Is Thai food the secret sauce for great golf?

THERE'S SOMETHING BREWING in Thailand — and it’s not just Tom Yum soup.

- Rahil Gangjee

The Mercuries Taiwan Masters wrapped up recently, and guess what? Out of the top eight finishers, six were Thai golfers. Six! I don’t know what they’re putting in their curries, but it’s clearly working better than my protein shake.

While I was busy missing the cut and contemplating my life choices over a soggy sandwich, the Thai brigade was out there playing precision golf like they were slicing mangoes at a Bangkok street market — calm, confident, and ridiculously consistent. It got me thinking — is there some mystical connection between Thai food and golf? Could Pad Thai be the new power fuel? Is green curry secretly laced with birdie energy? Or maybe there’s a Zen-like calmness that comes from eating sticky rice with your fingers that translates to steady putting hands.

I’ve been on tour long enough to notice patterns — and the Thais dominating leaderboards isn’t a new one. You’ve got young guns, veterans, and guys who look like they just rolled out of a beach resort, all firing in the 60s. The rest of us are trying to figure out our swing path, while they’re just...smiling, chewing calmly, and dropping putts from everywhere.

I’m starting to believe their secret isn’t in the swing — it’s in the kitchen.