I’m glued to the Masters this weekend, and if you’re a golfer, or live in Georgia, you are, too. Did you know that several of these professional golfers, all of them great athletes, are competing in the face of significant medical problems?

Rory McIlroy, last year’s green jacket winner, is leading the field by one stroke as I type this. Fifteen years ago, he became ill with a severe viral infection while in China. It affected his heart, causing myocarditis, heart inflammation. This led to some scarring and thickening of the left ventricle, the main pumping chamber of the heart. The problem with this is that it now puts him at risk for arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) which can be dangerous. He has said in interviews that he is careful to stay physically fit and well-hydrated. He monitors his heart rate variability with WHOOP, a watch-like performance-monitoring device that can display EKG readings and warn of arrhythmias. McIlroy also gets periodic EKGs and MRI scans to follow his cardiac status. Other downstream problems from myocarditis can include decreased pumping ability of the heart, palpitations, fatigue, and chest pain. McIlroy has done quite well in the fifteen years since his infection, with none of these symptoms. Go Rory!!

Gary Woodland, 2019 US Open Champion, developed debilitating anxiety and panic attacks in 2023. He felt sure he was dying. For several months, doctors thought he was dealing with an anxiety disorder. He then developed partial seizures, during which his hand trembled and his heart rate skyrocketed. Diagnostic studies showed he had a benign tumor deep in the frontal lobe of his brain, pressing on the amygdala, the part of the brain that controls fear responses. Neurosurgeons were able to remove most of the tumor and he returned to golf an amazing 115 days later. He has been quite open about his struggle with PTSD from his tumor and surgery, and the lingering persistent fear he lives with. He works hard to control his terror that someone is trying to kill him, but is still easily startled by noises or sudden movements. During this year’s Masters, he has had a security detail in sight at all times, and finds this helps significantly. During a recent interview, he said, “Today was a good day. But I’ve got a big fight ahead of me, and I’m going to keep going. But I’m proud of myself right now.” He’s currently 49^th . I’m quite impressed with how hard he is working to come back in the face of his problems!

Jason Day, best known for his dramatic sartorial choices, like this year’s Birds of Georgia vest, has struggled with recurrent vertigo for over 10 years. BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo) is an inner ear problem that makes you feel like you’re spinning or moving when you are not. It’s caused by abnormal movement of tiny crystals (otoconia) in the inner ear, which then affect the semi-circular canals, organs that sense rotation of the head. So, people with this disorder can feel like the world is spinning, can be unsteady walking, and can become nauseated. Usually, someone with BPPV can be taught specific head movements to get the errant crystals to float back to where they belong. However, it is not uncommon for the vertigo to recur. Day famously collapsed at the 2015 US Open but was able to return to play the following day. He had a recurrence at the 2023 Masters. He has noticed his vertigo is worse when he is under severe stress. So far this year, he seems to be doing well, and is tied for fifth place.

There are other great golfers, not at Augusta this week, who have had a career plagued with health issues.

Tiger Woods, five times Masters winner, is absent from the Masters for only the 6^th time since his 1995 debut. He has a fraught medical history. He entered rehab in Mississippi for misuse of Vicodin and Ambien in 2010. He missed the Masters in 2014 after a microdiscectomy to take care of a pinched nerve and herniated disc in his lower back. He had back surgery again in 2015, which caused him to miss the 2016 and 2017 Masters. In 2017 he entered treatment for dependence on painkillers after he was found asleep at the wheel of his stopped car. In 2021, he sustained compound fractures of his right leg and ankle in a car crash. That injury was severe enough amputation was considered. He had emergency surgery to place a rod and stabilize the fractures. This was followed by more surgery to stabilize the leg and ankle, a fasciotomy to relieve swelling and pressure and finally in 2023, a fusion of some ankle bones to treat painful post-traumatic arthritis. He has now had a total of 7 back surgeries as well as surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon. He has said in interviews that he deals with constant pain and finds recovery much slower now that he is not a young man (I certainly understand that!). After his recent arrest last month for driving under the influence, when prescription narcotics were found in his pocket, he flew to Switzerland and entered rehab. There are so many celebrities and famous athletes with similar struggles. They live in high-stress environments, may have enabling staff, have enough money to easily get what they want, and unfortunately, may encounter unscrupulous doctors who will “help” them for the right price (I’m thinking Michael Jackson….). Tiger Woods, an aging athlete with a long history of surgeries and injuries, has struggled with drug use for many years. I wish him well and hope his rehab time in Switzerland is just what he needs.

Phil Mickelson, who won the green jacket in 2004, 2006 and 2010, is another obvious absence from this year’s Masters. He was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis in 2010. He initially thought his severe hand and foot pains were training injuries. However, diagnostic studies at the Mayo Clinic revealed an autoimmune condition, psoriatic arthritis. He started taking a biologic medication called Enbrel, a tumor necrosis factor blocker which helps manage inflammation. Mickelson became a very vocal advocate, working to raise awareness about psoriatic and other types of arthritis. You have probably seen the TV ads. He was able to return to golf, and as you know, has had a lengthy career, most recently winning the 2021 PGA Championship. Enbrel and other biologics cannot cure arthritis, but sometimes they can induce remission. Mickelson has been off Enbrel for several years, managing his arthritis with a healthy diet, intermittent fasting, coffee, and multiple supplements. In fact, he and his trainer started a company to sell “antioxidant coffee” as well as a mixture containing his favorite supplements. This is not endorsed by the Arthritis Foundation but somehow seems to be working for Mickelson. I wish him the best.

So, as we watch the final Sunday round of this year’s Masters, join me in being impressed by the stellar athletes who continue to compete in spite of their medical issues. Let’s also be thankful for their medical teams who help them get out on the course every day, and the researchers who develop their treatments. And let’s not forget being thankful for the pimento cheese (IYKYK)!