Latest news with #scapegoat
The Age
5 days ago
- Business
- The Age
Cam Smith's $140 million LIV deal was great for his bank balance, but what about his golf?
Clayton says the theory that moving to LIV – as Smith did on a contract worth a reported $140 million in 2022 just after his Open triumph – is unprovable, and he is not convinced. He says players from other eras had similar slumps without having a convenient scapegoat in LIV to blame. 'It's easy to say,'Well it's LIV,' but who knows?' Clayton said. As for the possibility that affluence has taken the edge off Smith's game, Clayton cites Tiger Woods as the prime example of the many successful golfers who stay motivated to win regardless of their wealth. He suspects Smith is no different. '[I'm the] most competitive person ever,' Smith said recently. Clayton says all the great players have interests outside the game with Smith's well-known love of fishing and cars (he has an F1 simulator in the Florida home he shares with wife Shanel Naoum and son Remy, who was born in March) no different to anyone else enjoying pursuits beyond their professional lives. What Smith adds to those indulgences is an undeniable spirit of connection to family and friends who have been with him since he began refining his game at Wantima, where his dad Des played off scratch. A source with connections to Smith, who preferred to remain anonymous, speculated he might be missing his family more than most years in 2025 as he juggles being a parent with being on the road. Clayton instead points directly at his game when suggesting possible explanations for the downturn. 'The players who play the best in the long term are the best hitters, [Scottie] Scheffler is proving that now, Tiger, [Jack] Nicklaus, [Ben] Hogan, Peter Thomson, the list goes on. The people who hit the ball the best and did not rely on their short game last the longest,' Clayton said. Smith's elevation to world No.2 happened over a stretch of brilliant, unstoppable golf which started in August 2020 and peaked in 2022 when he won the Players' Championship and the Open at St Andrews. Just two months after that career-defining victory, Smith teed off for the first time in LIV Golf, his wealth guaranteed after he accepted an eye-watering sum to leave the PGA Tour behind. His form at majors initially continued, with three top-10 placings in the next five major tournaments, and his form at LIV was good, too. 'He had an amazing short game and he got on a great run,' Clayton said. 'He was obviously playing well and his short game was the best in the world and he won the Players and the Open. When your short game is great and you are a decent hitter you can do something.' While that short game remained great, his tee-to-green game has become less and less reliable the more time he has spent away from the PGA Tour. Unfortunately, his tee shot on the first at Royal Portrush reinforced a sense that anything was possible. 'I think I tried to hit that one underground and almost missed it,' Smith said post-round. Loading Clayton says when that sort of shot is lurking in your shadow it's difficult to maintain consistency. 'If you have got that shot in your bag it is a nagging worry: when is it going to show up? When you are playing poorly you know that at some point it is going to show up so you are also wary of it,' Clayton said. Smith is keeping up the work and hoping his form in majors will return. 'I've been swinging the club really nicely. Like I said, I just need to go out there and commit to some swings,' Smith said. This weekend he returns to LIV to play in Rocester against fellow stars such as Jon Rahm and Tyrell Hatton, the only two LIV players among the 16 golfers to make the cut in all four majors in 2025. The grounded 31-year-old, who told a LIV-produced video recently there were only two types of beer – 'a good beer and a better beer' – seems to still be content with the move. Financial security gave him an opportunity to spend more time with those dearest to him while still living the life of a professional golfer, but his motivations were wider than such personal concerns. Smith also wanted the best golfers to be seen all over the world, including Australia, and he saw LIV as an opportunity to disrupt the established order and perhaps re-order the PGA Tour's hegemony. Loading It's expected he will continue his undiminished commitment to the Australian tour at the end of the year when he will share the major drawcard status with grand slam winner and 2025 Masters champion Rory McIlroy who is playing in the Australian Open in December. The Australian Open is a title Smith covets and is yet to win. Clayton said Smith will be mapping out a plan to rediscover his best and return to major contention with the British Open win guaranteeing him a start in each major for the next two years at least. 'He's just got to play really,' Clayton said.
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Cam Smith's $140 million LIV deal was great for his bank balance, but what about his golf?
