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Jul 31st, 2016
Why you need to know about Eddie Pepperell
Thoughtful response to his King's Cup collapse
Words: Daniel Owen Photography: Getty Images
Over in Thailand, while the late blooming Jimmy Walker came good and won his first major, the King's Cup was being played on the European Tour. While the world's best were playing for a $10,000,000 prize fund, and Walker took home $1.8 Million, the total prize fund for the King's Cup was $750,000. Eddie Pepperell was in the joint lead with four holes to play. He managed to drop five shots. He finished 6th and took home €18,256. In the grand scheme of things not a terrible week, but not good enough.
Most golfers would shut up shop. Give a few media friendly answers when asked, but nothing insightful. Luckily Eddie Pepperell isn’t most golfers. Eddie has his own blog.
Subscribers to Eddie’s blog got this email early this morning. In it he eloquently talks about the truth of losing when in a position to win. Titled “Jimmy Walked, I fell”, the first line continues on from his title. “Like a sack of fucking spuds.” Pepperell's honesty is astounding. Over to you Eddie...
“But I have a problem. It's not mental and it's not physical. It's technical. For me, people overstate the mental aspect of golf. That's not to say a clear head isn't important, it's just a competent, repeatable technique is more important. I've never had a problem winning and I never will. I won when I was a junior, an amateur, and when I really needed to on the Challenge Tour. With all respect to the tournament I've just played, the thought of winning it didn't make me tremble at the knees or make my bladder leak…”
What a mixture of confidence and vulnerability.
“But for me to win, I don't need that "fuck it" moment. Because honestly, I don't really care about winning on the European Tour, or any tour for that matter. I wish I did in many ways, but for whatever reason, I don't. So for me to win, I need to build a game that is so good that winning happens because I'm simply just better than the rest that week. My biggest obstacle eventually, won't be the pressure of winning, it'll be perpetuating my motivation to always improve.”
If you want to read the full blog, you can find it at eddiepepperell.wordpress.com
