Few professional athletes have a clearer defining moment in their careers than Larry Mize. It was “the first full week in April” of 1987, and the setting was the revered Masters Golf Tournament in his hometown of Augusta, Ga.
Mize had ended the final round tied with Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros, who was eliminated on the first play-off hole. And on the second hole Mize missed the green with his approach shot.
As hordes of spectators gathered around him and millions watched on television, the hometown hero chipped the ball from about 140 feet onto the perfectly manicured green and into the hole. It was time to celebrate!
With order restored, Mize was led to the clubhouse and greeted by his childhood idol, Jack Nicklaus, who draped the coveted green jacket around his shoulders. Larry Mize was a Masters champion.
But Mize has learned through the years there is more to life than what his success in golf has brought him. And there are other less-public moments that even better define Larry Mize as a husband, father, friend and Christian.
In an interview at his home in Columbus, Ga., with Baptists Today, Mize responded to the question, “How’s your game?”
“Pretty good,” Mize replied, adding he was looking forward to a practice round after lunch. “I played Hawaii (in January) and started out good.”
Then he took four weeks off between tournaments to be home for the remainder of his sons’ basketball games. “I’m a little rusty, (but) lucky to have a job where I’m in control of my schedule. I played 22 tournaments last year. This year I want to cut it back to 21.”
His schedule has been intentionally reduced in recent years in favor of time with his wife, Bonnie, and their three sons, David, 13; Patrick, 10; and Robert, 6.
It was the birth of their first son that caused Mize, then age 28, to seriously consider his spiritual needs. “God got my attention,” he recalled. “It was that afternoon that I really trusted God with my life.”
A smile stretched across Mize’s face as he anticipated going back to Augusta for this year’s Masters, which was held April 6-9. “It’s exciting (and) something I always look forward to,” he said.
Mize finished 25th with a +4 and $37,567 prize money. He has made the cut in 14 of 16 Masters starts. He has four PGA Tour titles and four international victories.
Unlike other past champions and numerous qualifiers, for Mize it is simply going home. “I get to visit my parents,” he added.
Last year Mize joined two-time Masters Champion Bernhard Langer and fellow pro Loren Roberts to share golf tips and their Christian witness to fans gathered for the annual Augusta Golf Breakfast prior to the Tuesday practice round.
Mize, one of three golfers featured in the book “Focus: the Name of the Game,” writes “I’ve learned to be patient in golf, because you never know how the round will end.”
That’s valuable advice when faced with the certain frustrations and failings the game can produce. His most recent finish was a six-way tie for third at the MCI Classic April 16.
“I think I have a good relationship with everybody out there,” he said. The affable Mize counts Scott Simpson, also known for his Christian commitment, as “my closest friend” on tour.
“Then there is Tom Lehman, Corey Pavin, Jay Haas, Loren Roberts, Jeff Sluman,” said Mize.
And then there was the loss of a friend.
“I knew that would come up,” Mize said, his eyes dropping to the floor when asked how the recent death of fellow player Payne Stewart affected the PGA Tour.
Mize said Stewart’s death had a great impact and “caused many players to consider their own needs for a relationship with Christ.”
Mize and his wife were among the many who attended the memorial service for Stewart at the First Baptist Church, Orlando, Fla., and heard the testimonies about his Christian faith.
“Payne was always a good guy,” Mize said upon reflection, “but you could really tell the difference in his life over the last year after he accepted Christ.”
As exhilarating as winning can be, Mize learned that it alone can not bring ultimate satisfaction. That lesson faced him most clearly following the highest point in his career.
“After I won the Masters in 1987 I started feeling a little significant,” he said. “For about a month my feet didn’t hit the ground.” But then followed the incredible pressure to succeed. Living up to his own unreasonable expectations of a Masters Champion was taking its toll on Mize.
“I didn’t enjoy it as much then (because of the pressure) as I did some time later.” He recalls calling Larry Moody, chaplain on the PGA Tour, and tearfully confessing his desire to refocus his life on faith rather than fame.
“I had gotten caught up in being a Masters Champion.” Mize said. “But then I realized that my value does not come from my golf, but because God sent Jesus to die on the cross for me.” (ABP)
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