Clayton says the theory that moving to LIV – as Smith did on a contract worth a reported $140 million in 2022 just after his Open triumph – is unprovable, and he is not convinced. He says players from other eras had similar slumps without having a convenient scapegoat in LIV to blame. 'It's easy to say,'Well it's LIV,' but who knows?' Clayton said. As for the possibility that affluence has taken the edge off Smith's game, Clayton cites Tiger Woods as the prime example of the many successful golfers who stay motivated to win regardless of their wealth. He suspects Smith is no different. '[I'm the] most competitive person ever,' Smith said recently. Clayton says all the great players have interests outside the game with Smith's well-known love of fishing and cars (he has an F1 simulator in the Florida home he shares with wife Shanel Naoum and son Remy, who was born in March) no different to anyone else enjoying pursuits beyond their professional lives. What Smith adds to those indulgences is an undeniable spirit of connection to family and friends who have been with him since he began refining his game at Wantima, where his dad Des played off scratch. A source with connections to Smith, who preferred to remain anonymous, speculated he might be missing his family more than most years in 2025 as he juggles being a parent with being on the road. Clayton instead points directly at his game when suggesting possible explanations for the downturn. 'The players who play the best in the long term are the best hitters, [Scottie] Scheffler is proving that now, Tiger, [Jack] Nicklaus, [Ben] Hogan, Peter Thomson, the list goes on. The people who hit the ball the best and did not rely on their short game last the longest,' Clayton said. Smith's elevation to world No.2 happened over a stretch of brilliant, unstoppable golf which started in August 2020 and peaked in 2022 when he won the Players' Championship and the Open at St Andrews. Just two months after that career-defining victory, Smith teed off for the first time in LIV Golf, his wealth guaranteed after he accepted an eye-watering sum to leave the PGA Tour behind. His form at majors initially continued, with three top-10 placings in the next five major tournaments, and his form at LIV was good, too. 'He had an amazing short game and he got on a great run,' Clayton said. 'He was obviously playing well and his short game was the best in the world and he won the Players and the Open. When your short game is great and you are a decent hitter you can do something.' While that short game remained great, his tee-to-green game has become less and less reliable the more time he has spent away from the PGA Tour. Unfortunately, his tee shot on the first at Royal Portrush reinforced a sense that anything was possible. 'I think I tried to hit that one underground and almost missed it,' Smith said post-round. Loading Clayton says when that sort of shot is lurking in your shadow it's difficult to maintain consistency. 'If you have got that shot in your bag it is a nagging worry: when is it going to show up? When you are playing poorly you know that at some point it is going to show up so you are also wary of it,' Clayton said. Smith is keeping up the work and hoping his form in majors will return. 'I've been swinging the club really nicely. Like I said, I just need to go out there and commit to some swings,' Smith said. This weekend he returns to LIV to play in Rocester against fellow stars such as Jon Rahm and Tyrell Hatton, the only two LIV players among the 16 golfers to make the cut in all four majors in 2025. The grounded 31-year-old, who told a LIV-produced video recently there were only two types of beer – 'a good beer and a better beer' – seems to still be content with the move. Financial security gave him an opportunity to spend more time with those dearest to him while still living the life of a professional golfer, but his motivations were wider than such personal concerns. Smith also wanted the best golfers to be seen all over the world, including Australia, and he saw LIV as an opportunity to disrupt the established order and perhaps re-order the PGA Tour's hegemony. Loading It's expected he will continue his undiminished commitment to the Australian tour at the end of the year when he will share the major drawcard status with grand slam winner and 2025 Masters champion Rory McIlroy who is playing in the Australian Open in December. The Australian Open is a title Smith covets and is yet to win. Clayton said Smith will be mapping out a plan to rediscover his best and return to major contention with the British Open win guaranteeing him a start in each major for the next two years at least. 'He's just got to play really,' Clayton said.
