TOUR players battle adversity, stand up for change, awareness

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The community rallied around Amy Mickelson after she was diagnosed with breast cancer, hosting Pink Outs at tournaments.

If there's one thing you should know about the folks whose names appear in boldface type, it's that they're really just like the rest of us.

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They may have compounds instead of houses. They may wear couture when we settle for off-the-rack or Target. They may fly private when we pray for a better fare, let alone those dwindling upgrades to business class. They may -- like a certain Dallas Cowboy rookie -- be able to pick up a $55,000 dinner tab or afford a third or fourth home.

But you know what? They all have issues. Just like the rest of us.

They hurt. They bleed. They're frightened beyond belief when a wife or husband is diagnosed with cancer or a child displays signs of autism. They change bandages and drains after surgeries. They fight depression and addiction -- their own and in their families.

And they do it with the world watching. Even if no one else has a clue.

Curtis and Sarah Strange did that for the better part of 20 years. She battled breast cancer twice, the second time undergoing a double mastectomy. Curtis was there changing dressings and drains and bedpans. He sat through her list of questions for the doctors, then, when she went for tests, he pulled out his list. He wanted to be prepared.

Curtis is one of the toughest men ever to play the game. He was so tough during a two-year stretch he simply wore everyone else down. And in the middle of worrying about Sarah's first recovery, he won a second consecutive U.S. Open.

Fifteen years later, they dealt with her second surgery and the recovery. Today, they help others.

"People put us on a pedestal,'' Strange said as he talked about the battle last week. "We all have issues. We have problems, we have medical issues. We can talk about it. It's all about awareness.''

And getting someone to listen, rather than simply standing in awe.

The Stranges talked about their battle with breast cancer last week at the Administaff Small Business Classic.

Arnold Palmer, who can't step onto a course without being surrounded, uses his popularity to talk about prostate awareness and supports his Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies in Orlando. Jack Nicklaus zipped in and out of Houston to participate in a fundraiser for M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and both he and wife Barbara head the Nicklaus Childrens Health Care Foundation.

And that's only part of what all three of those men do. Always in their own way. And always from the heart.

Look around. It's not just athletes. Just this month, actors like Patrick Dempsey and Maura Tierney and singer Sheryl Crow are speaking out for breast cancer awareness. NFL teams are breaking out pink gloves and pink shoe laces.

People might not listen to their friends and neighbors, but they just might pay attention to a little star power and their powerful stories.

Take Ernie and Liezl Els whose son Ben is autistic. They're leading a $30 million capital campaign to raise money for their Center for Excellence which will be the first comprehensive center for cutting-edge education, therapy and research for children in the autism spectrum.

Tom Watson's passion for ALS research continues to pay tribute to his longtime caddie Bruce Edwards, who passed away from the disease in 2004. He knew very little when Edwards was diagnosed. A week later, he was an expert -- on the disease and advocacy.

Phil and Amy Mickelson are still in their first 17 months of dealing with breast cancer, yet Pink Outs for Amy have drawn awareness to the disease. We knew about Amy's diagnosis immediately. Some just found out about Sarah's two-decade battle last week.

"You're frightened because you don't know much of anything,'' Strange said of the moments after Sarah's original diagnosis.

Isn't everyone? Battles like these cut across all lines. We think about the big paychecks, the sponsorships, the fame, yet none of those matter when you get the call. You're just like everyone else.

You go through surgery or treatments -- or watch a loved one do that. You educate yourself. You try to make things as normal as possible. You go to work, knowing it will creep into your day -- when you're on a deadline, when a player stands over a putt.

You live your life. You laugh. You cry. You look for a way to make that difference.

When you watch talented players stroll down the fairway on their way to win or a big check, it's easy to forget they're dealing with "stuff" just like the rest of us.

Mark O'Meara played the British Open and Senior British Open knowing his father could pass away anytime. He did. Tiger Woods crisscrossed the country to see his terminally-ill father during THE PLAYERS. Bubba Watson played the Ryder Cup knowing his dad had, at best, three months to live. Shaun Micheel planned to take several weeks off after the Frys.com Open to be with his dying mother; she passed away the following Thursday.

Strange, Mickelson and so many others play through while their wives battle breast cancer. They don't talk about it at the time because it's just too raw. Too personal.

A distraction? Always. Isn't it when you're sitting at your desk?

But like us -- I lost my mother to lung cancer, my dad to heart disease and have a nephew with Asperger's Syndrome -- we play through. We educate ourselves and try to educate others.

We work because it's what we do. The same applies to golfers.

And when they're ready, they give back. They know a word from them, an appearance, a reminder that a positive attitude is everything, just their names can bring awareness. And just maybe, eventually a cure.

A year ago, Sarah got her five-year, all-clear from doctors. Every time she told someone, she also reminded them to make their annual appointment.

Like Curtis said, almost everything is treatable. So if a few words from them can help urge women to have a mammogram, men to have their PSA levels checked or help parents understand autism, it's just what anyone would do.

A few years ago, breast cancer survivor Judy Rankin was honored at the Golf Writers Association of America's annual dinner for her battle with -- and against -- the insidious disease. At the end of her speech, she told the women to make sure to get their mammograms, because mammograms save lives. She told the men there to make sure the women they love get mammograms.

The message hit home. The following week a friend flew home and asked his wife when she'd had her last mammogram. It had been five years. When she got checked, doctors found cancer. They caught it early and she's doing well.

Just a few words. What a profound impact.

So ask the questions. Make the appointments.

You'll be glad you did.