Latest news with #UniversityofTexas
Boston Globe
4 hours ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
Three out of five liver cancer cases are preventable, study finds
Advertisement The findings align with what liver specialists have seen in their clinics for years. 'Liver cancer is common, it causes immense suffering and death, and the saddest part for me as a physician is that most of the cases are preventable,' said Dr. Brian P. Lee, an associate professor of medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, who was not involved in the study. Improved screening, vaccination and treatment in recent years have helped stem viral hepatitis, especially in the United States. But the threat of liver cancer from heavy alcohol use and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD, formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, 'has been underrecognized and underestimated,' said Dr. Ahmed Kaseb, a professor of gastrointestinal medical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, who was not associated with the study. Advertisement A 'highway' to liver cancer A vast majority of liver cancers arise in people with cirrhosis, said Dr. Hashem El-Serag, the chair of the department of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas and one of the authors of the new study. Cirrhosis, or advanced and largely irreversible scarring of the liver, damages healthy tissue and prevents the organ from working normally. The hepatitis B and C viruses cause inflammation that, if left untreated, can scar and damage the liver, potentially leading to cirrhosis. And both alcohol and metabolic dysfunction lead to abnormal deposits of fat in the liver, which can also result in inflammation. Related : Lee said the accumulation of fat and inflammation acted as a 'highway' to liver scarring, which in turn can injure DNA and lead to cancer. 'There could be multiple ramps to get onto that highway,' he said. Why disease may go undetected The new paper found that the share of liver cancers resulting from hepatitis B and hepatitis C is expected to drop to 63% in 2050, from 68% in 2022. But the burden of liver cancers resulting from alcohol and MASLD is expected to grow. An estimated 4 in 10 adults worldwide have MASLD, a condition in which fat builds up in the liver. Risk factors include obesity and Type 2 diabetes. A subset of patients with MASLD will go on to develop an advanced form called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH, which has been described as a silent killer because it can progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer without being noticed. Current guidance recommends monitoring for liver cancers in patients who have a history of viral hepatitis or established cirrhosis. Patients with MASH typically don't meet that criteria, Kaseb said, but they could have liver scarring without symptoms, and nobody would know. Related : Advertisement That's why screening for liver disease needs to begin at the primary care level, where cases can easily go undetected, said Dr. Mary Rinella, a hepatologist at University of Chicago Medicine and the lead author of guidelines for the management of MASLD. She recommended that doctors use a metric called the Fib-4, which uses routine blood test results to estimate the amount of liver scarring, to screen high-risk patients. These include people who have Type 2 diabetes or obesity with at least one other metabolic risk factor, such as high cholesterol. MASLD is reversible with lifestyle changes, including a healthy diet and increased exercise, and weight-loss drugs have recently been shown to be effective at reversing scarring as well. 'If you stop the reason or the impetus for scarring and injury in the liver, then you're going to have less impetus for the development of cancer,' Rinella said. Alcohol compounds the problem Alcohol-related liver disease is also on the rise. In research published this month, Lee and his colleagues showed that the risk of alcohol-related liver disease among heavy drinkers (at least 10 drinks per week for women and 15 for men) in the United States more than doubled between 1999 and 2020, despite similar alcohol use over that period. That suggests that heavy drinkers today may be more sensitive to the effects of alcohol on the liver than those in the past, Lee said. This may be because the population of heavy drinkers is changing. The researchers found that women, who are more prone than men to develop fat and damage in the liver from alcohol, now make up a greater share of heavy drinkers than they did 20 years ago. So do people with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of metabolic disorders that together raise the risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke — and compound the damage done by alcohol to the liver. Related : Advertisement Drinking heavily and having a metabolic condition such as obesity can independently damage the liver, but patients who fall in both categories are at an especially high risk. These trends are likely to continue. 'Alcohol use is increasing,' Rinella said. 'Obesity and diabetes are increasing.' 'I expect that we're going to continue to see a high burden of liver disease,' she added. This article originally appeared in .
