Africa Open: Richard Sterne ready to make a start after a long absence – Golf News
Richard Stеrnе, the European Tour veteran from South Africa, is gearing up for this week’s Africa Open to make a comeback after missing most of the 2011 season due to his back injury.
The five-time European Tour winner went out of the scene in February 2011, his recurring back injuries forced him to miss the rest of the season.
"I have three bulging discs in various places in my back and I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis", he said.
The debilitating injury typically takes several months to recover. The bulging discs he had in his back caused him severe problems, making it hard for him to move his body. Sometimes, he was unable to move even an inch.
Golf typically requires extensive workout and practice sessions but Sterne was not in a position to do either.
Now that he has spent enough time in doing gym exercises and taking medication, he feels ready to make a comeback to the sport.
Although he has recovered from his physical injuries, he faces yet another trouble, that is, he did not practise much in the recent months.
However, his track record on the home soil will give him an advantage to contend strongly against his competitors.
"My last competitive round was at the Telkom PGA Championship in February last year, so I don’t mind admitting that I’m a little nervous," Sterne said after completing his practice round on Wednesday.
He went on to say, "I’ve played five lots of nine holes in the last three weeks, but today was the first time I played 18 holes in nearly a year. It went surprisingly well, so I’m cautiously optimistic for the week ahead".
Sterne has a 10-year exemption to play on the Sunshine Tour due to his win in the South Africa Open. However, he will play on the European Tour this year on medical exemption. He hopes to get his full time European Tour card back soon.
His country mate, Thomas Aiken is also looking forward to converting his runner-up position in the 2010 South Africa Open into his second victory on the European Tour.
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