Thu Sep 02 2010
Jamie Leno Zimron doesn't need to impress anyone as a golfer. A Class A LPGA Professional, she already has many credentials to make heads turn.
But it's what Zimron does off the course that has gotten people's attention.
When the California resident graces Kettenring Country Club on Aug. 10-11 for this year's version of the Ohio Women's Open, Defiance will see more than just a professional golfer - the city will also experience "The Golf Sensai," who is internationally recognized as a leader in holistic sports and life education. Zimron - who has a dual American-Israeli citizenship - holds a fifth-degree Aikido black belt; she is a sports psychologist, a bodyworker-healer and a mind-body fitness expert.
"Combining all that with golf (she started playing at age 7 and was a state and national junior golf champ) allows me to bring all of you some pretty cool ways to actually get better at this way-cool game!" she writes in her blog, located at http://golfsensei.blogspot.com/
Zimron recently returned to the United States after playing at the 18th Maccabiah Games International Jewish Olympics in Israel where she won the gold medal. She now prepares for this year's Ohio Women's Open in Defiance as the defending senior champion, where last year she fired an opening day 78, then came back with a 72 to post a two-shot victory.
The Ohio Women' Open is open to the public and begins with the Pro-Am on Sunday at KCC. The two-day tournament tees off early Monday and concludes on Tuesday afternoon.
"Aikido and golf are a natural combination," she said.
Zimron put her "Golf Sensei" knowledge to work in early June at the 2009 LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Western Section Championship in Lincoln, Calif. She got off to a slow start with a 10-over 82 on the first day, but rallied with an even par 72 to win the section division of the two-day, 36-hole event by one stroke.
"That first day score was just messy, but I was able to clear my mind and center myself for the second day to come out for a par round," said Zimron. "I try to practice my own 'KiAi Golf' teachings and it really made all the difference out there."
Zimron said that golfers can lower their scores as they upgrade their equipment, but also should concentrate on their own body-mind capabilities.
"Golf is not 'just a mental game' or 'just mechanics' or 'just equipment' or 'just better fitness.' It's all of the above in an integrated way. Increasing one's self-mastery is the secret ingredient to success, the true key to playing better golf and enjoying the game more."
A video of Zimron's work can be viewed on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAhYwYhe88Y
Outside of golf, Zimron co-founded the Middle East Aikido Project (MAP) through Aiki Extensions, an American non-profit applying the universal principles of Aikido in many areas of life around the world. The project was born from Zimron's dream of "Salaam-Shalom Aikido (the words for "peace" in Arabic and Hebrew.) Today, she is leading MAP in building bridges of friendship and hope through Israel, Palestine and the Middle East.
More information about Zimron's work can be found at with www.aikidomideastpeace.info or www.kiaigolf.com.
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