However, spending two days walking 18 holes each day, watching these professionals, I was able to make a few observations. First of all, you walk a TON during a golf tournament! I was so upset that I was not wearing my FITBIT to measure how many miles we covered each day and how many calories burned! I know that walking the course, carrying your bag, (for those of us not up to the caddy standards), you actually get in a hefty workout!
Next, the fashions have come a long way! I so enjoyed looking at the many different colors, textures and cuts of the clothing the men wore. The details were so noticeable even down to the belts and shoes. It gave me a sense of the players and their personalities.
Lastly, the change in the body type of these professional golfers is astounding. Gone are the days of the “pudge around the middle” golfer who looks like he spends more time in the clubhouse than working on his game.
If your idea of a professional golfer is this:
Have you seen some of these fellas lately? They are lean, mean and buff. Some have absolutely no body fat and some look like their waists are 19 inches! Really!
Some of these guys have really trained and changed their bodies, and I dare say, their games. The most obvious some would say is the golfer I call “he who I will not name” due to his recent shananagins that got him into a heaping bit of trouble.
Next, is someone with whom I wasn’t that familiar. Have you noticed Lee Westwood’s guns? He’s pretty buff with some nice biceps.
Another one to have embraced the gym lately is one of the “Young Guns” , Rory Mcllroy. Rory started off thin but he has been working in the gym, lifting weights, and added some muscle to his frame.
If you are a golfer, or just pretend to be one while watching on TV, these transformations are probably no new news to you. My point is that, while I may not play this game, I admire what they do, how they do it and the dedication they have to their sport. Fitness, strength and nutrition clearly all play an important role in the goal to enhance performance in this sport. (and a cool outfit doesn’t hurt)
As an aside, while I was looking at research, photos, etc. for this post, I came across several rather snarky articles arguing whether golfers were athletes and whether golf was a sport. Are you kidding? The hand/eye coordination in this game is immense, as is the precision required. I only walked this tournament for two days and I was utterly exhausted at the end of day two! These guys had two more days of this stuff! And, just when these guys would finish for the day and I’d think they would go get off their feet, they would be over at the driving range hitting away, or working on their chipping and putting. I cannot argue with the stamina required for a tournament.
As of writing this post, I just heard in the background that Rory won the BMW Championship. He beat out one of my “picks” but that’s okay. It was great fun following this in “real time” and on TV!
And, if you were worrying that I wasn’t getting enough exercise walking all around and missing out on a workout, my lovely hostess invited me to do P90X video with her before hitting the tournament! We did a great legs and back workout that got us warmed up and energized for the day!
How was your weekend? Watch any golf? What are your thought on the golf/athlete/sport debate?
HAVE A GREAT MONDAY!!
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