Knowledge is power. Sometimes, not knowing is just as good.
As news started to surface that another earthquake had hit Japan, Ryo Ishikawa continued with his day job, unaware of the next wave of the disaster that has hammered his homeland in the last month.
He was half a world away, blissfully distracted and shooting 1-under 71 on a cloudless day at Augusta National Golf Course. He could have been on another planet.
But don't think not knowing is not caring for Ishikawa. Far from it.
"Ohh," he said, surprised by reporters who informed him of Thursday's earthquake after Thursday's round. "I think it is very serious."
Fellow Japanese golfer Hiroyuki Fujita was equally unaware of the most recent earthquake, turning the tables during his post-round interview by asking reporters for information after his 2-under 70 Thursday.
"Surprised," Fujita said through an interpreter. "It would've been difficult if they have more devastation. ... Do you know any damage? Do you know any extent?"
The latest wave was not as severe as originally thought, he was told. By now the tsunami fears have been quieted, but the uneasiness there and the unknown that awaits a nation that has balanced mourning with moving forward is overwhelming.
Thursday's near-misses were ultimately good news for Japan, of course. But good news is not supposed to be measured on Richter scales or in degrees of disasters or by unfulfilled tsunami warnings.
"I'm worried we can't really relax," Ishikawa said with a directness that needed no translator. "I have some friends. I hope I can contact them."
Maybe golf can help. Maybe Ishikawa, the 19-year-old phenom who has a game that draws comparisons to a young Tiger Woods and a style that has a strong dash of Rickie Fowler's flair.
He's made a gracious and generous financial pledge - saying he'd give all of his 2011 golf winnings and 100,000 yen (roughly $1,200) per birdie - to disaster relief. If he matches last year's winnings, Ishikawa would donate roughly $2.2 million.
It's a noble gesture for a recovery that will be measured by years as much as yen. Maybe it's a small step, but it's a step nonetheless.
Another step could be made in the coming days here by Ishikawa or Fujita or Hideki Matasyama, the amateur who was at even par after Thursday. Let one of them make a charge at golf's grandest shrine, then maybe a brief sense of normalcy - even for a short weekend - could return to Japan at a time when it craves it most. Maybe a common rooting interest in a sports-crazed society could provide a much-needed distraction from the flashing nuclear warnings and blaring storm sirens.
"I think the best thing I can do is to play golf and play well," Ishikawa said. "I would love to go back to Japan, but I think I would like to play my best this week [for them]."
The inspirational power of sports can be unifying, and it's something that Ishikawa wants to share with his ravaged homeland and his grief-stricken countrymen.
"I understand people in Sendai especially, they are living in hell," Ishikawa said via an interpreter. "And I would love to show the energy and power that the sport of golf can bring to those people."