When I was a kid, in response to my pleas for the latest and greatest gear, my parents used to say, “You don’t need the best equipment to be the best.”
Golfer Jim Furyk validated my parents’ words of wisdom this past weekend at the PGA Championship in Atlanta. After winning the tournament, Furyk revealed that he had been playing with a used putter, one that he had purchased for $39 at a Boston-area discount golf shop just three weeks earlier.
On the final hole of play, Furyk sank a 2½-foot par putt with the secondhand putter to seal a one-stroke victory and cop $1.35 million in prize money. And if that wasn’t enough cake, how’s this for frosting? The win helped Furyk clinch the FedEx Cup, the championship trophy for the PGA Tour, along with another $10 million in bonus money.
During a post-round interview, Furyk said of the putter, “I guess we were meant to be.”
Let this be a lesson: the most innovative performance gear may be lighter, keep you cooler or wick your sweat. But it’s still on you to put in the training and practice time to further your skills, and ultimately to become the best athlete you can be.
That said, when you need to hook up some fresh gear, be sure to stop by the STACK blog for expert reviews of the hottest new items hitting the market.
Photo:  golfweek.com