As members of the U.S. Presidents Cup team prepare to compete at Medinah Country Club, several of America’s top golfers are opening up about the Christian faith that unites them away from the course.
For Sam Burns, faith provides freedom from allowing wins and losses to define him.
“It gives me a lot of freedom to go out and compete and know that no matter what happens, my identity is not in the result of the match, the result of the Presidents Cup,” Burns told OutKick. “It’s in my faith and being a believer in Jesus.”
Jacob Bridgeman said his relationships with Burns, Russell Henley and Scottie Scheffler developed through their shared beliefs and Christian community. Those friendships also helped Bridgeman manage the pressure he placed on himself after joining the Tour.
“I think over the last few years, I’ve grown a lot in my understanding that I’m not measured by the number that I shoot,” Bridgeman said. “Even though I shoot a 65, I’m not any better of a person than the day when I shoot a 75.”
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That Christian fellowship continues throughout the season. Henley said Bible studies are typically held Tuesday nights during Tour events. He also participates in a weekly conference call and works through Christian material with someone from College Golf Fellowship.
U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker has witnessed the effect those gatherings have had on the players.
“It’s definitely helped bond those guys for sure,” Snedeker said. “They spend a lot of time together. They have Bible studies together on Tour.”
Henley said faith does not prevent nerves, frustration or anger when a round goes poorly. Instead, it gives him lasting peace beyond the game.
“I don’t know that I necessarily rely on my faith to play better, but I think knowing that I’m going to have a place in heaven because of what I believe and what Jesus has done for me, not anything I’ve done, because of what He’s done, definitely gives me peace,” Henley said.
For these golfers, the scorecard matters, but it does not determine their identity, their value or their ultimate destination.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
