For me, there were multiple winners & multiple lessons learned this week. Yes, we always talk about instruction as the main focus and I will too, but I think there are far more important winners and lessons learned than the obvious.

I'd like to take a moment and talk about some people who we never saw on television, who didn't hit a single ball or who didn't struggle over a 4-footer. George McNeil's first victory on the PGA TOUR is very significant, but there were other important winners that deserve recognition this week at the Frys.com Open. The children who benefit from the tournament due to the incredible charitable works of The Shriners, they are great champions. They certainly won big this week. As did The Shriners organization, who worked tirelessly to promote this tournament and raise funds for the children.

For those who aren't aware, The Shriners have 22 hospitals throughout the United States, Canada & Mexico specializing in providing world-class care to children who have been victimized by burn or orthopedic challenges. They have helped provide free care to over 800,000 children since the early 1900's. For their earnest efforts for this tournament and the betterment of mankind in all their endeavors, The Shriners should certainly be recognized as great winners.

The PGA TOUR is a wonderful organization. Through the players' efforts, over $1 billion has been raised for numerous charities. Every event is as important as the next. We need to think about why and to whom and that's not always so obvious.

Now to the tournament. In this game, we must have perseverance if we want to continue to evolve into the best golfers we can be. If you don't believe me, just think about Katie Walker. She now plays successfully at Cal State Bakersfield with the help of a prosthetic leg. She went through more in the first 11 months of her life than you or I could ever imagine. How about George McNeil who tried to qualify for the PGA Tour nine times or Robert Garrigus who respectively tried ten times? You don't think perseverance has played an important role in their lives?

Some people say that The Fall Series doesn't have the same importance as early season events. However, if you look at the list of players in this event, you will understand why this tournament is extremely important on many levels. Mark Calcavecchia was the highest ranked player going in at #13 on the money list. Nine players in the top fifty entered the event.

There were more players over the ranking of 100 than below. If you don't think this event wasn't an important event, then maybe you don't understand how the PGA TOUR works. For some of those guys, this was the most important event of their life. Just ask winner George McNeil how important this event was to him. It could possibly change his entire career and may lead to other victories.

So what can we learn from this week? It's all about working hard and staying focused -- and that means not only time spent on your game, but spending time on the right things. The three most important words for the average golfer as he tries to improve is practice, practice and practice! So often my students come to me with problems and through discovery it's determined that not enough time is devoted to practicing. Even more, I mean practicing the right things with the right methods. Remember, practicing is one thing, but practicing with a purpose is another. I often see many players hitting ball after ball without really working to change personal habits.

Try this. The next time you go to the course to hit balls, stop! Go to the putting green instead. Place four or five balls in a circle around the hole two feet away and sink each and every one. If you miss, start over. After you finish with the two footers, go to three and then to five and so on. As you approach each putt, take your time and follow your on course routine. That is one way to form good habits.

Another thing I try to convince my students to do is to spend more time focusing on the target and less time looking at the ball. If you spend ten seconds standing over your putt, then eight of 10 seconds should be spent with your eyes following your target line, which will eventually lead to the hole. Unless your putt is perfectly straight, your target is not the hole. On breaking putts, find the apex where the ball will begin to break towards the hole. The direct line between your ball and that point is your target line.

As you position your putter square to the target line, allow your eyes to follow that intended line of play. Don't just look up at the hole. So often we hit the ball where our eyes are looking. So, once your putter is square to the target line spend 80% of the time spent over the ball looking at and down your target line, not the ball. If you have trouble lining up square to the target line, try using a string line or chalk line to give you a good visual.

Remember, focus on what you want to accomplish and work hard on that goal. It's another form of perseverance. On Saturday, George McNeil was seventeen for seventeen with putts ten feet or less. Now to you and me, that's an amazing feat. But to George McNeil, that's what it takes to win on the PGA TOUR.. Perseverance finally pays off.

Ed Lockard has been a PGA Professional for 15 years and is the Director of Golf at The Sanctuary Golf Club on Sanibel Island, Florida. Lockard's instructional techniques emphasize the importance of properly fit equipment to complement the player's skills and physical abilities. He has found great enjoyment and success working with students of all ages and abilities.