While his battle to overcome cancer has been widely documented, few know about the fight he wages with back pain. I had to withdraw from four tournaments in 1994 because of it, and in April of last year I learned that I had a herniated disk. That put me out for two months. In both instances, the life Azinger had built for his family was suddenly at risk. The doubts and the fear of the unknown are scary.
Golfers always worry about getting the yips and about hurting their backs.
I know that this injury could end my playing career. Back pain changed Rocco Mediate's world in an instant. I had a disk that exploded. It just shattered. No one knows what caused it, but it took me out of golf for a while.