Jeff, so your first round back in five-plus years, how did it feel out there and what
was the emotion of just being back out there?
Jeff Overton: Yeah, it was definitely emotional. It was exciting to be back in competition. It was awesome birdieing the second hole and kind of getting off to a good start. The golf course played tough. Misjudged a few shots and really only had one bad swing. Just played tough and kind of got — just didn’t hit the fairways, missed it by a couple yards a couple times and that’s enough to be penalizing out here.
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Did it feel like normal or did you feel a little bit different than thinking back.
Jeff: I’d say definitely you’re much more like, being the first tournament back, you’re definitely like on the first hole, you’re like, “Ohhhh.” Definitely, especially the first couple holes, it was definitely nerve wracking. I mean, to and see your name up there on the leaderboard for a brief second even though it’s the first day of the tournament, it was kind of fun to see. Yeah, it was a good experience, and unfortunately didn’t shoot quite as good as we wanted to, but maybe get something good tomorrow.
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Can you give a quick run-through of just when the back injury first started and the timeline of when you knew you needed to step away and how things unfolded from there?
Jeff: Yeah, I hurt my disc in Canada and took like four, six months off and then felt decent. Played in the Abaco or Winding Bay Web event at the time. Then I played in the Honda and then had an injection a few days later. Wound up having surgery, removed an epidural abscess three weeks after that, somehow had an infection. Then it was just, you know, it was a fight, it was a struggle. But you’ve got to look for the future and that’s what I’m here today doing. You’ve got to start somewhere. And it was great the first week back would be out here where I played so many years, and if we don’t make the cut tomorrow, at least we’ll know where we’re at and we’ll have some work to do and continue to get ready for Korn finals.
How long were you unable to walk during the recovery process?
Jeff: You know, with a walker or without?
Both.
Jeff: I mean, they were telling me to get up and it was hard. I couldn’t really roll out of bed to pee or any of that for a couple weeks pretty much. I was able to get in a walker and do a couple minutes a day maybe here and there. Then they put a hospital bed in my living room and got to go home after, oh, I don’t know, a couple few weeks of it. Then it was like we just had a nurse come to the house and take care of you here and there. It was an eye-opening experience going from living the dream to fighting for your life, but here I am, five and a half years later after doing a whole lot of rehab and seeing a lot of great people and you never give up.
Is this a win today being here today? Like if you look five years from now, no matter the result, today’s a win?
Jeff: I hate to say shooting 77’s a win, but in a way it’s a win. You’ve got to start somewhere, for sure. I’m just excited to be here. And hopefully we can play better and
make some cuts here coming up and at least get the better membership category kind of
reactivated and see some stuff next year or maybe even get through Korn finals. Have to see how the game progresses the next few weeks.
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What was the low for you during that five years? Was it not being able to walk or
was there a time where just — I guess how do you battle doubts, too?
Jeff: You know, it was probably just you’re struggling for your life and you’re just wanting to get through to where you’re somewhat okay. Then after a year or two probably goes by and you’re just like I may never get to do my dream again, that was hard. You’re like seeing different doctors, like am I going to make a full recovery? It’s kind of like, you know, make a full recovery. Will you ever compete again, I don’t know. But here we are. And it was definitely emotional, definitely teared up a couple times out there. Nothing crazy,
but yeah, it’s a win. Coming out and making a birdie out of the gate, it was fun to get back
kind of in the feel the nerves again and feel the adrenaline going.