Forbes
14-06-2025
- General
- Forbes
2 Ways A Narcissist's ‘Golden Child' Struggles In Love, By A Psychologist
Healing from a narcissistic parent's actions isn't easy, but understanding the root of your pain is ... More the first step towards breaking free. Growing up with narcissistic parents can be a deeply damaging experience. The world is all about them, and they are constantly focused on creating a perfect image of themselves in front of others. If they have children, they tend to not view them as individuals, but as merely an extension of themselves. If you have a narcissistic parent, you may grow up not knowing how to create meaningful relationships with those around you. Narcissistic parents may compete with their children, making them feel like they are 'never good enough.' They may also assign them rigid, damaging roles, such as treating them like the 'golden child,' the one they idolize and show off. This child is expected to succeed, reflect the parent's image and make them look good. Other children may be treated as the family 'scapegoat,' who is blamed for everything that goes wrong, or the 'lost child,' who is often neglected or ignored. Here's how a narcissist's relationship with their 'golden child' damages their child's ability to form healthy relationships with future partners. Children born to narcissistic parents often struggle to have a healthy means of self-expression and connection with others. Alan Rappoport, Ph.D. describes how such children try to preserve their relationship with their parents by attempting to please them constantly. They become 'co-narcissists.' He suggests that they are often depressed or anxious as they may easily be considered selfish if they act assertively or express their own opinion. They are also punished if they do not correspond to their parents' needs and hopes. As a result, a narcissistic parent often controls their child's life. They decide what their children should think, feel or do. If they try to assert independence, they may be punished with guilt, withdrawal or criticism. Over time, they learn to stop pushing back because it feels pointless. Punishment could also include physical abuse, conniptions, blaming, criticism and pure emotional coldness, so much so, that it damages the psychological and emotional development of the child. As an adult, this can leave them unsure of their own needs and shy away from conflict in relationships. They may find it difficult to stand up for themselves or express honest feelings, fearing rejection or emotional punishment. To survive their parent's emotional rollercoaster, they may grow up hyper-attuned to others' needs, always trying to people-please or avoid conflict. They often end up neglecting their own well-being for the sake of harmony or validation, but this can backfire in their love lives, as healthy adult relationships only thrive with mutuality, self-respect and authenticity. A clinical case from 2012 research published in SAGE Open offers a classic example of how narcissistic parents can act in emotionally inappropriate ways: 'The mother took the liberty of interceding on her son's behalf to secure a date for her 37-year-old son. The target of the son's affection denied the man a date, so the mother called to find out why the woman had not wanted to go out with her son. Neither the son, nor the mother found anything inappropriate about this, or other similar incidents.' This is an example of how a narcissistic parent may keep their child dependent on them, while they use them to fulfill their own emotional needs. This is a form of emotional enmeshment, a dynamic where personal boundaries are highly blurred, to the degree that it cripples the child's sense of self. Researchers suggest that often, their natural need for connection with their parents renders the golden child powerless to choose their well-being over the relationship. Additionally, after years of being treated more like an adult than a child, their socio-emotional development may be stunted, as they struggle to have true emotional intimacy with their romantic partners. In romantic or sexual relationships, the golden child tends to either feel little passion or have very intense, unstable emotions. Even physical intimacy can feel more like a performance where they're being judged, rather than a meaningful exchange between two people. Moreover, narcissistic parents often foster competition and sibling rivalry, or even compete with their children's romantic partners. They may also interfere in their children's relationships and try to assert dominance. This creates confusion about loyalty and intimacy. Children may feel torn between pleasing their parent and forming a secure bond with their partner. In adulthood, this can show up as emotional unavailability, guilt around choosing a partner or subconscious sabotage of relationships. The 'golden child' has to walk this thin line between their parent and partner, trying to keep peace between them as both try to secure their sole attention and loyalty. Such children need space to rediscover who they are beyond the roles assigned to them. Over time, by being less subservient to their parents and becoming more assertive, they can regain their sense of self and repair romantic relationships. However, they must overcome the biggest obstacle — learning to choose and love themselves rather than letting their parent take center stage. Did you have to grow up too early to appease your parents? Take this science-backed test to find out: Parentification Scale
India Gazette
14-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"What India did was necessary": Afghan leader Mariam Solaimankhil on Op Sindoor
