No head games for free-swinging Kerr

By: Paul Woody | Richmond Times-Dispatch
Published: May 10, 2009

SLIDESHOW:

Michelob Ultra action - Saturday

MORE:

• Saturday surge at Kingsmill by Wright and Kerr

• WOODY: No head games for free-swinging Kerr

• LPGA Notes: Kerr finds incentive in event's future

• Michelob Ultra Open scoreboard

• Michelob Ultra Open Sunday tee times

EXTRAS

• Michelob Ultra Open (official site)

• Golf at Kingsmill Resort

WILLIAMSBURG Cristie Kerr has learned two things that just about everyone would do well to remember.

Don't sweat the small stuff. And it's all small stuff.

"There's a lot of pressure out here, and if you can learn how to deal with it and learn where to put it, it really doesn't affect you," she said.

"You realize it's just stuff you make up in your head. There's a lot of situations you put yourself in that you put more pressure on yourself when it's really just hitting a golf shot."

Kerr didn't chant, "Ommmm" after she said that, but it would have been appropriate. And it probably would have helped everyone in the room had joined in.

Kerr has learned that navigating a golf course successfully is not unlike navigating life successfully.

She is an accomplished professional golfer with 11 victories, including one major championship, the 2007 LPGA Open.

She would like to add triumph No. 12 to her record and has a chance to do so today in the final round of the Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill.

Kerr is tied for the lead with Lindsey Wright at 15-under par.

If she wins, Kerr undoubtedly will mention the name of Dr. Joe Parent, author of Zen Golf and ad visor to dozens of golfers, golf instructors and corporations.

"He believes . . . you really have to go through the process each time," Kerr said. "And he says if you do that well . . . at the end, you'll probably be pretty happy."

Kerr, you would think, had plenty to be happy about.

She is married, is a popular member of the tour and has more than $9 million in career winnings. But things fell apart for her last year in the Kraft Nabisco Championship. A final round 80 dropped her from a first to 21st.

She could have chalked it up to a bad day, added it to her list of experiences and moved on. Instead, she decided to use the meltdown as a catalyst to becoming a better golfer.

"I realized I needed help," she said. "I'm pleased with the work I've done. He's [Parent] helped me maximize my ability and really start believing in myself."

One of the best players on the women's tour didn't believe in herself? What's next? Kerr is going to tell us Tiger Woods, considered by many to be one of the greatest golfers in history, doesn't believe in himself?

Yeah, that's a good one.

"I mean, Tiger Woods has been seeing somebody since he was 4 or 5 years old, and still works with them, so if he needs it, I certainly need it," Kerr said.

Woods does what?

Well, then maybe we all need a little bit of that.

"It's about being mentally strong every single day and learning to do that every day, because it is a challenge," she said

Kerr has been up to the challenge this season. She has played in seven tournaments, has five top-10 finishes and $381,624 in winnings. She could almost double that with a victory today. But win or lose -- although finishing second and earning $202,195 doesn't really doesn't sound like such a tough loss -- Kerr says the work she has done with Parent will help her handle the result.

"Zen Buddhism is not a bad way to go," Kerr said. "It's very peaceful. It's all about self-awareness.

"I've been doing a lot of work, but I've enjoyed doing the work because it's helping make me a better person."

It's impossible to tell if that's the case from one or two short press conferences with Kerr.

But it is easy to see whether Kerr's work has helped her become a better golfer. All that is necessary is a look at the scoreboard.

Contact Paul Woody at (804) 649-6444 or pwoody@timesdispatch.com.