Very few real golf enthusiasts will forget the 1995 Master's Tournament, which was won by Ben Crenshaw. His friend, mentor and lifetime teacher, Harvey Penick, had just passed away. Crenshaw had dedicated that year's Master's to Penick. And on the 18th green, when he sank the putt that cinched the victory, he broke down and wept. It was a truly moving sight for all watching.

This story really is not about Crenshaw — it's about Harvey Penick. Success, fame and recognition came to Penick at the very end of his life. When he began his career back in the 1920s, Penick bought a red spiral notebook and started jotting down his observations about the game of golf and the people who play it.

He never showed the writings to anyone except his son until 1991, when he shared the notebook with a local writer and asked if he thought it was worth publishing. The writer, in turn, showed it to Simon and Schuster and left word with Penick's wife that the publisher had agreed to print the book for an advance of $90,000.

The next day, when the writer saw Penick, the golfer seemed troubled and finally explained that, with all his medical bills, there was no way he could advance Simon and Schuster $90,000. This genuinely modest man obviously thought Simon and Schuster was asking him for $90,000 instead of offering the money to him.

It's really neat to see someone of his incredible ability recognized late in life, while he maintained his modesty to the extent he could not believe a publisher would pay him that kind of money as an advance. The book sold over a million copies, and Harvey Penick became a household word.

He was a truly rare person who knew how to bring out the best in golfers. Through it all, Penick, the great teacher, remained modest. That's a marvelous trait for all of us to develop. See you at the top!

Here is a Good Role Model

To most golf enthusiasts, the finals of the U.S. Amateur Golf Championship of 1996 were one of the most exciting and dramatic golf events of the year. Playing in the finals were Steve Scott and Tiger Woods. The match is 36 holes in one day. At the end of the first 18, Steve was well ahead. However, on the final 18, Tiger clawed his way closer and closer to the top. On the 18th green, the final hole, Steve was one up and putting first, since he was further from the cup. Tiger's ball was in Steve's putting line, so Tiger spotted his ball a club-head length away and marked it. Steve Scott putted and missed.

Now, if Tiger could sink his putt, the match would go into "sudden death." Tiger carefully circled the green, viewed every possible angle and was lined up to putt when Steve reminded him that he had not spotted his ball back in the original spot. Making the correction, Tiger sank the putt and the match was thrown into "sudden death," which was won by Tiger.

This gave Tiger an unprecedented third straight U.S. Amateur Championship and catapulted him into the pro ranks with an unheard-of $60 million in guaranteed endorsement fees. There is little doubt that had Steve won the championship, Tiger's endorsement fees would have been substantially less.

Here's the reason Steve is such a marvelous role model. Had he not reminded Tiger that he had not respotted his ball correctly, and Tiger had stroked the putt, he would have been penalized two strokes and lost the championship.

That's what makes long-term winners. That was sportsmanship and integrity personified. Even though Steve lost the championship, he won something infinitely more important — self-respect and the admiration of literally millions of golfers all over the world. That's a role model in action. See you at the top!

To find out more about Zig Ziglar and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. Subscribe to Zig Ziglar's free e-mail newsletter through [email protected].