{"id":228763,"date":"2019-11-29T11:00:01","date_gmt":"2019-11-29T11:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/golftoday.co.uk\/which-golfers-use-cbd\/"},"modified":"2022-10-06T12:20:22","modified_gmt":"2022-10-06T12:20:22","slug":"which-golfers-use-cbd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/golftoday.co.uk\/which-golfers-use-cbd\/","title":{"rendered":"What is CBD and which golfers use it?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

CBD is steadily becoming one of the worst kept secrets in golf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll undoubtedly have heard chatter on the PGA Tour news wheel when it comes to the product, which an increasing number of professionals are using to maximise their recovery, reduce anxiety and improve concentration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

But what exactly is CBD and which players are openly using\nit?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CBD is an acronym for cannabidiol, a chemical compound found\nin the cannabis plant. The product does not contain THC, which is the\npsychoactive compound in marijuana that gives the high sensation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

THC is a banned substance on the PGA Tour, however, both the\nPGA\u2019s Anti-Doping Program and even the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have\nremoved CBD from their prohibited lists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The benefits of the compound include heightened focus, reduced\ninflammation and pain and can promote better sleep and injury recovery. Thus\nfar, there appears to be no negative side effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naturally, for the top professionals who put great stress on\ntheir bodies through practice, tournaments and gym work every single week, CBD\nis proving a popular supplement to their performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Better sleep before early tee times, emotional regulation to\nstay calm in the face of adversity, optimising focus when heading to a playoff\nin a major and eliminating nagging injuries, aches and pains. These are all\noptimal scenarios that players want to achieve, and if it\u2019s legal to do so \u2013\nwhy not take CBD?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, an element of caution must still be taken. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matt Every was suspended from the PGA Tour for three months\nearlier this winter for violating its drug policy. The ban was for cannabis\nusage, despite Every claiming he has a prescription for it on medical grounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every\u2019s ban serves as a reminder of how meticulous Tour\nplayers must be when filtering what enters their body, and the PGA Tour warns\nplayers to use CBD \u201cat their own risk\u201d. They warn that some products may\ncontain traces of THC, and thus players must place a premium on researching the\navailable brands and ensuring their quality before partaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, several big names have done their research and even\nsigned partnerships with CBD companies \u2013 their brand names now popping up on\nvisors and bags across the tournament field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without further ado, here are the golfing trailblazers who\nare staunch advocates of CBD. We take a look at their motivations for using CBD\nproducts and how it has impacted their recent performances:<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\n\n\n\n

Bubba Watson:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Bubba<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For the man who conquered Augusta National twice in three\nyears, CBD is the key to prolonging his successful career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He is one of the most outspoken proponents of CBD on Tour,\nand has had his own team of doctors analyse exactly what he is taking to ensure\nit is right for his body and does not put him at risk of a failed drug test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bubba is now 41, and his inspiration for taking the\nsupplement stems from the continued playmaking of his older peers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watson told CNN, \u201cI see Phil Mickelson winning at 48, so\nI\u2019ve got at least eight more years of having a shot of winning some\ntournaments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo for me it was about how I create longevity in the game\nof golf and spending time with my kids running around. CBD was easily a fit for\nme.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recovery benefits of CBD particularly resonate with\nWatson, who wants to maximise his pain relief and improve his sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking to TheStreet, Watson said: \u201cThe inflammation in my\nbody, waking up with better sleep. They were the two things I focused on. With\na 7-year-old and a 4-year-old in the house, and playing golf all day, I needed\nsome energy fast.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watson has signed a partnership with a CBD company, and\ndisplays this affiliation on his playing visors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n


\n\n\n\n

Scott McCarron:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"McCarron<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

McCarron is the number one ranked player on the PGA\nChampions Tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has three Tour wins in 2019, playing in 26 events – only three of the top 100 ranked players have competed in more tournaments than him this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McCarron has now been using CBD products for nearly two\nyears, during which he has exhibited enviable success and longevity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, CBD usage benefits from heightened discussion and debate among the senior players, owing to a greater risk of bodily aches and pains, as well as the more relaxed drug testing processes for the over-50s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

McCarron, speaking with ESPN, revealed that he first gave\nCBD the green light after it drastically improved his sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said: \u201cI went and tried it about two weeks later when I\nwent home. I measure my sleep with a device called WHOOP. For the first time in\nabout two years of wearing the device, I was taking the CBD oil, and I had\nfantastic sleep for seven days straight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McCarron also believes that CBD can effectively boost the\nperformance of the average golfer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He attests that CBD\u2019s capacity to reduce anxiety out on the\ncourse is of great potential to those playing the sport recreationally. Be it\nfirst-tee nerves or slippery four-footers, McCarron sees CBD as a solution \u2013\nparticularly if golfers are turning to alcohol to calm their nerves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n


\n\n\n\n

Lucas Glover:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n

pic.twitter.com\/B2uB8opXcY<\/a><\/p>— Lucas Glover (@Lucas_Glover_) August 13, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>