TROON, Scotland — Michael Hendry’s par putt on the ninth gap at Royal Troon wasn’t significantly particular. The hug from his 9-year-old daughter afterward was, although.
The 44-year-old New Zealander performed on the British Open on Thursday slightly over a yr after being identified with leukemia. It was probably the most rewarding 3-over 74 he is ever shot.
“It was unimaginable. Phrases 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. That is one factor that actually obtained me by my restoration. To lastly be right here and teeing it up was extraordinarily particular.”
Hendry thought he had the flu and went to the physician final April. A number of exams later, he was in an Auckland hospital and did not get out for six 1/2 weeks. There have been a number of rounds of chemotherapy and he misplaced greater than 30 kilos (13 kilos).
All of the whereas, although, he was motivated by the R&A’s supply to carry a spot for Royal Troon. If he was wholesome sufficient to play, he’d get a medical exemption.
“That gave him one thing to sit up for when he was sick,” Tara Hendry mentioned after her husband tapped in for par on the 18th gap.
The entire household made the journey. The Hendrys have two younger daughters, Maddie and Harper. Maddie, aged 9, yelled “Go Dad!” after Hendry sank a brief putt for par on the tenth.
Michael Hendry of New Zealand throws his ball to his caddie on the thirteenth inexperienced throughout his opening spherical of the British Open Golf Championships at Royal Troon golf membership in Troon, Scotland, Thursday, July 18, 2024. Credit score: AP/Scott Heppell
Hendry, who missed the reduce in his prior Open appearances in 2017 and 2018, mentioned it was “very particular” to have his household right here this week.
“I actually hoped I used to be going to be wholesome sufficient to play so I might convey them over. I’m no spring hen anymore, and taking part in on the Japan Tour, we don’t get that many alternatives to get into main occasions,” he mentioned.
“This might very nicely be my final British Open. So having a younger household, and my women are actually simply on the age the place they’ll type of perceive what Dad does, and to have them right here and experiencing the Open, which is the most important, the oldest, the most effective golf event of the lot, it provides them a extremely cool perspective as to what Dad does.”
Hendry was 3 over after three holes, acknowledging he was nervous and considering an excessive amount of about his journey from a hospital mattress to the British Open.
Michael Hendry of New Zealand reacts on the thirteenth inexperienced throughout his opening spherical of the British Open Golf Championships at Royal Troon golf membership in Troon, Scotland, Thursday, July 18, 2024. Credit score: AP/Scott Heppell
“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.’ As soon as I obtained by that, I managed to form of simply get myself again into event mode and performed fairly nicely.”
Hendry, who’s in remission, earned his second win on the Japan Tour in Might.
“At no level did I feel I would not play golf once more. I’d made my thoughts up that, even when I used to be sick, if I used to be wholesome sufficient to play, I used to be going to attempt to play,” he mentioned.
“I made a decision early on within the piece that I used to be going to attempt to dictate my life relatively than this dictating my life.”
