Emergency 9: Fantasy golf advice for Genesis Open

Seven weeks ago, Mark Fulcher was in a hospital bed in Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, recovering from surgery to repair the mitral valve in his heart. Dr. David Adams — the noted cardiothoracic surgeon and a “massiveâ€� golf fan, his grateful patient says – had sawed through Fulcher’s sternum and opened up his chest. He was put on a heart-lung machine while the valve, which regulates the flow of blood from the lung to the left ventricle, was repaired. “You wake up and the heart is in better shape than the sternum,â€� Fulcher said by telephone this week from his Palm Beach Gardens home. “So obviously, lifting bags and such, you know, it’s still quite painful. it should be almost completely repaired now. “It’s just a question of trusting it a little bit.â€� Lifting bags and such just happens to be Fulcher’s business, though. Fooch, as he is known in the golf business, has caddied for reigning FedExCup champion Justin Rose for more than a decade. The condition was discovered after Fulcher fell ill and had to bow out after 13 holes during the pro-am at the BNI Indonesian Masters in December in Jakarta. At the time, he figured it was a combination of jet lag and the heat, which was tipping toward 100 degrees. Fulcher ended up in the hospital at the urging of his girlfriend and Rose’s wife Kate. Doctors there weren’t quite sure what the problem was. At the time, “most of it cleared out quite nicely,â€� he said, although he was unable to caddy the rest of the week. It wasn’t until Fulcher returned to the United States and underwent further tests that doctors found the issue with his mitral valve. “So the long and short of it, I was very, very grateful to find it and for the friends who helped me getting into surgery,â€� Fulcher said. “It was just remarkable. I’m incredibly grateful.â€� He was given the go-ahead to start rehab last week. He’s been lifting 5- and 10-pound weights and trying to build his stamina. In a few weeks, doctors want him to start walking around the cul-de-sac in his neighborhood, carrying one of Rose’s bags. “I’m going to try the bag and then I’m going to try the clubs and then I’m going to try with waterproofs and then I’m going to try with umbrellas,â€� Fulcher said with a chuckle. “My intended progress is a pencil bag all the way through to a Rosey staff bag, an Olympic bag and a Ryder Cup bag that’s got waterproofs and food and what have you.â€� The goal is to rejoin Rose as soon as possible – but not until he is “101 percent,â€� Fulcher said. In the meantime, Gareth Lord, who used to caddie for Rose’s good friend Henrik Stenson, is filling in. The two won the Farmers Insurance Open last month. Fulcher, who spent time with Rose and his team in the Bahamas last week, was watching on TV as his boss walked triumphantly down the 18th fairway, looked into the camera and said “Fooch, that was for you, mate.â€� His long-time caddie couldn’t have been more touched. “It was a great feeling to see him win,â€� Fulcher says. “I hope in a way that my situation inspired him a little bit. It was an incredible position to be in. “To have a boss who at that moment was able to think about someone else and to have the spontenaity to say ‘This one’s for you.’ I was very grateful. “Did it surprise me? No. Because he’s a fantastic man and a fantastic friend.â€�

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Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Alec Cabacungan won't be at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open to provide a little extra motivation for defending champion Kevin Na this week. But the charismatic 18-year-old who suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta, more commonly known as brittle bone disease, certainly made a lasting impression on Na when the two renewed acquaintances prior to last year's tournament at TPC Summerlin. RELATED: More on RSM Birdies Fore Love Cabacungan, who wants to be a sports broadcaster, interviewed Na that Wednesday and showed the PGA TOUR veteran some video of his breakthrough win at the tournament in 2011. Fast forward to Sunday and a hard-fought battle with Patrick Cantlay that Na won on the second playoff hole. The win was Na's second in Las Vegas, his adopted hometown, and the fourth of his TOUR career. And Na says talking with Cabacungan about his 2011 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open victory helped give him the kind of confidence he needed to win. "He motivated me that week that I could do it again," says Na, who fired a career-low 61 in the third round. In addition to the 500 FedExCup points and $1.26 million Na earned last year, he also led the week's RSM Birdies Fore Love competition. That means he got a bonus of $50,000 to give to the charity of his choice, and it certainly wasn't a hard decision. Na and his family, which includes wife Jullianne and their two children, decided to give the money to Shriners Hospitals for Children for OI research. The genetic disorder affects between 20,000 and 50,000 people in the United States. But meeting just one of those had a particular impact on Na. "One, it made sense because I won the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open," he says of the donation. "And meeting Alec and getting in to learn about that disease was the reason why." Jim Smith, Imperial Potentate of Shriners International, says Na's donation makes a big difference in the mission of the organization, which has a network of 22 non-profit hospitals nationwide. "Our donors, whom we depend on, have helped us treat more than 1.4 million children from over 170 countries," Smith says. "We are humbled by Kevin's generosity." Cabacungan is one of those children. He has been a patient at the Chicago Shriners Hospital since he was two months old, receiving therapy and treatments designed to build stronger bone mass. In his short 18 years on earth, Cabacungan has undergone 12 surgeries and broken more than 60 bones. Patients with OI can break bones by doing something as innocuous sneezing or coughing, as well as falling down. Despite the many obstacles he's faced, though, Cabacungan is known for his bubbly personality and his infectious smile. "He's a happy guy and has a lot of good energy," Na said. Cabacungan is essentially the face of Shriners Hospitals for Children, too. Since he was 14 years old, he has appeared in commercials broadcast nationwide to raise the profile of the facilities that work with children with neuromusculoskeletal conditions and burn injuries, as well as other healthcare issues. The sports-minded teenager, who loves to play wheelchair basketball, makes appearances around the country. Cabacungan has been profiled on CBS's "Sunday Morning" and joined one of his idols, Ernie Johnson, along with NBA greats Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal on TNT's "Inside the NBA" in 2017. And one year ago, Cabacungan was at TPC Summerlin, trying his interviewing skills out on Na, who responded by showing the teen his signature move of walking in the putt. "I know his dream is to become a sports announcer, and I hope his dream comes true," Na said. On Sunday, though, Na was living his own dream. "It’s always nice to play in your hometown, but to win on top of that, it was very special," Na says. "And to have my family there to celebrate together on 18 was a special moment. "And to be able to donate to Shriners made it even better."

