The scores never tell the full story of a player's round. Case in point: Look at Tyler Dunlap's scores of 79-73-76 at the HP Boys Championship at Carlton Woods and you would never guess that he separated his shoulder five times during play. It first happened during the opening round, but he was able to pop it back into place by pushing it against his knee. With immense pain, he soldiered on and completed the round.
The next day, thanks to the help of some Advil, the Westlake, Texas, resident played once again....and once again, his shoulder popped out of socket during the round. Little did it matter, as Dunlap put it back in place and fired a 1-over-par 73 on a windy day where few players broke par.
Monday's final round brought three more shoulder separations and a great deal more pain. But Dunlap refused to quit and posted an impressive 76, placing him in a tie for 21st place among one of junior golf's strongest fields.
Dunlap's shoulder problems stem from a high school basketball practice last October. While leaping for a dunk, he was pushed from behind and came down hard on the shoulder. After some rehab, he was doing much better and his golf game was in good form.
With a strong AJGA showing to start 2011, it's back to rehab on the shoulder, which needs to heal fast, since the start of track and field is just days away. Dunlap competes in various events, including the long jump and triple jump. But golf and academics are first in priority, as he prepares to attend Texas A&M on an academic scholarship and play golf for the Aggies in the fall.
Advil?? For five separated shoulders. That's amazing.
Posted by: OVER THE TOP GOLF | 03/07/2011 at 07:21 AM