Bob Rotella’s vast influence in golf has unfolded in two ways. For hundreds of people – both in sport (golf particularly) and business – it was through one-on-one coaching with Rotella, now 75.
For untold thousands more, it was less personal though certainly no less impactful. To date, Rotella has authored or co-authored more than a dozen books on the topic of golf and performance, creating a series of resources for players worldwide looking to improve their experience with the game.
It’s for this profound effect on golf that Rotella has been awarded the Yancey Ford Award, annually presented by Golfweek to an individual who has made significant contributions to senior-amateur golf. Ford, the award’s namesake, is a fellow Virginia resident whom Rotella has come to know on the golf course.
Ford praised the way Rotella has changed the game by providing a mental approach that allows players at every level to maximize their potential.
“Sports psychology has been around for a century, and it really has, but Bob Rotella has made it part of the overall preparation, practice and playing for the best results of golf,” Ford said. “It is now part of the game, and he has influenced all of these people how to be better at playing golf.
The list of professional players who have worked with Rotella through the years is impressive, from Rory McIlroy to Juli Inkster to Davis Love III. His players have racked up a significant number of major titles through the years – seven Masters, 13 U.S. Opens, 16 Open Championships and 16 PGA Championships as well as 7 U.S. Women’s Opens, and the list goes on.
To the broader golf community, Rotella is perhaps best known for his bestselling book Golf is Not a Game of Perfect, originally published in 1995.
After receiving the Ford Award, Rotella reflected to Golfweek that he felt fortunate that he’d gotten to spend his life coaching – something he had always wanted to do.
“I feel quite humbled and very, very fortunate and I have a great deal of appreciation for what I’ve gotten to do and that some of the greatest players in history have trusted me enough to let me spend time with them,” he said.
Winning the award in Ford’s name is special to Rotella because of Ford’s love for and contributions to the game.
“I’ve known him for quite awhile,” Rotella said. “I’ve probably played golf with him five or six times and he’s just a sweetheart of a man and loves golf so I like him.”
Ford vividly…
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