Every year USA Today does a feature on the “most difficult thing to do in sports.” Every year, hitting a fastball as a batter in baseball is voted as the most difficult thing to do in sport. I have never hit a major league fast ball, but I have been beaned by “high-school heat” and it hurts so I have to assume that hitting a major league caliber pitcher MUST be difficult.

But I am willing to bet that I have found something more difficult. Or at least something that, statistically, IS more difficult.

While I truly believe that hitting a baseball is difficult, I think that golf has the distinction of having the toughest thing to do in sports….and that is beat Tiger Woods head to head.

Challengers have come and gone. From Sergio to Phil, the list of names contain those among the elite in the sport. Which is why I am voting that as the toughest accomplishment in sport. I will put it this way…stand me up against any pitcher you want to. Set me up against Roger Clemens in his prime and on as much juice as you want to. Tell him he can NOT bean me, can not throw a curve ball, and must pitch me as hard as he can.

I am willing to bet that I can FOUL a pitch off. It might take me 1,000,000 pitches, but I might make an accident and get a splinter of wood on a ball. But I can guarantee you one thing…..

1,000,000 rounds with Tiger and I will NEVER beat him.

Sure, he might jack one out of bounds and I might manage to make a par to beat him on a hole, but in no way, shape, or form, at any variation of golf, will I beat Tiger. There is a very simple reason for that and it has nothing to do with ability or handicap. It is the same thing that beats the best players in the world when they get to that arena and are face to face with Tiger.

That thing that makes that the most difficult thing in sport, is awe and fear.

The two go hand in hand, let me tell you. Imagine yourself on the first tee with Tiger. What do you say? What do you do when it is your turn to tee off? Do you feel “butterflies” on the first tee shot of the club championship or an important round against your buddy? Multiply that feeling by 1,000,000 and tell me if that wouldn’t be close to the feeling if you had to do it in front of the greatest to ever play the game!

Fear is the thing. Most of us are scared to “look” bad on the golf course. If we weren’t, shanking a ball would not be as bad as it is on the psyche. Fear of failure or “looking bad” in front of the pinnacle of the game might be crippling to us mere mortals.

Based on the way that the best of the best react in that situation, we have to assume that attempting to overcome the fear or anxiety of that moment is pretty intense.

I think I will stick to trying to rock one off of Roger Clemens

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