Page 12 - The Invitational 2021 revised

grumbling – “Anything, but short!” Rutledge knew his position and

tried to calmly prepare for the putt. After addressing the ball, he took a

moment to wipe
the sweat from

his face and

hands, then re-
addressed the

ball. Again, he
paused to

remove an item

from the line of
his putt. Then

re-addressed

the ball and
paused for a

lengthy 15 seconds - placing the stroke he wanted to hit and the line he

needed to attain in his mind. He stroked the ball with finality and the
ball, aligned with the left center of the hole, was waning to the natural

right to left break. The closer the ball got to the hole, the more it crept

to the left. With relief, Rutledge saw his ball disappear, entering on the
left side with a firm roll. Speed was the key for the day, and it helped

his ball remain on track and avoid the dreadful lip-out. Rutledge had
just won his first major championship – The 2021 National Invitational.

A footnote about the mind-set of the new PPA National Invitational

Champion. Before round 5 started, I asked Rutledge what his thoughts
were regarding winning his first major title. His response was,

“Sometimes you’re the windshield…sometimes you are the bug.”

Rutledge had a clear view on June 6, 2021.

Dan Anders