JB Holmes makes surprise return to the PGA Tour, set to participate in Farmers Insurance Open - Golf News
American professional golfer, J.B. Holmes is ready to make a comeback on the PGA Tour, with an appearance at the Farmers Insurance Open, at Torrey Pines Golf Club, after the brain surgery he had last year.
While returning back on the PGA Tour, he pleasantly said that he has completely recovered from Chiari malformation that he suffered last year and is fit to play golf once again.
“It feels like it's been forever, but I'm just happy to be back," Holmes said. "I have been working pretty hard the last few weeks and I am ready to get back out here, get back into the competitive tournament and just see how it goes”.
"It was a long process last year, but I guess compared to a lot of people that have had that, I caught it fairly quick," he added.
The two-time PGA Tour winner missed most of his 2011 season after he underwent surgery in August, 2011.
The vertigo-like symptoms started to show up while he was playing in the Players Championship, in May.
He continued to play professional golf until he was diagnosed with Chiari malformation. He was participating in the Barclays Classic at the time.
Prior to surgery, he was leading the PGA Tour in driving distance with an average of 318.4 yards.
However, when he started practicing on the golf course again, he found that he could not even hit half of what he used to in the past. He is now able to reach about 240 yards with continuous practice.
The major reason behind his declining yards distance is the decrease in his swing speed. He said that he recently noticed his swing speed decreased from last year’s 125 mph to around 107 mph, which he thinks will get better with the passage of time.
“It is coming back. I've just got to get out here and play a little bit, and it will get back to normal,” he stated.
The Farmers Insurance Open will be a test for him to prove his fitness and at least make the cut in the tournament to cheer his fans. It is expected that after playing a few events on the tour, he will get back on track.
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