Georgia On My Mind

As golf’s 89th Masters Tournament reaches boiling point at Augusta, we take a peek at the mental Mexican waves and wobbles linking McIlroy, Macbeth, Mozart and Marilyn Monroe…

Northern Irish golf superstar, Rory McIlroy, ranked second in the Official World Golf Ranking behind American Scottie Scheffler has been waiting eleven years to win The Masters and complete the career Golf Grand Slam having won the other three majors.

U.S. Open (2011)

PGA Championship (2012 and 2014)

The Open (2014)

…The Masters (?)

With a total of 43 professional wins, and career earnings exceeding $100 million (only the second golfer to reach that milestone after Tiger Woods) Thursday’s opening round saw

Rory in pretty good shape to compete for the elusive green jacket (and the $20 million first prize) and then disaster struck… With only four holes remaining, he ‘carded’ (scored) two

‘double bogeys’ (dreaded double point drops) at the 15th and 17th hole putting him 7 strokes back behind leader, fellow Brit Justin Rose, and outside the top 25 players  on the leader board.

Commenting on the first day’s play, Sir Nick Faldo, himself a three time Masters and Open champion, made the succinct (but fairly obvious) point that Rory’s dramatic drop in form could only have its origins in one of three areas…”Physical, Technical or Mental”

On the physical side, Faldo complimented McIlroy’s highly developed ‘fast-twitch’ muscles,

the fibres that accelerate clubhead speed and overall swing performance.

And McIlroy’s technical ability has never in doubt,

So what was going on in Rory’s mind?

According to something called the Psychomotor Efficiency Hypotheses, as we acquire greater expertise in a motor skill, such as hitting a golf ball, our brain functions become more refined and efficient.

This is principally due to increased activation of task related areas and decreased activation of irrelevant areas.

Recent research has shown that this the work of ‘alpha oscillations’ (brain waves in the frequency of 8-12 Hz) that were originally thought to ‘represent the brain in an idle state because they are strongest during rest and quiet wakefulness’…

And (potentially) something called: ‘Alpha (8-12 Hz) and Beta* (13-30 Hz) Desynchronization’ which is thought to be associated with increased information processing, reduced neural noise, and enhanced attention.

One effect of this increased focus is that elite sportsmen lose awareness of their movements as the action becomes automatic rather than conscious.

And one possible explanation for Rory’s slip may have been a single miss-hit (a pitch shot from behind the 15th green that ended up in the penalty area) which, given the pressure of his 11 year Masters wait, then triggered intrusive thoughts which effectively scuppered the formerly ‘automatic’ processes.

But hold on a minute!  We’re not all golfing superstars, performing the most complex physical operations of any ball game in front of thousands of spectators and millions of TV viewers.

Some poor souls don’t even like golf!

But we, in The Business of Pleasure, are as dependent on alpha/beta oscillations as poor ($100 million) Rory, for instance:

In our cinemas

‘Alpha waves are often studied in the context of cinema, as they can be observed in individuals during movie-watching. Research suggests that movie-watching can lead to stronger alpha/beta desynchronization compared to rest, indicating a more active and engaged brain state.’

In our theatres

‘During moments of quiet reflection or dramatic pauses in a play, audience members might experience increased alpha wave activity as they absorb the scene's atmosphere and emotions and the rhythmic nature of alpha waves could contribute to a sense of calm and connection with the story, potentially enhancing emotional engagement.’ 

In music

 ‘Listening to music, particularly genres like classical or instrumental music, can increase alpha wave activity. This is because the brain adapts to and synchronizes with the music's rhythm, potentially leading to a more relaxed and focused state’

So whether it is a fifteen foot golf putt, or the latest Spielberg/Stoppard/Swift, when we are ‘in the zone’ we are all dependent on that vital ‘desynchronizing’ that allows us to focus on our chosen centre of attention and filter out everything else.

And of course, on day two at Augusta, Rory got his mojo back, soaring back up the leader board to joint third place.

...Oh, and by the end of day three, he was leading the field by two strokes.

And finally, on Sunday, Rory’s 14 year wait ended as he defeated fellow Brit Justin Rose in the playoff to take the 2025 Masters and complete his career Grand Slam.

DT

Updated April 2025

*Beta waves are brain waves that are commonly observed in an awakened state. They are involved in conscious thought and logical thinking, and tend to have a stimulating effect.