California [US], May 15 (ANI): Mariam Solaimankhil, Member of Afghanistan's Parliament in exile, said that India's Operation Sindoor was necessary as Pakistan breeds terrorism and kills innocent lives in Kashmir. 'I think that what India did was necessary. Pakistan is breeding terrorism. They went into Kashmir and they killed innocent lives. You can't let that go that simply, and the attacks India is doing are very responsible. They're going after terrorism outposts, Terrorist camps, places where the military is helping terrorists breed even more in Pakistan,' she said. Solaimankhil said that Pakistan has been peddling lies for decades, and the government and ISI also do the same thing. 'India has been speaking on the same issues that they've been doing for the last 77 years. Pakistan has been peddling the same lies that they've been peddling out of these troll farms online, out of their paid media spokespeople who are speaking. Even out of their own ISI, their leadership, as well as their Minister of Foreign Affairs, they're peddling lies,' he said. She said that Pakistan makes the US a scapegoat and harbours terrorists and threatens the world. 'They're deflecting, blaming the United States for supporting the terrorists and making them, forcing them to harbour terrorists within their borders, or they're blatantly threatening the world with nuclear annihilation. It's completely ridiculous, and I think the world is understanding very clearly who India is and how that's an economic power that's helping uplift the world and who Pakistan is,' she said. She added that Pakistan afflicts even its own people with terrorism. 'Pakistan is now known for terrorism, and they're inflicting terrorism amongst their own people as we speak,' she said. On Wednesday, Baloch representative Mir Yar Baloch declared independence from Pakistan, citing decades of violence, enforced disappearances, and human rights violations in the region. In a post on X, he said the people of Balochistan have given their 'national verdict' and that the world must no longer stay silent.'Tum Maroge Hum Neklengy, Hum Nasal Bachany Nekly Hain, Aao Hamara Sath Do. Baloch people across Pakistan Occupied Balochistan are up on streets and this is their national verdict that Balochistan Is Not Pakistan and world can't be a silent spectator any more,' he said. (ANI)
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Firing manager Derek Shelton will not save the Pirates
The lowly Pirates have a new captain. On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced that manager Derek Shelton has been relieved of his duties. Bench coach Don Kelly, a Pittsburgh native who has been with the club since 2020, will take over as manager. It is the earliest in an MLB season that a manager has gotten fired since 2018, when Cincinnati canned Bryan Price on April 19 after his club started 3-15. Predictably, the Pirates' news release contained enough word soup from GM Ben Cherington and owner Bob Nutting to feed a small village. Derek Shelton has been relieved of his duties as Pirates Bench Coach, Don Kelly, has been named manager. — Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 8, 2025 Hired in November 2019, Shelton leaves the Steel City with a 306-440 record. Pittsburgh's .410 winning percentage over that span ranks third-worst in MLB, better only than Washington and Colorado. After an ugly, 19-win showing in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Shelton's Pirates posted win totals of 61, 62, 76 and 76. The 2025 club sits at 12-26 entering play Thursday, tracking toward a 51-win campaign despite the continued brilliance of sophomore ace Paul Skenes, widely considered the best young hurler in baseball. Shelton's tenure was defined by losing, ownership's constant unwillingness to spend on payroll, losing, the arrival of Skenes and more losing. In fact, Shelton's .410 winning percentage is the third-lowest among managers to serve at least five years in the Integration Era. His Pirates never made the playoffs, never finished higher than fourth in the NL Central and never came particularly close to finishing over .500. But to pin all the woe on Shelton is unfair. He is merely the fall guy, the scapegoat, the sacrificial lamb of an organization poisoned by decades of institutional rot. The Pirates have won 80 games in a season just four times since 1992. Only the Kansas City Royals have compiled more losses in the 21st century. Owner Bob Nutting has not inked a free agent to a multi-year contract since December 2017, nearly two years before he hired Shelton and Cherington. So while Shelton might not have been the magic solution for the Pirates, he certainly wasn't the problem. Here's the actual problem: The 2025 Pirates don't have enough good baseball players. The same was true for every other season of the Shelton era. His clubs never underperformed or disappointed or capitulated in embarrassing fashion. They were simply undermanned. And it all starts at the top, with ownership. More specifically, the issues are rooted in Nutting's tolerance of mediocrity. He is happy to carry a small payroll, build bad ball clubs, under-invest in all corners of the organization and turn a profit. And Pirates fans, like their team, lose. Perhaps Kelly, the new man in charge, can inject a refreshing, invigorating perspective into the current club. Perhaps not. But it doesn't really matter because there is nothing he can say or do to turn this calamity of an organization into a real winner. Cherington, who is under contract through next season, has failed to build a contender but remains hamstrung by his bosses. Nothing will change until ownership does. For now, though, Derek Shelton can live peacefully, knowing that Moses himself couldn't have shepherded his desolate Pirates rosters to playoff glory.
