Championship Stories

Golf is the Best Medicine

 Nina Detrow from San Diego recently competed in the PGA’s National Club Championship event in Palm Springs. This Championship meant a lot to Nina because golf meant the world to her as an escape and there was a time in April 2020 when Nina thought she would never golf again. Nina suffered and recovered from a severe case of COVID-19 in 2020 as reported by San Diego Kusi television station where she discussed the severity of the virus and her time in the hospital while being on a ventilator for 6 nights. 

 

Nina’s road to the championship was full of thanks for being healthy and thankful to be outside, enjoying this great game. Nina qualified for the championship by winning the Senior Women’s Club Championship at Fairbanks Ranch Country Club which was hosted by PGA Professional Mike Mendez in the Southern California PGA Section. Winning at the local level was difficult and came down to the last hole where Nina beat out one of her closest friends in a tough battle to the end.

 

 

 

Nina’s championship run at Fairbanks started by working with PGA Apprentice Graham Sellers who worked with Nina to really get her strength back. Graham helped her focus on small repetitive drills and half swings until Nina was back to full strength after the virus took a toll on her body.  “Working with Graham and having a PGA Coach was really helpful to my game,” said Nina. Find a PGA Coach near you

 

Nina placed T44 in PGA’s National Club Championship event and hopes she may be able to win her local club championship again to compete in the National Championship in future years. She said, “This tournament was awesome! I had 3 bad holes which really hurt me, but being able to play on a national stage, meet women who are now friends from all around the country was a special memory. I have an extra incentive now to win my local club championship again and hope to get invited back to the National Championship down the road.” Nina is lucky to have recovered from a severe case of the COVID-19 virus and hopes others do not have to experience the same struggles she did on her road to recovery. Getting a bad bounce happens in life, just like on the course, but hopefully we can all be inspired by Nina’s story and bounce back to become a champion.