Henderson Has Worn Glasses and Competed in LPGA for 1 Year
"Performance Definitely Improved After Wearing Glasses," Positive Response
Bhatia, PGA's Representative 'Horn-Rimmed Glasses Golfer'
Lydia Ko, Shin Ji-ae, Park Ji-young Say Goodbye to Glasses
A new "glasses golfer" has recently emerged. The protagonist is Brooke Henderson, a star player representing Canada. She debuted on the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour in 2015 as the former "Amateur No. 1" and has accumulated a total of 13 wins, including two major championships. She became the first Canadian player in history to achieve 10 wins combined on the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour. Her older sister Brittany, who has experience playing on the LPGA Epson (development) Tour, serves as her caddie.
Henderson started wearing glasses about a year ago. Her last victory was at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, the opening event of the 2023 season in January last year. She has not won since she began wearing glasses. She viewed the change positively, saying, "I definitely think I've improved since I started wearing glasses." She added, "I've always had vision problems. I never really saw where the ball landed properly. I was a sensory player and relied too much on my senses." She received a lot of help from her sister, who is also a former player. "After hitting a shot toward the green, I immediately ask my sister whether the ball is on the green, on the apron, or where exactly it is. I've depended on her for a long time," she revealed.
Henderson no longer wanted to rely on her senses. So she chose to wear glasses. "I wanted to see where the ball was going and have a better sense around the green. I think the glasses really helped. I could see more clearly." Henderson is gradually seeing the benefits of wearing glasses. She has played in 16 tournaments this year, with no wins but six top-10 finishes, including three top-3 placements. This year, she ranks 6th in scoring average, 7th in the CME Globe race, 12th in Player of the Year, and 16th in the money list.
There is also a "glasses golfer" on the PGA Tour. He is 22-year-old Akshay Bhatia (USA), of Indian descent. His trademark is a thick beard and black horn-rimmed glasses. He was born in Northridge, a suburb of Los Angeles, California. Like Phil Mickelson, Brian Harman (both USA), and Mike Weir (Canada), he is one of the few left-handed golfers on the PGA Tour. He has a unique background, having dropped out of college at 17 and turning professional immediately after high school graduation.
Bhatia recalled, "I didn't like school. I wasn't good at studying. I liked being outside and enjoyed competing while playing golf." He won his first title at the Barracuda Championship in July last year and claimed his second victory at the Valero Texas Open in April. Last month, at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, he made headlines by missing a 1.3-meter par putt on the final 18th hole (par 4), finishing as runner-up. The tournament winner was Cam Davis (Australia).
There are also players who have escaped the "glasses golfer" label. Lydia Ko, a Korean-New Zealander, is a prime example. She is a former world No. 1 with 20 career wins, including two majors. She was once noted for wearing glasses and having a youthful face. In 2015, she stopped wearing glasses and started using contact lenses. "In July 2014, after a vision test, I thought about taking off my glasses. Wearing glasses is fine when looking straight ahead, but it’s difficult to see sideways. I had no trouble adapting to lenses. I think it was a good change."
"Doraemon" Hwang Jung-gon was known for his black horn-rimmed glasses. He wore glasses since the second year of middle school but has been wearing contact lenses since 2022. "Wearing glasses makes it difficult to maintain clear vision on rainy or humid days. Wearing lenses is very comfortable," he said. Hwang has three wins on the Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Tour and four wins on the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO).
Park Ji-young, a strong player on the KLPGA, started wearing glasses in the 6th grade of elementary school. Her vision was poor at 0.1 in both eyes. The ADT Caps Championship on the KLPGA Tour in November 2015 was the turning point when she stopped wearing glasses. "Heavy rain poured down, and even wiping my glasses didn’t help me concentrate. I had vision correction surgery in 2015, and now my vision has improved to 1.2," she expressed satisfaction. Her performance improved after her eyesight got better. Of her nine career wins, seven came in the last four years.
Shin Ji-ae also parted ways with her trademark glasses after LASIK surgery in 2010. "After the surgery, eye fatigue decreased," she said. Shin is a "living legend" with 64 professional wins across Korea, the U.S., and Japan. She has never missed a cut on the KLPGA Tour, demonstrating overwhelming skill. Kim Hyo-joo wore glasses since the 3rd grade of elementary school and underwent vision correction surgery in 2014. She said, "Because my corneas were thin, I had LASEK surgery. It’s much more comfortable now," expressing satisfaction.
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