After my disastrous start to the season, my spirits were pretty low.  My self-confidence started to tank, and my ego was on life support. That is when I was hit with a revelation, and I realized why I was losing: I don’t have a winner’s mentality. A winner’s mentality is that x-factor that most athletes have. It drives the athlete to never accept a loss, to have a win-or-nothing mind set.  After learning that Dunham’s doesn’t carry winner’s mentality, I pledged to develop my own.

For my second challenge of the year I would be taking on golf phenomenon Rob Aldrich. Rob began golfing at a very young age.  When he was five years old, his dad would take him out to the driving range and teach him how to play.  Rob plays Varsity golf at Huron High School and has several colleges recruiting him including Centre College in Kentucky.

I must admit I was not looking forward to playing a true prodigy of the game of golf. When I play golf, sometimes my club goes farther than my ball, sometimes I have to take five or six mulligans, and sometimes I am escorted off the course. Golf courses are places of tradition and beauty, so apparently it is frowned upon to take off your shirt after you sink a putt.

Rob and I met at the scenic Huron Hills golf course. It was a majestic evening; the sun was starting to drop below the trees, and the acres of green fairways stretched out before us. At tee off, Rob crushed his drive a good 250 yards. Five minutes into our outing I was given my first warning by the course manager.  Just off the fairway I had swung with my 5-iron to see that my ball had gone about two feet. My temper, always so close to the breaking point when on a golf course, snapped as I started slamming my club into the ground. This is also not proper golf etiquette, as I shortly learned.

Our second hole Rob played beautifully as he drove the fairway, chipped onto the green, and finished with a nice, clean par putt. I spent most of my time in the sand.  Getting out of sand traps is much harder than it looks.  The first couple times I missed the ball completely. I finally got onto the green and five putted from there.

I tried to keep the score close, but Rob’s power combined with his fluid stroke left me in the dust.  Every hole Rob was on the green in two shots where as I, on the other hand, often had to take scenic walks through the woods to find my ball.  For the six holes we played, Rob shot a 23 and I shot a solid 41.  There were not many positives to take away from this match-up.  An 0 and 2 start is tough, but before the season is over, I still guarantee a win.

Photos by Jordan Siden