Pro-Golfer Goes Smoke-Free

Most people quit smoking because they are concerned about their health. For athletes or other prominent public figures, the pressure to quit can come from fear of tarnishing their images. Neither one of these were factors in professional golfer Angel Cabrera’s decision to quit smoking. For him, it was as simple and easy as just making the mental decision to stop after suffering from a long, nasty flu.

“I hadn't been smoking for 10 days, and I felt like I didn't want to smoke anymore, so I quit,” Cabrera said, who won the Asian Tour's Barclays Singapore Open last November but hasn't finished better than 15th in a PGA Tour stroke-play event since his U.S. Open breakthrough. “I couldn't tell, really, if it has helped or anything for my golf game. I don't feel any difference.”

This month will be Cabrera’s 10th month smoke-free and his 25th golf event without his favorite “short 72s” cigarettes. Sports announcers, friends and fans are amazed at his success, especially considering most smokers who give up cigarettes start smoking again within the first three months of quitting, according to the American Cancer Society.

By quitting smoking, Cabrera joins the ranks of other famous golfer’s who have given up cigarettes: Arnold Palmer, Johnson Wagner, Jason Bohn and Jack Nicklaus.

Do you get inspired to quit smoking when you hear stories about atheletes or celebrities who have kicked the habit? [Golfweek]