HEAL OF FORTUNE
Pain-free Lawrie on comeback trail
PAUL LAWRIE is pain free and thirsting for action after surgery on the foot injury that at one stage threatened his career. The former Open champion had to take up to four painkillers a round for several years just to make it through 18 holes before going under the surgeon’s knife in September. And he’ll dip his toe back in the water at this week’s Oman Open followed by the Qatar Masters after a 10-month lay-off from tournament golf. But the eight-time European Tour winner is optimistic he is capable of carving out a fresh career on the senior circuit after turning 50 on New Year’s Day. On the eve of his Tour comeback, Lawrie said: “I haven’t needed a painkiller since I had the surgery. “I played in an Alliance event at Montrose the other week and loved it. “My foot felt strong and I’ve been doing exercises on it, standing on one leg trying to build it up. “My calf muscle had almost disappeared so I’m trying to get things up to speed and hopefully I can crack on. I’ve only played two full 18-hole rounds since I had surgery.
“But Oman and Qatar, with it being warmer, will give me the perfect chance to see where I’m at.
“The signs are really good. The foot has been brilliant although my back hasn’t been 100 per cent. But you’d expect that after such a long lay-off.
“Once I get playing I think both the foot and my back will be hunky-dory.
“It was quite a big operation and the scar is the length of my foot. I had a ruptured tendon and a torn ligament with some bone spurs and the surgery was bigger than I thought it was going to be.”
Lawrie admitted when he stopped playing in April he was resigned to his career possibly being over.
He added: “I had thoughts I was all done.
“I played at a Par-3 event in June and every shot I hit I fatted as my foot was collapsing.
“I was thinking, ‘Well, this might be me done.’ But sports physio Stuart Barton and surgeon Gordon McKay have done a phenomenal job.
“Oman and Qatar are probably above me at the moment. I want to do as well as I can. But I’m not thinking I can win.
“It’s about getting some competitiveness back and seeing where I’m at before the seniors.”
RORY McILROY and Tiger Woods are among the star names giving this week’s £5million Honda Classic in Florida a miss.
Schedule changes have made it harder for players to pick events.
Ian Poulter and Tommy Fleetwood, who played 12 months ago, are also absent this year.