In the spring of 1960, I was told by my high school “guidance counselor” that I need not apply to the University of Notre Dame because I wasn’t smart enough to get in to that prestigious school. I applied anyway.
Partly thanks to the fact that I was a standout swimmer, I was accepted at Notre Dame. It turns out that I graduated in the top 10% of my class, was captain of the ND Irish swim team in 1963-64 and made the Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges 1963-1964.
In 1965 Notre Dame instituted the Charles Blanchard Award for performance and leadership in men’s swimming. In April 2026 I personally presented the 62nd “Blanchard Award.” I recount my story at Notre Dame to underscore the value of achievement motivation for success in sport and life. My motivation was highly influenced by my parents from quiet support, love and modeling.
Achievement motivation is considered as the need for success or the attainment of excellence. Athletic performance is shaped by complex interplay of various factors. People, young and old, differ widely in their need for achievement.
Athletic coaches in all sports and in all age groups have to understand and grapple with achievement motivation with every one of their players. This is because individuals will try to satisfy their particular needs through different means, and are driven to succeed for various reasons, both internal and external. Achievement motivation is one of my 14 fundamentals of mental toughness.
When it comes to the need for achievement in the modern world of golf, we need look no further than World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and the 21-year-old phenom Jackson Koivun. Koivun won his first PGA Tour tournament at the 3M Open on July 26, after only his third pro start and only a month out of college.
He was a key player in Auburn’s NCAA Championship wins in 2024 and 2026. He won the Ben Hogan Award, the Haskins Award and the Jack Nicklaus Award, all twice, in 2024 and 2026.
Koivun represents a growing cadre of golfers who come out of college strikingly prepared and comfortable in the spotlight and the stress of the professional golf tour, as well as highly motivated to win early in their career. These players seem to be bypassing the customary learning curve on the PGA Tour. We know that the two greatest players, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, did the same thing before it became fashionable.
Scottie Scheffler took a little longer but made up for it by winning his first PGA Tour tournament in 2022, and now has 22 wins today, including four majors.
Scheffler has been ranked No. 1 by the Official Golf World Ranking for 180 weeks.
Almost every Tour player would concede that Scheffler has the most competitive drive of any player on tour. However, he doesn’t hang his identity on golf. He has noted numerous times that the joy of winning is great but fleeting. More important, he says, are his family and his faith.
Psychologist David McClelland (1917-1998), regarded as the “father of motivation theory,” identified the traits and attitudes of achievement motivated people which included: Achievement is more important than financial reward; continually seeking improvements and doing things better; achieving the aim or task gives greater personal satisfaction than praise or recognition.
The implications for recreational golfers include the notion of getting in touch with how motivated you are to practice and continue to improve your golf game. That extends to motivation to play your best each time you step on the first tee. For some it’s a matter of pride – to give our best effort. It doesn’t mean a trophy, but it mostly means self-satisfaction.
