Can Buddha Help Your Short Game?

Some Say the Religion’s Tenets Can Help Players Master ’s Finer Points; Keeping Bugs Alive

By Hannah Karp

Wall St. Journal, April 27, 2010 techniques to pilgrimages to Buddhist LPGA circuit, up from a total of five Asians When finally emerged from monasteries in Thailand. on the two tours 15 years ago. The LPGA his trip through the wilderness of marital Tour’s 45 South Koreans include devout infidelity, he vowed to make some life The basic idea: to alleviate Buddhist and World Golf Hall-of-Famer Se changes. One of them was to reconnect suffering on the golf course by cultivating Ri Pak, who joined the women’s tour in with Buddhism, the religion of his youth. inner peace, self-awareness and a sense of 1998. Among Westerners, 12-time LPGA responsibility for one’s actions. “It puts It’s fair to say Buddhism could tour winner Cristie Kerr and Tim Petovic you in a peaceful plane,” told make him a better person. But here’s a both recently hired Joseph Parent, the reporters while visiting a Buddhist abbot scary notion for the rest of the PGA Tour: author of the book “Zen Golf,” to help in a Thai temple several years ago. “It’s there’s a reasonable chance it could make them incorporate Buddhist techniques pretty rough out there on the PGA Tour.” him a better golfer, too. into their games, while English golfer Adherents include Thailand’s’ rose to sixth in the world in A growing number of golfers and th , who ranks 44 in the 2007 after spending two years meditating golf coaches all over the world are world and finished tied for ninth place in nightly with Buddhist swing coach Nick warming up to the idea that the ancient the weekend’s Ballantines’s Championship Bradley. religion, which teaches followers to let go in South Korea, and Y.E. Yang, who of their egos, attachments and desires in Though Buddhism has been became the first Asian to win a major last order to attain enlightenment, could be growing steadily in America in the past 30 year when he beat Tiger Woods in the PGA the faith most suited to making somebody years, the religion is still a bit far out for Championship and who was near the top a holy terror on the links. American golf, a relatively conservative, of the leader board for much of this county-club sport where the Thanks to the growing ranks of month’s Masters. Mr. Singh, who has commentators find it shocking when earned more money than any golfer on players from Asia, new Asian tour events players neglect to wear socks. (Fred and a handful of coaches who have been the current Tour except Mr. Woods, has Couples is still drawing flak for doing that introducing elements of Eastern befriended Buddhist leaders and that in this month’s Masters.) Apart from appreciates the philosophy, although he philosophy to Western Players, golfers weekly Bible-study sessions long hosted by from a range of religious backgrounds are says he considers his personal religious players including two-time U.S. Open tinkering with everything from daily beliefs private. winner Lee Janzen, most top tour players meditation and Buddhist breathing There are nine Asian players on have avoided talking much about religion, the PGA Tour this year, and 59 on the not wanting to appear “off-center,” says ’s longtime manager Bart other way around. Discipline is also an Buddhist monks aren’t exactly Collins. important tenet. As Mr. Woods told fixtures on the world’s putting greens, but Reuters in a 2008 interview: “It is all about many leaders in the Buddhist community Still, because Buddhism doesn’t what you do, and you get out of it what see parallels between golf and the attempt to broach the subject of God you put into it.” religions. Marvin Harad, a reverend at the (Buddha was a human being born in Nepal Orange County Buddhist Church in more than 2,000 years ago, and his Mr. Woods’s representatives Southern California, frequently waxes teachings suggest neither the presence, didn’t respond to requests for comment. poetic about his passion for golf in nor the absence, of a higher deity) the Three years ago, Chapshai Nirat of newsletters to his church members. And philosophy has been able to hake hold in Northern California, there’s even a even among some of the tours’ Christians, Thailand was struggling to control his prominent Tibetan monk who frequents who can incorporate the religion’s temper on the course. Then in the summer of 2007, he spent three weeks the fairways in his yellow robes, though he practical teachings without having to living with monks in a Buddhist monastery rarely keeps score. As the high priest renounce their own beliefs. K.J. Choi, a Kunga Rinpoche put it to Golf Digest in Christian who grew up in South Korea and with “nothing to think about” but 2002: “I would like to be reincarnated as a now resides in Texas, says Buddhism “may “keeping the temple tidy.” Shortly after, the now 27-year-old won the Vietnam better golfer some day. “ help some players because they may feel inner peace,” though Mr. Choi says he’s at Masters, and last year he set a record low peace with his belief that God is by his side score of 32-under-par at the SAIL Open in India. He returned to that monastery for a for every shot. three-day stay with other pro golfers in So what exactly does Buddhism do December. for golfers? Adherents say it helps them see their mind as an ally instead of an Mr. Yang, who was raised Buddhist, says his religious practice has enemy, and helps them see how they may be getting in their own way on the course. been crucial to his success in golf. The (Buddhist golf coaches say a player’s ego Korean even does his best to stop other players from killing bugs on the course, can be particularly detrimental to a long game.) Ms. Kerr says she finds it helpful to believing that helps increase his “good be reminded by her Zen instructor that Karma.” she’s controlling the ball rather than the