TOUR players often battle injuries but still tee it up

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Sergio Garcia's injured hand affected his golf grip at the Verizon Heritage.

During football season, every team in the NFL is required to issue an injury report. It's published every week, from every cracked clavicle to every abused ACL.

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Golf is a little different in that regard. There is no injury list, because golf is an individual sport and it's up to the individual to determine the extent of their fitness. Because there isn't a teammate relying on them, each member of the PGA TOUR must decide for themselves whether they're capable of getting to the first tee. And because there's this strange rule in professional golf that requires participation in order to earn a paycheck, most of these guys will refuse to admit they've been whipped by an injury.

Because most PGA TOUR members are also high achievers, you'll see them push themselves to the limit before stepping aside. That's why Tiger Woods went so long before having surgery on his knee; he wasn't going to let a little needed knee surgery prevent him from trying to win the U.S. Open. That's why guys show up for their Thursday tee time and try to play, even though they're sick with a 104 degree fever. They're not content to let a little bacteria or a misaligned back slow them down. Ben Hogan didn't let a near-fatal car wreck stop him. Ken Green is refusing to let a wreck that required amputation of a leg to stop him.

Sometimes, however, it's necessary to step away and rehabilitate. But a PGA TOUR player is like a NASCAR driver who needs to make a pit stop for gas and fresh tires; he doesn't want to be sidelined a second longer than he has to be.

At last week's Verizon Heritage, Ryuji Imada returned after taking time off with broken ribs. The former University of Georgia star didn't know what caused the injury, but they had been hurting for a couple months. He finally went to the doctor and was told the only solution was rest.

Imada's left ribs had been hurting for weeks, but he continued to play. Why? Primarily because he was playing well at the time and didn't want to step away. He tied for 15th at Riviera and tied for 14th in Phoenix before putting down the clubs. He went two weeks without playing, spending time at his home in Tampa. He tried to come back at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and tied for seventh, but he was still hurting and didn't play in Houston, even though a win would have enabled him to return to the Masters.

Imada came back at Hilton Head, feeling strong again -- and missed the cut. He's back in the field for this week's Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Sergio Garcia was adjusting his grip last week at Harbour Town because of an injured hand. It wasn't enough to help; he missed the cut, too.

This week, 2002 PGA champion Rich Beem announced he would miss time because of back surgery. The Beemer has been feeling numbness in his back since last year. But he kept on playing. He had shoulder pain related to the disc problem at the Honda Classic. Finally he had the doctor take a look and needed surgery. It'll take at least three weeks before he can swing the short clubs, then another three weeks before he can hit driver. He'll be back as soon as he can.

Luke Donald is finally recovered from the left wrist injury he suffered during the final round of the 2008 U.S. Open when trying to hack the ball out of the tall grass. (An aside: No one was ever injured using a foot wedge under similar circumstances.) Donald required surgery and was afraid he had hurt himself again at the 2009 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.

The horrific football-type injuries are rare on the PGA TOUR, but there are probably more guys out there playing in some sort of pain than spectators imagine. (That's why Aleve is an official sponsor on the PGA TOUR.) But most of them are too busy to let a little injury put them on the sideline. Many players visit the physiotherapy and fitness trailers that travel with the PGA TOUR each week, hoping to heal and get stronger. And usually, when asked if there's something wrong, most of them will shuck it off and deny it.

Sort of like the Black Knight in the Monte Python movie, who had four limbs severed in a battle and wasn't ready to quit. See, these guys on the PGA TOUR are good. They're also pretty tough.

Stan Awtrey is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily reflect the views of the PGA TOUR.