Golf and Surfing Don’t Mix

Australian professional Adam Scott is sidelined for this weekend’s Australian PGA Championship after suffering a surfing injury.

“He was coming out of the surf on Sunday morning and he’s obviously stood in a sand depression,” Scott’s manager Justin Cohen told reporters on Tuesday.

“He went for a body surf and was making his way through the shallow water and twisted his knee a little bit.”

He’s expected to make a full recovery, but I can’t help but be reminded of two other freak injuries that effectively sidelined two of golf’s major players.

In 2000, David Duval suffered a shoulder injury in a skiing accident. Double D’s fall from grace since then has been well documented. He’s had other issues, but his fall from grace seemed to start with that incident. Observers have noted that in his recovery, he favored the shoulder and developed what was effectively a reverse pivot.

Similarly, in 2005, Ernie Els suffered a knee injury in a boating accident. While Els has been able to return to respectable professional play, he is no where near the form that was winning him majors.

Scott’s injury thankfully doesn’t seem to be as serious as either of those. But it’s a reminder of the role that injuries play in sports—even in golf, and even when the injuries are off the playing field. (Hey, think about Plaxico Burress has managed to screw things up by shooting himself in the leg). Who knows, without the injury, David Duval may have been the Watson or Trevino to Woods’ Nicklaus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He’s expeted