Michael Hendry had simply certified for this third Open Championship final April after a second-place end on the World City Championship in Hong Kong. But he began to really feel fatigued – getting away from bed was a wrestle, and he slept for practically 12 hours a day.
Hendry, 44, went to the docs pondering he had the flu. After a couple of assessments, he was recognized with leukemia.
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The golf professional from New Zealand wrote to the R&A to withdraw from the match whereas he underwent remedy, however they informed him they might maintain him a spot as a medical exemption if he have been wholesome sufficient to play.
Just over a 12 months later, Hendry took the primary tee field at Royal Troon.
“It was unimaginable. Words cannot actually describe how grateful I’m, not solely to the R&A, however to the entire docs and nurses who’ve helped me during the last 12 months,” Hendry mentioned. “It was extraordinarily particular. This is one factor that basically received me via my restoration. To lastly be right here and teeing it up was extraordinarily particular.”
After being admitted to the hospital, Hendry misplaced about 30 kilos as a result of chemotherapy remedy he obtained over the course of six and half weeks.
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Michael Hendry performs a shot on the sixth gap on day one of many 152nd Open Championship. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The alternative to play within the Open was a shining mild on the finish of the tunnel.
“That gave him one thing to sit up for when he was sick,” Tara Hendry mentioned after her husband completed his spherical on Thursday.
Hendry began off slowly, going 3-over in his first 5 holes.
“It was a combination of an excessive amount of reminiscing, too many ideas about, ‘Jeez, I’m truly right here, I’m truly doing this.’ Once I received via that, I managed to type of simply get myself again into match mode and performed fairly nicely.”
Hendry would cool down and finish the day with a 3-over 74. Hendry’s two daughters have been in attendance to observe their dad play.
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New Zealand’s Michael Hendry throughout day one of many Open at Royal Troon. (Zac Goodwin/PA Images by way of Getty Images)
“This may very nicely be my final British Open. So having a younger household, and my ladies are actually simply on the age the place they will form of perceive what Dad does, and to have them right here and experiencing the Open, which is the most important, the oldest, the very best golf match of the lot, it provides them a very cool perspective as to what Dad does.”
Hendry certified for the Open in 2017 and 2018, lacking the reduce each occasions.
Hendry, now in remission, is trying to make his first reduce at a serious championship on Friday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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