Golfers’ Admissions of Superstitions

Ernie Els Superstition

Most golfers, amateur or professional are creatures of habit and, more often than not, dedicated followers of quirky customs and weird and wonderful infatuations aimed at conjuring-up good luck and avoiding misfortune and tough luck.

And, whilst none of these have any logical basis in fact or evidence in support of their efficacy, players, young and old, male and female, professional and amateur stick firmly to their tried and tested techniques to ward-off bad luck and invite in the Midas touch.

Even all-time greats such as Jack Nicklaus – the Golden Bear, the man with the most ‘Major’ titles (18) to his name has always resorted to superstition as part of his game, a firm believer in the power of three, invariably playing with a #3 golf ball, three coins in his pocket, his favourite clubs a three-wood and three-iron, perhaps dating back to his time as a member of the ‘Big-3,’ alongside Arnold Palmer and Gary Player?

Fellow multi-‘Major’ winner Ernie Els typically throws away any golf ball he’s scored a birdie with, the rationale being that its luck has been used up, given the number of birdies in a 30-year-long professional career, his golf ball sponsor Srixon must be generous to a fault.

golf ball superstition

And female golfers are no less superstitious; rising English star Holly Clyburn will not step onto the golf course unless she has two ball-markers in her pocket, and will never play with an ‘unlucky’ #4 golf ball, whilst her compatriot Sophie Keech will only compete providing she is wearing odd socks on course.

Advertisement Sign up to our NZ Golf Updates