The Guardian
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
After the Spike by Dean Spears and Michael Geruso review – the truth about population
As a member of the 8.23 billion-strong human community, you probably have an opinion on the fact that the global population is set to hit a record high of 10 billion within the next few decades. Chances are, you're not thrilled about it, given that anthropogenic climate change is already battering us and your morning commute is like being in a hot, jiggling sardine-tin. Yet according to Dean Spears and Michael Geruso, academics at the University of Texas, what we really need to be worried about is depopulation. The number of children being born has been declining worldwide for a couple of hundred years. More than half of countries, including India, the most populous nation in the world, now have birthrates below replacement levels. While overall population has been rising due to declining (mainly infant) mortality, we'll hit a peak soon before falling precipitously. This apex and the rollercoaster drop that follows it is the eponymous 'spike'. Most people's lives today are better than they ever were in human history, thanks to the progress, prosperity and brilliant ideas that have come with all those people. The more of us there are, the more human ingenuity there is – 'the ultimate renewable resource'. Spears and Geruso argue that future people who live alongside only a couple of billion others will have significantly worse lives than we have today. Stabilisation, not depopulation, they argue, is the right path for humanity. For that to happen, we need to be having more babies. After the Spike knocks down assumptions like skittles. Population fearmongers from Malthus to Paul Ehrlich are refuted, and evidence laid out to show what worldwide fertility is not linked to: changes in wealth, the invention of contraception or women's rights. Nor can government policies that force people to have, or not have, children do much to change long-term trends. This is as true for China's one-child policy as it is for Ceaușescu's banning of abortion in Romania, which only had short-term effects. Even when non-coercive governments support parents with childcare and comparatively generous parental leave, as in Sweden, these policies have not shifted the needle. Sweden will start to shrink in 2051. The strongest commonsense belief the authors tackle is the idea that lower birthrates are a good thing because the planet is burning and more people means worse climate change. In fact, climate change is such an urgent issue that depopulation will kick in far too late to make any serious impact. Not only that, but the difference between the contribution to climate change made by the current population versus the population at the top of the spike is not significant. Depopulation won't help the climate, then, but it will mean that there are far fewer of us left to deal with part two of cleaning up humanity's mess on Earth: removing excess greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Creating a good life – whether that's finding cures for disease or ways to reverse environmental damage – relies on the ideas, work and progress produced by large, interconnected societies. Why, then, are we increasingly choosing to have fewer children? The answer is likely to be a combination of cultural, biological, economic and social factors, but the best unifying theory in After the Spike is to be found in a satirical headline from the Onion: 'Study Finds American Women Delaying Motherhood Because the Whole Thing Blows'. As life on Earth has come to offer more and more rich and interesting options for how to spend our time, the opportunity cost of parenting has become increasingly less attractive. There are now more ways to make a meaningful life with fewer or no kids, even if you did want them, as gen Z is well aware. If we agree that we ought to make life good for our descendants, and that this means supporting a stable, sizeable human population, how can we achieve this? The solution proposed by Spears and Geruso is no less than a total restructuring of society around care, in which parenting is so well supported socially, culturally, economically and medically that it is seen as a joy, not a relentless struggle. Were this to have been my reality a decade ago, I might have had the football team of tumbling, laughing babies I sometimes feel a pang for. Whether humanity can achieve anything like it in time to avert depopulation seems doubtful, but if there's one thing After the Spike leaves us with, it's the impulse to back ourselves. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion After the Spike: The Risks of Global Depopulation and the Case for People by Dean Spears and Michael Geruso is published by Bodley Head (£20). To order a copy go to Delivery charges may apply.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
14 Unexpected Things Wives Do That Keep Their Marriages Going Strong
