These Pros Beat All Odds To Compete @ The Open
From life-threatening diseases to financial instabilities, nothing could stop these individuals from pursuing their passion for golf. This week, they’ll be competing in The Open Championship at Royal Troon alongside the best in the world.
🏌️Michael Hendry: A year ago this week, Michael Hendry watched The Open from his couch. He had qualified to compete at Royal Liverpool but was fighting for his life, having been diagnosed with leukemia 10 weeks prior.
This year, Hendry is healthy and will compete this week at Royal Troon, as The R&A extended his exemption to this year.
🏌️Joe Dean: Earlier this year, Joe Dean was working as a delivery driver for Morrisons, a British supermarket chain. This week he’ll compete at the Troon after making it via The Open Qualifying Series with a tie for second at the KLM Open.
Early in his career, he was nervous to get on planes – not an ideal fear for a professional golfer. Then he won the 2020 standings on a developmental tour; the prizes included complimentary hypnotherapy sessions.
🏌️Matthew Southgate: Two years ago, Matthew Southgate worked as a radio commentator for The 150th Open at St. Andrews. It has been a long road for Southgate – who emotionally finished T12 at the 2016 Open Championship at Royal Troon, a year after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
Southgate beat cancer though. His golf journey in recent years has been lighter on highlights, but the tides could be turning, as he qualified to compete at Royal Troon.
🏌️Dominic Clemons: Clemons is one of 12 amateurs in this week’s field. It’s no shock to see an amateur pop up on The Open leaderboard though – as recently as last year at Royal Liverpool, amateur Christo Lamprecht shared the first-round lead.
It remains to be seen if Clemons author a similar tale.
🏌️Elvis Smylie: Smylie’s athletic pedigree befits a major stage. His mom Liz won four Grand Slam tennis titles – three in mixed doubles and one in women’s doubles – and now the younger Smylie takes aim at a major title of his own.
He played tennis as a kid, following in his parents’ footsteps but he took to golf’s individual nature and the ability to practice anytime.
Can he make it big? Only time will tell.
