Jeff Overton’s official world golf ranking profile has been inactive for a very long time, and incorporates a evident error:
International quantity -2147483648
Clearly, Overton shouldn’t be in a detrimental rank. It’s really unclassified. The 39-year-old former Ryder Cooper hasn’t made a world-class begin since February 2017 when he missed the Honda Basic. After that begin, he underwent again surgical procedure, which led to the scariest second of his profession, a spinal an infection that threatened not solely his life however his future in golf.
Over 5 years later, Overton beat the percentages and returned to the PGA Tour. He’ll be again on the 3M Open this week on sponsor launch.
“It is very emotional. It has been a really troublesome journey for the previous 5 and a half years,” Overton advised golf channel reporter Kyra Ok. Dixon on Wednesday of TPC Twin Cities.
A gifted newbie from Evansville, Indiana, who performed on the 2005 U.S. Walker Cup staff, Overton made historical past in 2010 when he joined Ricky Fowler as the primary American gamers to type a Ryder Cup staff with out ever having a PGA Tour win (“Growth, darling!” ). That season, Overton achieved 5 prime three positions, together with three bids for second place, and cracked for the primary time within the prime 50 within the rankings.
However Overton nonetheless has to crack the elusive first-round title. Coping with a sick again, Overton misplaced his power after the 2016 season. The next spring, he opted for surgical procedure to restore a herniated disc, a minimally invasive process that led to a life-threatening spinal an infection and emergency surgical procedure.
“After a month within the hospital and acute rehab heart, many nights of intense ache and uncertainty, two months of intravenous antibiotics and residential healthcare, we’re lastly seeing a light-weight on the finish of the tunnel,” Overton’s spouse, Christina, wrote after the horrific ordeal in Might 2017.
“It went in my vertebrae and it made a whole mess,” Overton added.
Overton mentioned he hadn’t touched a golf putter in additional than two years after he was discharged from hospital, and solely began swinging his driver about six months in the past. From there, he slowly constructed up his recreation reserve and stamina.
“About six, eight weeks in the past I used to be in a position to stroll 72 holes in Valhalla and I assumed after I bought actually near stage for 4 days on an excellent golf course, I used to be like, ‘You realize what, I believe I will go’,” mentioned Overton, who performed Monday’s qualifying recreation. For a John Deere Basic just a few weeks in the past, “to try to play some golf this 12 months.”
Overton Makes PGA Again From Backbone Surgical procedure
World-ranked Overton’s return was supposed to come back on the Korn Ferry Tour’s Value Cutter Charity, which can be being contested this week in Springfield, Missouri. However these plans modified final Sunday as Overton and his household – he has two younger daughters – have been about to board a flight from Florida to Missouri.
His mobile phone rang, and on the opposite line was Hollis Kavner, 3M Match Director, who wished Overton to increase the exemption. Kavner had heard Overton was working laborious on his recreation and noticed why not giving a veteran with over 30 prime 10 gamers all over the world and over 200 cuts the chance to check himself once more on the highest stage.
“I’m comfortable to assist a person,” Kavner mentioned Star Tribune. “We at all times prefer to exit to the fellows and assist them. For a man who was good on tour and bought an damage, it might be nice to see him come again. It would not be lightning in a bottle as a result of he hasn’t had a scorecard and a pencil in his hand in a very long time, however I hope he can begin Enjoying nicely once more.”
Upon listening to the information, Overton pulled his baggage off the carousel, rebooked his flight, and arrived in Minneapolis at 2 a.m. Monday.
Now, he is prepared for the long-awaited return of the PGA Tour.
“It is laborious to explain precisely while you’ve been in a lot ache and at any time when you have not actually been in a position to do what you’re feeling such as you wish to do, however you recognize, I am again right here doing what I wish to do,” Overton mentioned.