Marriage is a journey, and like any journey worth taking, it can be full of unexpected turns. Maybe you've read up on communication or heard about the importance of date nights. Yet, many couples find that some of the best advice comes not from the well-trodden paths but from the surprising habits that they've cultivated over time. Here are some habits that wives have embraced to keep their marriages thriving. These aren't the typical prescriptions but rather real-world practices from real-world people. 1. Saying "No" As A Team Believe it or not, one of the healthiest habits in a marriage can be the ability to say "no" to external demands. Whether it's social obligations or work commitments, deciding together what to decline allows you to protect your time and energy for each other. According to Dr. Lisa Neff, a relationship scientist at the University of Texas, couples who prioritize each other over external obligations tend to report higher relationship satisfaction. This habit encourages you to be a united front and fosters intimacy. It's about setting boundaries as a couple to create more space for each other. When you start saying "no" together, it opens up a world of "yes" within your marriage. Suddenly, there's room for spontaneous weekends, lazy evenings, or simply doing nothing together. This shared autonomy helps build a strong foundation because you're making deliberate choices that reinforce your partnership. It's a way to remind each other that your marriage is the priority. Plus, it can make the moments you spend together feel more intentional and rewarding. 2. Sharing Weird Things They Love Sometimes marriage benefits from the bizarre. Sharing a weird or unique hobby can be a delightful way to bond. Whether it's birdwatching, collecting vintage comics, or learning a new dance style, these shared pursuits can become a quirky glue that holds you together. It gives you something to look forward to and talk about, beyond the usual daily grind. Plus, having something special that's just "yours" as a couple can be a fun secret handshake in the world. Engaging in a hobby together that deviates from the norm can be refreshing. It pulls you out of your comfort zone, allowing for shared experiences and new memories. You'll find that laughing over a failed attempt at pottery or cheering each other on during a puzzle completion can add layers to your relationship. These activities often reveal different sides of your partner, deepening your understanding and respect for one another. It's a reminder that marriage is as much about having fun as it is about facing challenges. 3. Practicing The Five-Second Rule In the heat of an argument, words can fly before you have time to think. That's where the five-second rule comes in handy. Taking a brief pause before responding can turn a potentially explosive situation into a more manageable conversation. According to communication expert Dr. John Gottman, couples who manage conflict effectively often use brief pauses to avoid saying things they might regret. This habit offers you the chance to collect your thoughts and respond more constructively, fostering healthier communication. Practicing the five-second rule can change the entire dynamic of how you handle disagreements. Instead of escalating, it allows you to diffuse tension and consider your partner's perspective. It's not about suppressing emotions but rather about giving yourself the space to respond thoughtfully. The result is often a more compassionate and effective dialogue. Over time, this simple habit can improve trust and emotional connection, making discussions feel like team efforts rather than battles. 4. Scheduling Adventure Days Routine can be the nemesis of excitement in a marriage. To combat this, setting aside "adventure days" where you try something new together can reignite the spark. It doesn't need to be extravagant; a simple day trip to a town you've never visited or trying a new cuisine can do wonders. The aim is to break the mold and create shared memories that are both fun and bonding. It's about injecting a little novelty into your life, which can often lead to laughter and a deeper connection. Adventure days are a deliberate departure from the everyday script. They allow you to experience new things as a team, reminding you of the excitement that brought you together in the first place. These days can be a breath of fresh air, providing relief from the monotony of routine responsibilities. There's something about discovering the unknown together that strengthens your bond. Plus, these experiences give you stories to share and reminisce about in the future. 5. Gratitude Journaling Journaling might seem like a solo activity, but gratitude journaling can be a shared ritual with significant benefits for your marriage. By writing down what you appreciate about each other, you create a space for positive reflection. According to a study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, couples who regularly express gratitude tend to experience stronger romantic relationships. This practice encourages you to focus on the positive aspects of your partner, reinforcing your bond. It's a simple yet powerful way to remind each other of the good in your relationship. Engaging in gratitude journaling can shift your focus from what's lacking to what's abundant in your marriage. This habit allows you to cultivate a mindset of appreciation rather than criticism, which can be transformative over time. Sharing your entries can lead to meaningful conversations and a renewed appreciation for each other. As you acknowledge the small yet meaningful ways you impact each other's lives, you strengthen your emotional connection. It's a practice that reinforces love, respect, and admiration. 