PGA Tour pro returns to Phoenix Open after 3-year layoff thanks to complicated injuries

Roughly six years ago, PGA Tour pro Bud Corey was seriously injured in a car accident in Dublin, Ohio, home of Muirfield Village Golf Club.

He immediately underwent surgery to repair six ribs, a broken leg and a collapsed lung, all of which he sustained just hours after a missed cut at the 2018 Memorial Tournament.

Corey missed four months and returned to action that fall at the Safeway Open. He would continue to play for a few more years, but in the fall of 2020 he started experiencing pain in his side.

The discomfort stemmed from an accident in June 2018.

“I went to see some doctors. They thought maybe it was one of the plates that was in my chest. So I went to have the plate removed. [in April 2021]And we couldn’t get them out because the bone was growing on top of it,” Corey explained at the WM Phoenix Open on Tuesday.

“So they stitched me up and said, ‘I think it’s okay, they took some scar tissue and you’ll be fine.'” Then, 12 days later, my incision popped open. Just standing in the house, [my wife] “Your shirt’s a little wet,” says Christy. I take off my shirt. It’s just a hole in the side of my chest. ”

Corey immediately went to the emergency room, where another surgery was awaiting him.

Unfortunately for him, his incision did not heal well, resulting in the need for further surgery.

“It was total chaos,” Corey added. “He had a seroma and developed C-diff with all the antibiotics. Everything that could go wrong seemed to go wrong. So I set him back over three years.”

The former Alabama Crimson Tide star barely touched the club from April 2021 to September 2023 thanks to these complications. I could hit chips, putts, and pitch shots, but I couldn’t take a full swing.

“It’s hard to put into words how much you miss something when you grow up doing something every day,” Corey said.

“You play golf every day, and when it’s gone, you start thinking about how lucky we are to be able to play golf and even do what you enjoy. It will change the way you look at it.”

Fortunately for Corey, despite the long layoff, his beautiful golf swing didn’t change one bit. He hasn’t lost any speed either, which is impressive considering all the maneuvers.

“If he’s going to continue to get better and better, I really think he’s just been hit with injuries in the past and just not been able to get into a rhythm because he’s really good and talented,” Justin Thomas said. Ta. One of Corey’s best friends.

“But I’m excited to have him back. He’s one of my best friends in the world, so it’s really fun to be here.”

Like any professional golfer, Corey’s sole focus is striving to get better.

Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images

“The first thing was to get my body back in shape to play more, and now that I’m back here…I feel very ready,” Corey explained.

“I’ve had enough time to practice and prepare. I’m just going to go out there and really just compete, and I think that newness will wear off and I can just focus on golf. ”

Corey began the 2024 season in the Bahamas, competing in two events on the Korn Ferry Tour in an effort to return to the competitive realm.

He played reasonably well for a player who had been out of action for nearly four years, finishing tied for 21st and 35th place.

“You can practice and play at home, but until you go to a tournament and have to finish with a scorecard in your hand, it’s hard to recreate that at home,” Corey said of his experience in the Bahamas. talked about.

“It was a great warm-up for me. After a few days, I felt like I was getting into shape and getting back into a good rhythm. It was great.”

Corey returns to the PGA Tour this week, making his first start since the 2020 Safeway Open. He has played in the WM Phoenix Open five times, his best finish being a tie for 24th in 2013.

Everyone in Phoenix is ​​happy to see Corey this week, especially our friends who are staying near TPC Scottsdale.

But no matter what his score is, there’s probably no one in Arizona happier than Corey himself.

Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through.Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.