How accepting failure has helped Steph Curry on the golf course

Stephen Curry is the greatest shooter in NBA history, a four-time NBA champion and a surefire basketball Hall of Famer.

He’s pretty damn accurate on the golf course, too, as he proved at the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship last week.

Curry drained an 18-foot eagle putt on the final hole to capture his first title at the celebrity tournament, reminding sports fans that the same unflappable mentality that he exhibits on the basketball court translates nicely to the golf course.

Still, even after hoisting the winner’s trophy, Curry seemed overwhelmed by what had just happened.

“I don’t do this for a living, so it’s something you dream about,” said Curry, who made a hole-in-one on the 152-yard 7th hole on Saturday. “I’ve been playing in this tournament for almost a decade and now I’ve got some hardware to show for it. It’s pretty special.”

When asked about how the feeling of a buzzer-beating shot in the NBA compares to the pressure of the eagle putt he holed in Tahoe, Curry said he approaches both with the same whatever-will-be-will-be attitude — which helps him relax and accept the outcome.

“It helps because the reps, but even more because I failed it so many times,” he said. “So there’s no real fear of failure in that moment.”

Curry said he tried to stay in the moment on the golf course, reminding himself that he’s out here having fun, but that he needs to trust his routine when the stakes were high.

“When it gets to hitting shots, it’s all confidence; it’s what happens between the ears,” Curry said. “So the reps on the court definitely help, not being afraid to take chances, not being afraid of the result.

“A lot of people would love to be in that scenario where you’re having an 18-foot putt to win a tournament, a member-guest, a member-member, whatever it is, a skins game, all that stuff.”

Curry certainly loved it — that much was obvious as he ran around the green celebrating his win as if he had won his latest NBA title.

“That’s why everybody loves the game of golf,” he said. “You’re searching for those moments, and I was fortunate enough to have it here, fortunate enough to make it.

“It’s all about the process of just enjoying myself, trying to remember that the entire round, and got to the finish line.”

Nick Dimengo

Golf.com Editor