6. Establishing Tech-Free Zones In a world saturated with screens, setting up tech-free zones can be a game-changer for your marriage. Whether it's the dining table or the bedroom, having spaces where technology isn't allowed can foster better communication and connection. These zones become a sanctuary where you can focus solely on each other without digital distractions. It's a small step with a significant impact, creating opportunities for deeper conversations and more meaningful interactions. Moreover, it signals to each other that your time together is sacred and undisturbed. Implementing tech-free zones might feel challenging at first, but the benefits make it worthwhile. You'll find that without screens, you're more present, attentive, and engaged with each other. It encourages you to reconnect in ways that tech often disrupts. You might talk more, share more, and even laugh more without the constant ping of notifications. Over time, these moments become cherished parts of your routine, strengthening your relationship in unexpected ways. 7. Celebrating The Micro-Wins Life is full of big moments, but it's the micro-wins that often go unnoticed. Celebrating these smaller victories can add a layer of joy and positivity to your marriage. Relationship expert Dr. Terri Orbuch, who conducted a long-term study on marriage, suggests that acknowledging each other's achievements, big or small, contributes to a happier relationship. Whether it's finishing a work project or sticking to a new habit, recognizing these moments shows support and pride. It's a way of saying "I see you," which can be incredibly affirming. When you take the time to celebrate micro-wins, it shifts the focus from stress and obligations to achievements and progress. It's about finding joy in the journey rather than just the destination. These celebrations don't require grand gestures; sometimes, a simple acknowledgment or a small treat suffices. The key is consistency and sincerity, which can build a positive atmosphere in your marriage. Over time, this habit can contribute to a more optimistic and resilient partnership. 8. Creating A Marriage Vision Board Dreaming together about the future can be a powerful bonding activity. By creating a vision board, you both get to visualize and align your goals, hopes, and dreams in a tangible way. It's a fun craft project that becomes a meaningful representation of where you want to go as a couple. This shared vision can provide a roadmap, guiding your decisions and priorities. Plus, it's an opportunity to discuss your individual desires and find ways to support each other's aspirations. The process of creating a vision board can be as enlightening as the outcome. As you clip images and words that resonate with your goals, you foster a sense of teamwork and shared purpose. The conversations you'll have during this activity can deepen your understanding of each other's dreams and fears. It's a visual reminder of what you're working toward, keeping you aligned and motivated. This collaborative effort can be revisited and updated as your life and goals evolve. 9. Practicing Mindful Listening In a fast-paced world, truly listening can become a lost art. Practicing mindful listening in your marriage can be transformative. It's about being fully present when your partner is speaking, giving them your undivided attention. This habit can improve communication, reduce misunderstandings, and create a deeper emotional connection. It signals to your partner that they are valued and respected, which can have a profound impact on the relationship. Mindful listening involves more than just hearing words; it involves understanding the emotions and intentions behind them. It means asking questions, reflecting, and responding thoughtfully. This practice requires patience and intention but can yield significant rewards. When both of you feel heard and understood, it fosters a sense of safety and trust in the relationship. Over time, mindful listening can become a cornerstone of your communication, strengthening your marriage in meaningful ways. 10. Maintaining Personal Independence While sharing life is the essence of marriage, maintaining your personal independence is equally important. It's about nurturing your individual interests and friendships, alongside your shared life. This balance can enhance your marriage by bringing fresh perspectives and experiences to the table. It prevents the relationship from becoming insular and stagnant, keeping it dynamic and interesting. Moreover, it reminds each partner of their individuality, which can be attractive and invigorating. Encouraging personal independence doesn't mean leading separate lives. It's about supporting each other's personal growth while staying connected as a couple. This approach allows both of you to bring your best selves to the marriage, contributing to a more enriching partnership. When you feel fulfilled as individuals, you're more likely to be engaged and present in your relationship. Ultimately, maintaining this balance can lead to a healthier and more resilient marriage. 11. Implementing Rituals Of Connection Rituals of connection are small, intentional routines that bring you closer on a regular basis. Whether it's a morning coffee ritual or an evening walk, these moments create pockets of connection that strengthen your bond. They become comforting anchors in your day, providing predictability and stability. These rituals don't need to be elaborate; what matters is the intention behind them. Over time, they become cherished traditions that reinforce your commitment to each other. These rituals act as a gentle reminder that your relationship is a priority. They offer moments of pause in the busyness of life, where you can just be together and enjoy each other's presence. Implementing these routines can also reduce stress and increase feelings of love and companionship. They serve as a buffer against daily challenges, providing a context for empathy and understanding. Ultimately, rituals of connection can be a source of joy and resilience in your marriage. 