Michigan Golf Journal January 2019

Legally Blind PGA Pro Perseveres ŽůĚǁĂƚĞƌ͕ DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ͘ tŚŝůĞ ŚĞ ǁĂƐ ĂŶ ŽǁŶĞƌ ŝƐ ǁŚĞŶ the botched surgery took ƉůĂĐĞ͘ ,Ğ ĞǀĞŶƚƵĂůůLJ ƐŽůĚ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽƉĞƌƚLJ ĂŶĚ ǁĂƐ ŝŶǀŝƚĞĚ ďĂĐŬ ƚŽ tŚŝƚĞĨŽƌĚ sĂůůĞLJ͕ ŝŶ KƩĂǁĂ >ĂŬĞ͘ ůĂŵ ƐĂŝĚ ŚĞ ŝƐ ŶŽƚ ďŝƩĞƌ ĂďŽƵƚ ďĞĐŽŵŝŶŐ ďůŝŶĚ͘ ͞dŚĞ ǁĂLJ / ůŽŽŬĞĚ Ăƚ ŝƚ͕ / ŵĞĂŶ ŝƚ ǁĂƐ ƐƵĐŚ Ă ƐƵƌƉƌŝƐĞ͕ such a shock that I don’t ƌĞĂůůLJ ƚŚŝŶŬ / ŚĂĚ ƟŵĞ ;ƚŽ ĨĞĞů ďŝƩĞƌͿ͕͟ ŚĞ ƐĂŝĚ ƌĞĐĞŶƚůLJ͘ ͞/Ĩ / ůŽŽŬĞĚ ďĂĐŬ Ăƚ ŝƚ͕ /͛ŵ ƐƵƌĞ ƚŚĞƌĞ ǁĞƌĞ ƐŽŵĞ ĚĂLJƐ / ŚĂĚ ƚŚĂƚ ĂŶŐĞƌ͕ ďƵƚ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ƉĂƌƚ ŝƚ ǁĂƐ ŵŽƌĞ ůŝŬĞ ƐŚŽĐŬ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞŶ ĂƐŬŝŶŐ ŵLJƐĞůĨ ͚ǁŚĂƚ Ăŵ / ŐŽŝŶŐ ƚŽ ĚŽ͍͛ ^Ž͕ ƚŚĞƌĞ ǁĂƐŶ͛ƚ ŵƵĐŚ ƟŵĞ ƚŽ ƚŚŝŶŬ ͚ǁŽĞ ŝƐ ŵĞ͛͘ “I think the passion I have for the game and passion ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ W' ͕ ĂŶĚ ĨŽƌ ŵLJ ũŽď ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ƉĂƐƐŝŽŶ ĨŽƌ ĨĂŵŝůLJ͕ / think that all helped get me ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ͘͟ ůĂŵ͕ ǁŚŽ ǁĂƐ ƚŽůĚ ƚŽ get out of golf by a career ĐŽƵŶƐĞůŽƌ͕ ƐĂLJƐ ŚĞ ĚŽĞƐ everything a director of golf ĚŽĞƐ͗ ůĞĂĚŝŶŐ Ă ƐƚĂī͕ ƌƵŶŶŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ĂĚŵŝŶŝƐƚƌĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ͕ ŐŝǀŝŶŐ ŐŽůĨ ůĞƐƐŽŶƐ͕ ƌĞĐƌƵŝƟŶŐ ĂŶĚ ŽƌŐĂŶŝnjŝŶŐ ĐŚĂƌŝƚLJ ĂŶĚ ĐŽƌƉŽƌĂƚĞ ŽƵƟŶŐƐ͕ ŵŽǁŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĞŶƐ ĂŶĚ ĨĂŝƌǁĂLJƐ͕ ƚƌŝŵŵŝŶŐ ďƵŶŬĞƌƐ ʹ ƉƌĞƩLJ ŵƵĐŚ ĞǀĞƌLJƚŚŝŶŐ ďƵƚ ĚƌŝǀĞ Ă ĐĂƌ ŽŶ ƉƵďůŝĐ ƌŽĂĚƐ͘ ͞; ǀĞŶͿ ǁŝƚŚ ůŝŵŝƚĞĚ ĞLJĞƐŝŐŚƚ ƚŚĞƌĞ ŝƐ ŶŽƚŚŝŶŐ / ĐĂŶŶŽƚ ĚŽ͕͟ ŚĞ ƐĂŝĚ͘ ͞/ƚ ŵĂLJ ƚĂŬĞ ŵĞ Ă ůŝƩůĞ ůŽŶŐĞƌ ǁŝƚŚ ŵŽƌĞ ĞīŽƌƚ͕ ďƵƚ / ĐĂŶ ŚĂŶĚůĞ ĂŶLJ ũŽď Žƌ ƐŝƚƵĂƟŽŶ ƚŚĂƚ ŝƐ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĞĚ ƚŽ ŵĞ͘ /Ŷ ĨĂĐƚ͕ ŵŽƐƚ ǁŚŽ ŵĞĞƚ ŵĞ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ƟŵĞ ĚŽ ŶŽƚ Lisa and Monte Elam