Golfers ruled by the fear factor, researchers claim

EVEN the greatest golfers, including Tiger Woods, systematically miss the opportunity to score a birdie out of fear of making a bogey, a study by two University of Pennsylvania professors has shown.

However, playing it safe carries its own risks in both golf and business, professors Devin Pope and Maurice Schweitzer said in their paper entitled: “Is Tiger Woods Loss Averse? Persistent Bias in the Face of Experience, Competition, and High Stakes.”

The academics studied putts during pro golf tournaments and their research suggested the “agony of a bogey seems to outweigh the thrill of a birdie”.