12. Organizing Spontaneously Things Routine is necessary, but spontaneity can breathe new life into your marriage. Embracing the unexpected can keep your relationship exciting and fresh. Whether it's a surprise outing or a spontaneous dance in the living room, these moments inject fun and laughter into your relationship. They allow you to break free from the mundane and explore new dynamics with your partner. Spontaneity is the spice that can make everyday life more enjoyable. Encouraging spontaneity doesn't mean avoiding routine but enhancing it. It's about embracing the unexpected and being open to new experiences together. These moments of spontaneity can remind you of the joy of being together, reigniting the spark. They create opportunities for adventure and connection, making your relationship more vibrant. Over time, this openness to the unexpected can foster a sense of wonder and appreciation for each other. 13. Suggesting You Cook Together Cooking together is a classic yet often overlooked way to connect. It's more than just preparing a meal; it's an opportunity to collaborate and create something together. This shared activity can be a fun and rewarding experience, fostering teamwork and communication. Additionally, it's an opportunity to explore new recipes and cuisines, adding variety to your culinary experience. Cooking together can transform a daily chore into a shared pleasure. In the kitchen, you learn to coordinate and communicate, enhancing your partnership skills. It's a setting where you can experiment and learn from each other, creating delicious memories along the way. Cooking together also offers a chance to unwind and enjoy each other's company in a relaxed environment. Whether it's a simple weeknight dinner or an elaborate weekend feast, these moments become meaningful expressions of love and collaboration. Over time, cooking together can become a cherished ritual in your marriage. 14. Inspiring And Embracing Change Change is inevitable, and embracing it together can strengthen your marriage. Whether it's a career shift, a move, or a new family member, approaching these changes as a team can foster resilience. It's about facing challenges and opportunities together, supporting each other through transitions. By viewing change as a joint adventure rather than a threat, you cultivate a sense of partnership and adaptability. These experiences can deepen your connection and prepare you for future changes. Embracing change requires open communication and a willingness to adapt. It means acknowledging each other's fears and hopes, working together to navigate the unknown. This approach fosters mutual support and understanding, thereby reinforcing your commitment to one another. Over time, embracing change together can build trust and confidence in your relationship, knowing that you can face anything together. Ultimately, it's a practice that enriches your marriage and prepares you for whatever life may bring. Solve the daily Crossword
The Guardian
18 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
After the Spike by Dean Spears and Michael Geruso review – the truth about population
As a member of the 8.23 billion-strong human community, you probably have an opinion on the fact that the global population is set to hit a record high of 10 billion within the next few decades. Chances are, you're not thrilled about it, given that anthropogenic climate change is already battering us and your morning commute is like being in a hot, jiggling sardine-tin. Yet according to Dean Spears and Michael Geruso, academics at the University of Texas, what we really need to be worried about is depopulation. The number of children being born has been declining worldwide for a couple of hundred years. More than half of countries, including India, the most populous nation in the world, now have birthrates below replacement levels. While overall population has been rising due to declining (mainly infant) mortality, we'll hit a peak soon before falling precipitously. This apex and the rollercoaster drop that follows it is the eponymous 'spike'. Most people's lives today are better than they ever were in human history, thanks to the progress, prosperity and brilliant ideas that have come with all those people. The more of us there are, the more human ingenuity there is – 'the ultimate renewable resource'. Spears and Geruso argue that future people who live alongside only a couple of billion others will have significantly worse lives than we have today. Stabilisation, not depopulation, they argue, is the right path for humanity. For that to happen, we need to be having more babies. After the Spike knocks down assumptions like skittles. Population fearmongers from Malthus to Paul Ehrlich are refuted, and evidence laid out to show what worldwide fertility is not linked to: changes in wealth, the invention of contraception or women's rights. Nor can government policies that force people to have, or not have, children do much to change long-term trends. This is as true for China's one-child policy as it is for Ceaușescu's banning of abortion in Romania, which only had short-term effects. Even when non-coercive governments support parents with childcare and comparatively generous parental leave, as in Sweden, these policies have not shifted the needle. Sweden will start to shrink in 2051. The strongest commonsense belief the authors tackle is the idea that lower birthrates