Feeling Sick? Go win a golf tournament!

Why do so many PGA Tour players win a tournament when they feel like they want to die?

It's not an accident that players who are feeling under the weather end up playing well, and often win. When the body is hurting, the player just tries to swing within himself, not overdoing it. If he has a shot that temps him to carry a lake and get home in two, his body tells him not to try it, just swing easy, lay up, and play safe.

Often that decision leads to a safe birdie, rather than a bogie due to a risky shot going awry.

I've teed it up myself with friends when I'd rather be home in bed, and played (scored) well.

Look at Phil Mickelson. How many times has he, in his own words, "awakened in a pool of my own vomit?" Then he went on to win.

This weekend, Australian Jason Day started the Byron Nelson Championship feeling terrible. He had seen several doctors to try to find out what was ailing him. He thought he had the flu, or possibly food poisoning. He almost withdrew from the tournament before it began.

Instead, he just played one shot at a time, and kept his swing within himself.

How do you play when you're not feeling very well?

The next time you tee it up, even if you feel well, try an experiment. Pretend you don't feel very well, and hit each shot as if you are just trying to conserve energy. Don't try to swing too hard

You just might play your best round ever!