#15: [Inside the Mind] Henry Kurusz: From Long Drive Competitions to A Lupus Diagnosis: How the Love of the Game Keeps this Scratch Golfer Going

Meet Henry Kurusz IV, also known as Bear.

He attended a high school golf powerhouse - the same school Charlie Woods now attends and the one Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman sent their kids to - and despite having two small school offers to play collegiate golf, he decided to walk on Florida State to play. He won the walk-on tournament to make the team.

Unfortunately, an injury derailed his college career, yet it would prove to be minuscule to the lupus diagnosis that almost took the game away from him in 2010 - and again in 2022 when symptoms flared up.

You'll hear Henry's inspiring and admirable story, which includes winning thousands of dollars as a long-drive competitor (and competing on ESPN), and returning to the game that is ingrained in who he is despite battling lupus. 

You'll learn how he approaches and manages the mental game of golf, the feedback and coaching he'd offer his younger self - and shares with his two young boys - and what he recommends you do to accelerate your progress toward becoming a scratch golfer.

Get your notepad out and start listening.

P.S. I'm conducting research to better understand how I can provide the content and education you need to shoot more pars than bogeys.

I want to learn more about your challenges, fears, desires, and goals so I can create content that impacts you and your game at a deeper level.

If you currently have a double-digit handicap and are determined to break 90 (or 80), I'd love to ask you a handful of questions over a quick Zoom call.

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Key Quotes:

• "It just stemmed from getting away from that mindset, getting the right mindset and playing a little more course management, playing the golf ball and getting it in play."
• "How did you keep your sanity, your clarity? Seeing them love the game and love finding golf balls and hitting golf balls."
• "It's learning a lot about the course management, really learning where your strengths and weaknesses are and trying to play towards that."
• "So there's a blood clot behind my knee. And so in the process of finding out why a relatively healthy 27 year old developed a blood clot, we developed or found out they had lupus. And so just kind of went with it."

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Time Stamps:

• 00:00: Introduction and Family Life
• 03:22: Discovering Long Drive Competitions
• 06:18: Changing Approach to the Game
• 13:06: Focus on Short Game and Course Management
• 15:06: Transition from College Golf to Long Drive
• 20:27: Golf as a Coping Mechanism for Lupus
• 22:53: Strategies for Managing Challenging Moments
• 24:39: The Joy of Playing Golf with Family
• 29:17: Course Management and Playing to Your Strengths
• 31:10: The Pitfalls of the Distance Obsession
• 35:32: Dealing with Pressure to Please Others
• 41:41: The Value of Playing with Better Players