Importance of Mental Game of Golf Discussed by Champions Tour Players at Kaulig Companies Championship

Photo by Al Kornspan

Hall of Fame baseball player Yogi Berra famously quipped that, “Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.”

Just like in the MLB, where almost all organizations have mental performance coaches, many professional golfers also consult with mental performance coaches to help them improve performance.

That the discussion of the mental game of golf became front and center on Wednesday at the pre-tournament press conference for the Kaulig Companies Championship at Firestone Country Club should not be unexpected considering the importance professional athletes place on this part of athletics.

Bernhard Langer, who just recently won the U.S. Senior Open at the age of 65 and has 46 Champions Tour victories, was asked his thoughts about the importance of the mental game.

Langer emphasized that there are many elements that relate to being a successful golfer. 

However, he had this to say specifically about the mental game of golf.

“It (golf) is 90 percent mental if you put two players together with the same level of technique, experience and capability. Then it becomes very much mental because what is going to differentiate the two guys that are just playing at the very top of their game,” Langer said.

 

Stewart Cink, the 2009 British Open champion who currently plays mostly on the PGA Tour and is making his second start on the Champions Tour this week, also stressed the importance of the mental game at Wednesday’s pre-tournament press conference.

“Biggest thing is, I think when you get into the pros, PGA Tour golf, Korn Ferry golf, PGA Tour Champions, LPGA Tour, anywhere, everybody nowadays can pretty much check all the boxes on the skill department of the game,” said Cink. “We can drive it, we have distance, get up and down, make your putts. So where does that leave us as far as trying to separate (from) each other. I’ve always thought that emotionally and mentally if I can be at my best a little bit more often and more freed up and kind of get rid of some of the extra noise going on, that that will be a way that maybe I can just inch towards a little bit more of the upper echelon of the game. For me it’s (the mental game) a big frontier where I feel like I can get better. That’s why it’s been a big focus for me.”

 

After discussing the importance  of the mental game in detail at the press conference on Wednesday, Cink went out and shot a 66 on Thursday and is currently one shot behind leaders Harrison Frazar and Steve Stricker.

On Thursday, after the round Cink talked about the importance of flow and being in the zone.  He specifically mentioned a book titled the “Rise of Superman”, by author Steven Kotler, which discusses the concepts of the zone and flow in athletics.

“I’m reading a book right now about that (flow) called ‘The Rise of Superman’,” said Cink. “It’s all about the flow state.”

Cink then summarized his thoughts about how the zone and flow state can be helpful to performance.

“Really, all it comes down to is just not getting in your own way.  When you’re in that zone or flow state is when you’re out of your own way and you can perform to your highest level,” Cink said.

 

Steve Stricker, a 12-time PGA Tour winner who has won two out of the first three 2023 Champions Tour majors and is currently the co-leader at the Kaulig Companies Championship, also talked about the importance of the mental game and emotional control during his post round press conference on Thursday.

“You know, having a good head on your shoulders means a lot in this game,” Stricker said. “It can help you or get in your way. In majors, it is probably of utmost importance to control your emotions, think well, don’t get too rattled. I’ll try to do all the positive things. It’s easy to say, hard to do sometimes, but you got to keep trying to do that and keep thinking your game is going to go in the right direction.”

Friday’s second round begins at 10:10 am with Langer scheduled to start at 10:10, Cink at 11:13 and Stricker starting at 11:23.