Golf Digest survey of nicotine use golfers
More than half of Snedeker PGA uses pouches
Helps awaken awareness, relieve tension, and improve endurance
Indication of addiction, irritability, fatigue, withdrawal, cardiac risk
There is something that office workers take when they have trouble concentrating and need a break. It’s caffeine. Refresh yourself by drinking caffeinated beverages such as coffee. According to the academic journal ‘PNAS Nexus’, caffeine has been shown to affect sleep patterns and cerebral blood flow. Caffeine has the effect of increasing heart rate, breathing, physical energy, and mental alertness. It helps with weight loss and improves exercise performance. Excessive consumption can cause headaches, tension, anxiety, dizziness, and abdominal pain.
So, what awakening effects do golfers playing on tours around the world achieve? It’s nicotine. Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, John Daly (USA), and Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) are players who have used nicotine. In the United States, nicotine can be used freely and legally by athletes in all sports.
Golf Digest, an American golf media outlet, covered the recent nicotine controversy in the golf world. Nicotine comes in various forms. Oral nicotine pouches that are absorbed by placing between the upper lip and gums are popular. Nicotine is also available in jelly form and patch form. With the advent of pouches, nicotine usage in golf is rapidly increasing. Representative pouch brands include ZYN, Rogue, Zone, LYFT, On!, and VELO.
Golf Digest interviewed about 100 players about nicotine. Through an interview with Brandt Snedeker (USA), a ‘non-niconine user’, the widespread nicotine problem on the PGA Tour was discussed. Snedeker claimed, “More than half of the PGA Tour uses nicotine pouches.” The media said, “It appears that 25-30% of LIV Golf members use nicotine.” One player who plays for LIV Golf said, “When I go to tournaments in Saudi Arabia, Morocco, or Hong Kong, I am sweeping up all the nicotine stores.”
Sam Ryder (USA) shared his experience about the effects of nicotine. This is the first round of the Honda Classic in February 2022. He recorded a whopping 6 over par in the first 8 holes. I decided that something needed to change the atmosphere. Put nicotine in your mouth. Afterwards, he swept 6 birdies in the remaining 10 holes. He recorded 40 strokes in the first half and 31 strokes in the second half. He finished the competition in a tie for 9th place (71-68-69-70).
The rider said, “I needed to regroup, and after taking nicotine, I was in a good mood. For the remaining rounds, I put nicotine in my mouth and digested it.” Pat Perez (USA), who has three wins on the PGA Tour, is also a golfer who uses nicotine. He is currently playing for LIV Golf, which is sponsored by Saudi Arabia’s oil capital. He smiled and said, “When I play bogey, I take out nicotine. If I’m a birdie, there’s no reason to take nicotine with me.” Some athletes choose nicotine when training. This is Tim Herron (USA), who plays in the PGA Tour Champions (Senior Tour). “I need nicotine when practice time is long. I think it’s become a routine now,” he said.
Like caffeine, nicotine has its benefits. Studies show that nicotine actually increases vitality in the body. It also sharpens your mental ability. Nicotine has a stimulant effect. It lifts sagging energy and improves concentration. There were also papers showing that it helps relieve tension, improve endurance, reaction time, and memory. Recently, products with reduced nicotine content are also being released. It is believed that the risk of developing cancer has been significantly reduced by using nicotine pouches.
However, nicotine is not the only good thing. There is also a fatal drawback. First of all, long-term use can lead to nicotine addiction. You may become too dependent on nicotine. “The more you use nicotine, the more your body craves it,” warns Dr. Frank Etzkorn, professor emeritus at New Mexico Institute of Technology and who developed the nicotine patch in 1986. “It often leads to lifelong addiction.” Additionally, irritability, fatigue, and anxiety may occur. It can cause withdrawal symptoms and pose a risk to the heart and circulatory system.
Reporter Noh Woo-rae [email protected]
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