Johnson's potential distraction came in the form of a rules dispute, but the tools he used to glide through work the same for adversity in the form of a bad shot or a bad score on a given hole. "If you're a 12- or 15-handicapper, you're going to have your share of rough holes," says Najar. "If you have a game plan for your round that anticipates a rough patch like that, you're going to be mentally prepared for it when it happens. Then you can avoid the real round killer -- letting a bad hole compound itself into three or four in a row."