Golfers now take extra care to protect their skin from the hot sun

AUGUSTA: Camilo Villegas wasn’t just trying to refine his golf swing as he prepared to play in the Masters for the first time in nine years.

He was constantly checking the fine print on the ingredients in sunscreen. It reached a point a few weeks ago when the 42-year-old Colombian was trying three brands – one for his face, another for his arms, a third for his legs during practice rounds when PGA Tour players can wear shorts.

Nothing is left to chance.

“The first one I realised was more of a cosmetic. It didn’t really work as strong as I wanted,” Villegas said. “I’m trying a Korean brand now, and that has worked pretty good.”

Skin cancer has his attention – along with many of his fellow golfers.

There seems to be a renewed emphasis on sun protection. Golfers are more exposed to the sun for longer periods of time than players in any other sport. The weekday rounds last five hours. Throw in an hour of practice before the round, sometimes after, and it adds up quickly.

“The amount of time we spend in the sun, you’ve got to protect yourself,” Villegas said. “The sun is burning you.”

No need telling Stewart Cink. He was walking off the practice range at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida, last month when he was asked why sun protection was important to him.

“Well, as someone whose maternal grandmother passed away from melanoma, and someone who’s out in the sun a whole lot and someone who already had a big chunk of stuff cut off the side of my face,” he said, pausing to smile. “It very important, not to mention what my wife is going through with her (breast cancer) treatment. It would be dumb not to.”

The American Academy of Dermatology Association estimates one in five Americans will develop skin cancer. The non-melanoma variety, such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, affects three million Americans a year.

Sunscreen is just one form of protection.