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Rickie Fowler guesses he’s 10 yards longer this season after making a golf ball change at the outset of 2019. But is he also straighter? Fowler hit 11 of 14 fairways and shot a third-round 64 to open up a four-shot lead at the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on Saturday. “If he keeps driving it like this, he’s going to be tough to catch,â€� said Justin Thomas, his friend and housemate for the week, and also one of his third-round playing partners. Told that Thomas was wowed by his driving, Fowler jokingly pumped his fist. “Yes!â€� he said. He is four shots clear of second-place Matt Kuchar (65), who is enjoying a career revival at 40 and will be going for his third win in his last three starts. MUST READS: Round 3, Waste Management Phoenix Open Jarrod Lyle memorial at No. 16 brings perspective Denny McCarthy rules violation rescinded “It’s been nice to kind of have some things click on the swing this week,â€� Fowler said. “We have been working on some things the last few weeks pretty hard and trying to just get into some better positions to make things more efficient and ultimately more consistent.â€� Thomas shot 68 and was five back, in solo third. He and Fowler paired up to go unbeaten at the 2017 Presidents Cup, but there was little doubt which one came to play Saturday. “I really didn’t play very well today,â€� Thomas said. In all fairness, playing alongside Fowler may have made his round look and feel worse than it was. Fowler has now hit 30 of 42 fairways for the week, which is tied for fourth in Driving Accuracy. He is third in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, and first in SG: Tee to Green. The question now is whether Fowler can keep it going, silencing the one consistent knock on one of the most liked players on TOUR: He doesn’t win enough. “Yeah, but the thing about Rick though is he doesn’t listen to that,â€� Thomas said. “And that’s why he has the probably the best demeanor on TOUR, that’s why he continued to play great golf, he continues to get himself in contention in the biggest tournaments.â€� Should he hang on to win Sunday, Fowler would notch his fifth TOUR victory and first since The Honda Classic in 2017. He has posted an over-par score in the final round following each of his previous six 54-hole leads/co-leads, converting for the win just once. “Everybody goes through stretches like that,â€� Thomas said. “And he would be the first to tell you he should have won more than he has. But it’s hard to win, there’s only one winner every week, and he’s played plenty well enough, and I’m sure it’s going to happen plenty of times.â€� Fowler came into this week 65th in the FedExCup, but with a history of stellar play at TPC Scottsdale. All he got out of it was two runner-up finishes, and heartache. He lost to Hideki Matsuyama on the fourth hole of a playoff in 2016, and by a shot to Hunter Mahan in 2010. He turned 30 last month, and just keeps knocking on the door. “I played with Rickie the first two days; he’s playing great golf,â€� said Kuchar, who won the Mayakoba Golf Classic and Sony Open in Hawaii, and has shot a perfect 19 of 19 rounds of par or better this season. “Certainly he’s going to be the player to beat, especially if he keeps up on the form he’s on, but, however, I feel like my form’s pretty good, as well.â€� Asked what a victory here would mean after the close calls, Fowler didn’t mince words. “It would be awesome,â€� he said. “It’s been a long time coming. I obviously want to win here. This is a special place. The Thunderbirds have been amazing to me, the fans are awesome and obviously very supportive of me. I always have friends and family in town here; it would be great. Like I said, another good solid 18 holes of golf and we’ll be in the right spot.â€�

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