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Don’t let the neatly tucked polos and tapered slacks idiot you. This present period of golfers are the fittest and most athletic the sport of golf has seen. From CrossFit coaching to touring with private cooks, reflexologists, and cellular gyms — the sport hasn’t modified a lot however the gamers teeing off now have developed.
The PGA Tour season kicks into full gear this week with The Players Championship. It’s the game’s flagship occasion that mixes the strongest area at one of many tour’s most iconic venues in The Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Pete Vedra Beach, FL. With a handbag of $25 million, the $4.5 million for the winner is the largest payout on the tour.
With all the eye being targeted on the inexperienced, a brand new participant eating idea targeted on vitamin may even be unveiled. At the entrance of this modification are efficiency dietitian Ryan Harmon and Chef Mohamed Azhar. The tour labored with Harmon to assemble suggestions from the participant’s final summer season to rethink how they’re fueled.
Previously working as an government and company chef for TPC Sawgrass, Azhar was not too long ago named as the primary National Culinary Director for your complete TPC Network, which consists of 9 PGA Tour occasions, together with the Players.
M&F spoke with the pair on their position in serving to guarantee the gamers are at their finest with wholesome choices with out sacrificing nice style.
Not Your Father’s Way of Golf
Ryan Harmon started talking with gamers on the tour final summer season to achieve their perception into the choices on the totally different tournaments throughout the season and what they needed to see. With every athlete having totally different wants and targets, there was loads of data to absorb. What was constant in every of these conversations was the need for high-quality meals. And the gamers’ listing was lengthy, from grass-fed and grass-finished beef and bison to house-made whole-foods, nutrient-dense snacks, natural non-GMO sourdough freshly baked from an area bakery to natural and seasonal native produce, and even house-made dressings—the tour professionals’ theme centered round placing the perfect elements of their our bodies.
“More than ever, players today understand the foods they choose for training and competition affect how well they can train, recover, compete, and good nutrition provides a competitive advantage for them,” Harmon stated. “The modern golfer is traveling with a performance chef who is making and preparing most of their meals. They travel with a full performance team and it’s a very complex operation. They’re also using food and nutrition to help prevent injuries and extend their careers.”
Harmon had beforehand labored for the Tampa Bay Rays, the place she constructed and headed their first-ever efficiency and vitamin program from 2017-2021. That program spanned throughout the Ray’s minor league groups and their baseball academy within the Dominican Republic. It took her a few 12 months to completely construct this system out and implement it absolutely however as soon as it caught on, it appeared to pay dividends within the standings. The Rays had been on the backside of the AL East earlier than she got here aboard. In her final three years, the staff completed first within the division twice and second as soon as for 3 consecutive postseason appearances, together with a World Series berth in 2020.
She credited the time being current full-time as the rationale this system was capable of work. Had she simply been in a marketing consultant position and been somebody that popped out and in of the clubhouse on occasion, it’s unlikely the gamers would have been capable of set up the belief wanted to purchase into what she was implementing. There would even be no method a staff that doesn’t have the posh of a giant market funds would justify spending a premium on higher-quality meals.
Harmon was part of all of the highs and lows throughout her time with the Rays. In talking Spanish at an intermediate degree, she was capable of communicate with loads of the gamers of their native language, which additional cemented the belief issue inside the ball membership. She additionally isn’t new to the golf scene having labored as the pinnacle golf sports activities dietician for IMG Academy from 2012-14. She’s labored with athletes throughout nearly each sport and is trying ahead to seeing the outcomes of this new idea throughout the tour.
“My goal is to make sure every single player in that clubhouse’s nutritional needs are being met,” she stated. “Whether that’s fueling opportunities, food preferences, help to navigate a new diet, struggles with energy levels…I want to make sure all of the players feel like their needs are being met 100 percent. This nutrition program is built to do that and it doesn’t get any better than what we’ve been working on for the last nine months.”
Bringing The Dining Experience Up to Par
Azhar got here aboard the PGA Tour in 2017 because the senior government chef at TPC Sawgrass. Given how extremely regarded the 9 PGA Tour occasions within the TPC community are, the meals and beverage program was in want of some reimagining to achieve the identical acclaim. Azhar’s aim has been to function a menu that’s each innovative, stylish, and capable of rival among the high eating places within the native markets of the programs.
With the Players Championship being the tour’s flagship occasion, his choices will take middle stage together with the motion.
“One of the main things I started working on is making sure the Players Championship is one of the best dining experiences in the area,” Azhar stated. “The last few years, we’ve been working on innovating the Players dining concept as well.”
During Players week, Azhar can have his fingers full overseeing the choices to the 144 competing gamers in addition to their households and visitor visiting TPC Sawgrass looking for a novel Players Club expertise. Azhar says that these eating in can anticipate to get pleasure from a nutritious meal that doesn’t compromise nice style. That process is achieved from the sourcing of the elements.
“Our meat, fish, eggs, and produce are all locally sourced,” he says. “If I’m not able to source locally, then it’s all grass-fed or organic. All the fish is wild caught because they have a higher level of fatty omega-3 acids and that’s important for anti-inflammatory properties with athletes. Our eggs are from pastured hens because that boosts nutrient density, and all of our fruits and vegetables are organic and grown locally.”
What’s on the Menu?
Born and raised in India, Azhar has additionally labored in varied areas of the world and the menus throughout the TPC community draw direct inspiration from his culinary journey. Some of his favorites on the menu are the TPC Pretzel with housemate queso, the butter rooster with papaya chutney yogurt raita, the Tinga nachos, and the superfood bowl that features a poached egg, crispy brown rice, kale pesto, and the choice so as to add the protein of selection.
The menu adjustments seasonally to make to make the most of the freshest native elements. About 30 % of the choices stay as they’re the perfect sellers and causes visitor return to dine on the clubhouses. Given the hassle and a focus on bettering the eating for the Players Championship, Azhar is aware of it should simply be an added bonus to this weekend. But he isn’t shy about what he desires from every one who shall be eating at TPC Sawgrass this weekend.
“I want them to say this is one of the best meals I ever had and I want to come back to have this meal again,” he says. “You want to hear that often and I want to make sure players and their families say that.”