Q: Lydia Ko is No. 1 on the LPGA Tour. I have read that she uses hypnotherapy sessions before tournaments. Does she do this before all tournaments or just the bigger ones? Also, why does she play for New Zealand when she is South Korean?
—William McKee Jr., Flowery Branch
A: Ko, who turned 19 in April, has lived in New Zealand since she was an infant and became a citizen of that country when she was 12.
Ko met with a mental performance coach named David Niethe for one hour for once a month, according to a 2015 ESPNW.com article.
“Lydia has been hypnotized many a time by me,” Niethe told the website. “We would use hypnosis if we deemed we needed to. There was a lot of action, reflection, deciding strategies. We’d talk about something, then try to make it a habit.”
Ko has 12 career LPGA victories, including this year’s ANA Inspiration and Kia Classic. She is No. 1 in the Rolex rankings.
Q: What is the status of the trial of Dwight Brown, the former Cobb EMC CEO who supposedly siphoned millions of dollars and defrauded thousands of members? It seems that there’s an attempt to sweep it all under the rug.
—Charles Reichert, Marietta
A: Motions in Brown's case will be heard by Cobb County Superior Court Judge Robert E. Flournoy on Oct. 17-19.
The Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia is prosecuting the case after Flournoy “granted a defense motion to disqualify the Cobb DA’s Office from the case” in February, the Cobb District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman told Q&A on the News in an email.
Brown pleaded not guilty to charges in 2011.
Andy Johnston with Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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