If you’re like me, you probably didn’t spend your Sunday glued to the TV watching golf. If you followed the tournament at all on what used to be called the "sports page," it was all over but the counting after Friday—maybe even after Thursday—as Scottie Scheffler ran away with the tournament.
Sometimes, though, even if you’re not a golf fan, there are lessons waiting in the fairways that are too good to ignore.
Yesterday in McKinney, Texas, a northeast suburb of Dallas, Scheffler, the “World Number One” who grew up in Dallas—and, for the casual sports fan, a name you may only hear when the Masters rolls around—did something remarkable at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. He didn’t just win.
He dominated.
Scheffler finished the tournament at 31-under par, tying a PGA Tour scoring record. He won by eight shots, a margin so wide that the only real competition turned out to be the history books.
But here’s what makes this story worth your attention: Scheffler’s win wasn’t flashy.
He didn’t need a miracle shot on the 18th or a dramatic comeback. He simply showed up, played his game, and executed with relentless consistency.
After winning 7 times on Tour last season, he has endured months of near-misses this year and suffered a delayed start to his season thanks to a freak hand injury (the kind you get from cooking, not from swinging a club).
Meanwhile, Scheffler has made every cut this year, with five top 10 finishes, but until this weekend, he hadn’t added any new trophies to his—now quite substantial—case. This was his first victory in 2025.
So, why does this matter? Because in a world obsessed with overnight success and viral moments, Scheffler’s story is a reminder that greatness is often built quietly, one steady step at a time.
Scheffler first came on the scene at the very same tournament—11 years ago as a 17-year-old amateur with his sister as his caddie. Now, after more than a decade, his victory in the Nelson event was the first for someone who grew up in the DFW metroplex since Scott Verplank won in 2007.
Started by the late, legendary Texas golfer who lends his name to the tournament, the former Byron Nelson Classic began in 1944. And, in a feat last accomplished in 1980, Scheffler became just the third golfer ever to lead the tournament wire-to-wire.
For the effort? A cool $1.782 million check. Not bad for a weekend’s work.
Let’s be honest: Most of us won’t break scoring records or have our victories broadcast to millions. But every day, we have the chance to show up, do our work, and get a little better.
By our effort and mindset, we can, however, be the ones who keep “making the cut,” even when the wins don’t come easily. We can be the ones who, after a setback—whether it’s a lost client, a missed opportunity, or just a bad week—choose to get back in the game and keep swinging.
There’s a lot happening in the world right now. Politics are noisy, the headlines are relentless, and it’s easy to feel like real progress will never come around.
Perhaps the lesson Scheffler demonstrated is this: Progress isn’t always dramatic.
Most of the time, it’s just quietly putting in the work, day after day, until the breakthrough comes.
How about taking a page from Scottie’s playbook?
Don’t worry about being the loudest in the room or chasing the quick win.
Focus on your fundamentals. Trust your process.
Remember, the real victories—those that matter—are built on patience, resilience, and a quiet kind of toughness.
Here’s to a week of steady progress.
As always,
Brian
P.S. – Speaking of “noisy politics,” it’s been an eventful week over at the Substack page, the O’Leary Review. https://briandoleary.substack.com
First, Tuesday’s column, “Trump’s tariffs and Amazon’s rebellion,” sparked a reaction from my pal Adam Haman (https://hamannature.substack.com/) and we cut an episode of the Natural Order Podcast about it that should be out later this week. I’ll keep you updated.
And, just this morning, LewRockwell.com re-published Saturday’s column, “Trump takes aim at the public broadcasting monopoly.” You’ll find that on the front page on today’s (May 5) LRC front page.
Please show Lew some thanks by clicking through to his link and, if it strikes your fancy, take the time to comment or like on the O’Leary Review Substack page. We’d appreciate it.
