Having a son is key to sporting success

It may seem like taking things to extremes in the quest for glory – but apparently the secret to sporting success is to go into competition immediately after the birth of a son.

The latest to discover this ‘nappy factor’ phenomenon is the US Masters winner Danny Willett, who wife actually delivered their boy Zachariah twelve days ahead of schedule so that the Englishman could make it to Augusta.

Not alone was he able to participate but he ultimately shot down reigning champion Jordan Spieth – needless to say, a man without child – to claim a green jacket that is the world’s most glorified and gaudy in equal measure.

You’d imagine it would be exactly the opposite because the rest of us mere mortals can’t even function at pre-parenthood levels because of the heady combination sleep deprivation, stress, crying, teething, whooping cough, croup and a thousand other intrusions on your previously unburdened life.

Quite simply, the arrival of the first-born turns your life on its head; for one thing, no more slipping out to the pub around ten – now it’s a babysitter and fifty quid which serves to focus the mind on value for money.

It goes without saying that you wouldn’t change it for the world of course, but there’s no point in suggesting that we’re up for new world records or winning green jackets on the back of two hours’ kip.

But a man called Keith Elliott, once an economics lecturer but now owner of Elliott’s Premier Sports Betting, has spent more time that you’d have thought reasonable on this conundrum to discover that men’s income rose more sharply after the birth of a son than a daughter.

Formerly BBC Merseyside’s Racing Correspondent of 18 years standing, Keith’s business now is signing up members of the public to his tipping service and he has members in Dubai, Germany, South Africa, Argentina and Singapore, as well as throughout the UK and Ireland.

And his calculations take in everything from current form to past history – but they also reference this ‘nappy factor’.

A simpler explanation comes from Jamie Barker, an associate professor of applied performance psychology at Staffordshire University, who felt that having a child could be beneficial in sports such as golf where mental fortitude is as important as physical ability.

And in ordinary language, it might just be that fatherhood gives you a sense of perspective, a new calm and a modicum of sense.

Willett wasn’t the first to discover the link between son and success – apparently Phil Mickelson, Zach Johnson and Trevor Immelman all made breakthrough wins in the Masters at Augusta after becoming the father of a son.

But what’s the impact of adoption, or having a daughter? To find out see this week’s digital edition here or download our App