By Tim Findlay
Sport is an extraordinary medium for examining life. It displays our highest triumphs and darkest setbacks in real time, leaving no place to hide. There’s nowhere to stash your ego; if you crumble under pressure, everyone sees it. And if you emerge victorious, the glory and satisfaction can last a lifetime.
People will judge you—win or lose—on how you handle both success and adversity. It is the ultimate test and display of character.
Those that know me know that I love golf, and I often draw inspiration from experiences in competition or practice. And on Monday morning (Australian time), golf delivered us a new hero in Englishman Tommy Fleetwood.
Heartache
Fleetwood is a world-class golfer, consistently ranked among the Top 20 players in the world. But he carried a heavy burden: not a single win in the United States during his 12-year PGA Tour career. That meant 163 tournaments without a victory—a record no player of his calibre would want.
It wasn’t just that he hadn’t won. Golfers—even great ones—lose far more often than they win. But Fleetwood had been on the brink multiple times, only to let mistakes creep in under pressure. Each missed chance brought fresh disappointment and heartache.
The Breakthrough
That all changed on Monday morning when Fleetwood finally closed out the PGA Tour Championship in Atlanta, Georgia. In his 164th attempt, the wait was over.
In the emotional aftermath, Fleetwood didn’t talk about money or glory. Instead, he reflected on attitude, pride, and resilience. In past failures, he had refused to be hard on himself. Rather than dwelling on setbacks, he chose to be proud of his effort and grateful for the journey. Watch the interview below:
Lessons for Business
As I watched with my two sons, I told them to take heed of Fleetwood’s message: be kind to yourself, and don’t be overly self-critical.
The lesson applies just as much in business. Too often we punish ourselves for mistakes—an investment that doesn’t work, a client opportunity missed, a strategy that falls flat. But mistakes are inevitable. What matters is not the misstep itself, but how we respond. Like Fleetwood, we can acknowledge the effort, extract the lesson, and move forward with resilience.
In business, the “perfect round” doesn’t exist. Markets shift, people change, and circumstances are unpredictable. The leaders and businesses who thrive are those who maintain perspective, stay positive through setbacks, and refuse to let a bad hole ruin the round. Self-compassion fuels persistence. Without it, setbacks compound into hesitation, fear, and missed opportunity.
