passion for the sport. It’s not a career or a hobby. That passion allows them to identify what they need to do to continue to play at a high level and motivates them to do the hard work necessary to support it. They are the lucky ones whose career and passion are aligned.
I find it odd that our culture defines fifty as old. Maybe it used to be, but it isn’t anymore. With some discipline and a little luck, we should expect to live to nearly one hundred with the advances in medicine and technology. Sometimes injury or illness prevents us from reaching this goal, but often it comes down to a choice.
All of the golfers mentioned above have been asked many times about how they do it. Their answers are all straightforward. Eat less, exercise more, stay connected, etc. But, unfortunately, most of us choose to ignore this and continue to pretend that we are still thirty or forty rather than dealing with reality. As a result, we burn out and go into survival mode to make it to retirement. Consequently, our entire system encourages us to follow this roadmap.
I found myself at this crossroad when I was fifty-one and decided I needed to make some changes. I encourage everyone to take some time to take stock of where you are at on your roadmap around this age or, preferably, several years earlier than I did. Then, come up with a vision for how you want to spend your next fifty-or-so years. For most of us, this involves getting into shape. Follow Langher’s advice and focus on what you can do. I started with walking.
Finally, prioritize your time on the activities that move you toward your vision. Try to think of this like how Marie Kondo tells us to organize our closets. Keep the things that give you joy, and purge the rest. You will be amazed at how much you can throw away.
Mickelson’s advice is excellent. Educate yourself and be honest. But, unfortunately, what works for Phil won’t necessarily work for you or me. Coffee and water fasts are not for everyone, and not all of us plan to spend our last half-decade hitting bombs and hellacious seeds. So figure out what you want to do, assess where you are now, and develop your plan.
Then get to work.