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WHOOP lets players know if their body needs more rest or is ready to
take on the day. It can also let them know if they’re getting the right
type of sleep, and how factors like diet or other behaviors can impact
the quality of their rest. And in recent times, it has even warned
players that they may have been infected with COVID-19.
“So much
of what’s powerful about technology is it can connect everyone on this
planet,” WHOOP CEO Will Ahmed told PGATOUR.COM. “And you have
up-and-coming golfers and aspirational athletes who can look at their
WHOOP data in comparison to the best golfers in the world and that makes
the experience even better.
“We formalized this partnership for
two reasons. First is to improve player health and performance and
provide as much data as we can to the players to help them understand
their bodies. And the second is to produce WHOOP Live which will bring
physiological data to fans. I think this is really innovative and first
of its kind – the fact you will see heart rate and other data on top of
replays and television broadcasts. It’s really exciting and it’s a
formula that could be the future for sports broadly. When you see some
of the highlights with that data on top you as a fan feel something, you
feel a closer connection to the player and what they just experienced.”
Last
summer, upon the TOUR’s return to golf, more than 1,000 WHOOP Straps
were distributed for players, caddies and other essential personnel at
PGA TOUR, Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Champions events, with
accompanying membership for health monitoring.
“I don’t take it
off, ever,” Thomas said. “More so at the beginning, learning what’s
better for me and what helps me sleep and what helps me recover better.
Now I’ve worn it long enough that I know. It’s just part of my life, I
don’t even notice I have it on, but I still look at it every day.
“It’s
more diet and eating close to bed, what you’re eating, how that helps
you sleep. It’s a lot of little things and experimenting. I’m willing to
make sacrifices in my life if it makes me feel better, play better,
perform better.”
Thomas stresses that every person will have a
different learning experience. For example, using melatonin to sleep can
make him feel groggy but may be helpful to others. Thomas has also
noticed his recovery is better when he drinks more water.
“What
works for Rory doesn’t work for me, what works for me doesn’t work for
him, doesn’t work for you, doesn’t work for everybody,” Thomas said. “I
wanted to figure out what was good for me, and if I’m going into the
weekend of The Masters, the PLAYERS, or any other tournament, and I’m
playing really well and I have a three-shot lead, I need to know what I
need to do this afternoon, tonight, before bed to where I feel like I’m
going to sleep my best. If you can control what you can control, at
least it gives you a better probability for what you want to achieve.”
Stewart Cink, who won this season’s Safeway Open at 47 years old, also is WHOOP a member.
“I
think most everybody out on TOUR is using WHOOP. There’s a couple of
things that I might just pay closer attention to, like the recovery is
important nowadays. I’m still trying to figure out exactly the best way
for me to recover,” Cink says. “I mean it’s so much more than just
getting the eight hours of sleep, it’s a little different and it’s
pretty accurate. It’s a neat tool and I enjoy learning a little bit
about myself and the way my body sort of physiologically goes through
the day and recovers and exerts itself.”
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Source: PGA tour
