Leading the Open - What to do!

Shane Lowry leads the British Open heading into the last day. After an impeccable round on the Saturday, shooting a new course record 63, he is the hot favourite to win. He has held large final day leads at major championships and lost - 4 shot final round lead in US Open at Oakmont - as have many others at the major golf championships! In fact the list is endless; Rory McIlroy at Augusta in 2011 (5 shots), Greg Norman in 1996 at Augusta (6 shots), Jordan Spieth at Augusta 2016 (5 shots). One will never forget Jean Van De Velde at Carnoustie as he considered hitting out of the water before throwing away a 5 shot lead! The list is endless!

The first thing to do on the evening before the final round is to try and get out of the hysteria and stay close to people who genuinely care about you - family etc. Distraction will work well to pass away the time, so maybe tuck into a book or film that is engaging enough for you to "not think about the golf".

A famous Irish GAA player (Jack O'Shea from Kerry) used to find a game of pitch and putt used to settle his nerves on the morning of an All-Ireland Final - often played in front of over 80,000 people. Maybe something that is mildly physical, but not overly so could be beneficial - a kick around with family, close friends etc. Essentially, many things can be helpful once they engage your brain and it takes your mind off the impending game of golf.

Sleep (or lack thereof) tends also to be an issue for many, leaving you drained and tired the next day, where you may struggle to cope with the emotional challenges the day might bring. Progressive Muscular Relaxation (PMR) can work very well as an aid to facilitate sleep before going to bed on an evening before the final round. This will help release extra serotonin from the brain, leaving you feeling sleepy, calm and very relaxed, facilitating a very good night's sleep (see video clip at bottom of article)!

Getting the sleep is crucial but so is filling your time the next day. Again, distraction is important and can be used wisely once all your prep is done - whatever your process is! Again, stick to stuff that is engaging, that you enjoy and that will take your mind off the emotional roller-coaster you are set to enter a couple of hours later!

Positive self talk can be quite helpful in boosting your confidence prior to shots. Obviously you want to stay with your own process but a simple phrase like "Come On, you can do it" or "I can and I will" may boost confidence and negate the negative impact of any feelings of anxiety!

More Links here to other articles on "Mastering The Yips" and "Why the golfer hits the ball in the water" - both equally interesting reads on managing big golf game anxiety!

Keith Begley is an Irish based performance psychologist, accredited with the Sport Ireland Institute.

www.performancepsychology.ie

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Progressive Muscular Relaxation Video Clip below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6053dnI4Rxg