are a good thing because the planet is burning and more people means worse climate change. In fact, climate change is such an urgent issue that depopulation will kick in far too late to make any serious impact. Not only that, but the difference between the contribution to climate change made by the current population versus the population at the top of the spike is not significant. Depopulation won't help the climate, then, but it will mean that there are far fewer of us left to deal with part two of cleaning up humanity's mess on Earth: removing excess greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Creating a good life – whether that's finding cures for disease or ways to reverse environmental damage – relies on the ideas, work and progress produced by large, interconnected societies. Why, then, are we increasingly choosing to have fewer children? The answer is likely to be a combination of cultural, biological, economic and social factors, but the best unifying theory in After the Spike is to be found in a satirical headline from the Onion: 'Study Finds American Women Delaying Motherhood Because the Whole Thing Blows'. As life on Earth has come to offer more and more rich and interesting options for how to spend our time, the opportunity cost of parenting has become increasingly less attractive. There are now more ways to make a meaningful life with fewer or no kids, even if you did want them, as gen Z is well aware. If we agree that we ought to make life good for our descendants, and that this means supporting a stable, sizeable human population, how can we achieve this? The solution proposed by Spears and Geruso is no less than a total restructuring of society around care, in which parenting is so well supported socially, culturally, economically and medically that it is seen as a joy, not a relentless struggle. Were this to have been my reality a decade ago, I might have had the football team of tumbling, laughing babies I sometimes feel a pang for. Whether humanity can achieve anything like it in time to avert depopulation seems doubtful, but if there's one thing After the Spike leaves us with, it's the impulse to back ourselves. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion After the Spike: The Risks of Global Depopulation and the Case for People by Dean Spears and Michael Geruso is published by Bodley Head (£20). To order a copy go to Delivery charges may apply.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Scottie Scheffler's act emerges after The Open that speaks volumes about Rory McIlroy rival
Scottie Scheffler is the man of the moment after winning a second major of the year at The Open Championship, but the world No.1 has not forgotten his golfing roots Scottie Scheffler has proved he hasn't forgotten his roots as he continues his domination of the golfing world. Fresh off his victory at the Open Championship at Portrush, where his great rival Rory McIlroy finished tied-seventh, it has emerged he has offered to fund the renovation of the Texas Longhorns' practice facility at the University of Texas (UT) Golf Club, where he played and studied. Scheffler, who also clinched the PGA Championship earlier this year, is now three-quarters of the way towards achieving the career Grand Slam. He could complete this feat at next year's US Open, matching the four-year time frame set by the legendary Jack Nicklaus. Despite his meteoric rise and stunning wealth, Scheffler hasn't forgotten those who contributed to his development and the youngsters who would love to follow in his footsteps. Since his four-shot win at The Open, his former college coach, John Fields, has revealed that Scheffler will foot the bill for UT's revamp. The facility will be christened 'Scheff's Kitchen' in honour of one of their most distinguished alumni. Scheffler remains close to Fields and his wife, Pearl. When the 29-year-old returned to Austin last year for Texas' alumni pro-am, he allowed Pearl to wear his recently won Olympic gold medal from the Paris Games. Per NBC Golf, Field said: "That helped him because he knew everyone wanted to see that gold medal... and Pearl got to be an Olympian for the day. He just finds fun ways to enjoy that moment but not be too overwhelmed by it, and he's really good about it." Despite his impressive achievements, Scheffler remains humble, shrugging off any comparisons with golf legend Tiger Woods. After clinching the Open, he insisted: "I still think they're a bit silly. "Tiger won, what, 15 majors? This is my fourth. I just got one-fourth of the way there. I think Tiger stands alone in the game of golf. He was inspirational for me growing up. He was a very, very talented guy, and he was a special person to be able to be as good as he was at the game of golf." Scheffler also opened up about his motivation, which isn't solely driven by accolades. He explained: "I don't focus on that kind of stuff. That's not what motivates me. I'm not motivated by winning championships. "I don't look at the beginning of the year and just say, 'Hey, I want to win X amount of tournaments, I want to win whatever it is.' "I have dreams and aspirations that I think about, but at the end of the day, I feel like what motivates me is just getting out and getting to live out my dream. I get to play professional golf, and I feel like I'm called to do it to the best of my ability. "I don't place much emphasis on things that I can accomplish. It's just mostly about putting in the proper work and coming out here and competing. I've always done my best when I'm able to live in the present."
