Suddenly, no golf takes new perspective

To all crocked sportspeople

We take so much for granted and sometimes it takes an event to put everything into perspective. For a long time, I battled with a dodgy right shoulder. What began as a periodic, nagging pain turned into constant agony and when it started affecting my golf swing (it is bad enough without an injury), I was forced to seek the opinion of a specialist.

It turned out I had a bone spur in the joint that was pressing on a tendon. Cortisone injections pro- vided temporary relief and enabled me to occasionally get out on the golf course, but the specialist told me I would eventually require corrective surgery.

I had the surgery earlier this week and it was discovered the damage to the tendon was worse than originally thought. The recovery period will be long and tough ... the physiotherapy brings tears to my eyes ... but I will get there; I will have the opportunity to again join my mates on the golf course and share their company at the 19th hole.

I didn’t realise how much I would miss playing golf. I am a hacker of note but those Saturday

Guy Hawthorne

morning games at Huddle Park with a few good mates were really enjoyable. It was as much about getting out in the fresh air as the company and I would always feel rejuvenated after a game (at least once I had recovered from the over indulgence on the 19th hole).

I know it will be a while, but it is the knowledge that I’ll be back that is comforting. I know that Joe, Paul, Jannie and I will once again have the privilege ... yes, privilege ... of enjoying 18 holes.

Similarly, my ward mate, Greg, who had surgery on his left shoulder, will in the future be able to again indulge in his passions ... mountain biking and motocross.

Like me and my golf, he was lamenting the fact that he will be out of action for a while and was particularly upset that he will have to withdraw from a mountain bike race he had entered.

After my surgery, I phoned my eldest daughter to update her on my progress. She relayed a story to me that put Greg and my trivial problems into perspective.

A mutual friend, she told me, was recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. It was in all her lymph glands, in her breasts and in her ovaries. She is in her early 40s and is one of those people it is nice being around.

She is a successful career woman with a son who is in his matric year. To be struck with this at this stage of her life is devastating. I know she will fight to overcome this dreaded disease and she will have many, many people rooting for her to do so.

Suddenly, the next round of golf or bike race is just not that important any more...