Being a professional athlete and having a career which depends on my physical well-being, I pass every opportunity to play beach volleyball, go skiing or even start TaeKwonDo to minimize my risks of injuries. But when I developed this weird injury on my left arm/wrist called “intersection syndrome” or “crossover syndrome” just by working on my swing, it started worrying me. I have never had to deal with any kind of bodily injury throughout my golf career and for that, I have been GRATEFUL!!! What I have is a tendon-related injury caused by overuse of the hand/wrist/forearm, and it is SO painful. If interested, click here to read about it. I would call it a minor injury but very tedious as it comes and goes as it wishes… My intersection sydrome came at the end of June RIGHT BEFORE the week of the US Women’s Open. After having qualified for it in the worst golf conditions (rain, cold, wind, course set up way too long), I was so psyched about having my first opportunity to play in the Open as a professional. However, excessive ball hitting caused the injury and forced me to rest until I got to the US Open in Minneapolis area. My wrist was still swollen and in pain up to the day before the first round so our LPGA physiotherapist sent me to a hand surgeon to get a steroid shot. So I did. It was like a miraculous healing. I was a little worried that this shot might mask my injury but I didn’t even care at the time… I was happy I could at least compete in the Open (although I barely got 18 holes in for a practice round). I shot 80-72 and missed the cut by 3 shots, I believe. But the experience was amazing. Though I have played in two US Opens in the past, this time was the first time in 6 years and first time as a professional. It truly is THE world’s most prestigious tournament for female golfers. The crowds were enormous, as expected, but what really MADE the US Open experience were the loud cheers for your good shots. There was electricity on the golf course!!! The fans just came out to “celebrate” with you when you make a putt. Playing golf in front of crowds is really what makes me want play the game for a living… It’s really fun!!! As a matter of fact, it is quite addicting… When we (us, participants) landed at the Minneapolis airport, we were welcomed by the volunteers and handed each player keys to brand new hybrid Lexus SUVs. We were pretty much treated like royalty for a week. Something I wouldn’t mind getting used to… :):)
Anyway, after being healthy for about 2 months, my wrist pain came back. I am still fighting it and it is quite draining. The good news is that rest usually makes the pain go away and the bad news is that there isn’t much I can do to it unless I go for surgery. I am not ready to do that yet. I am strengthening my grip and forearm to possibly minimize the chances of it flaring up. At this point, that is all that I can do. The doctors recommended that I take Advil every day. I literally hate taking pills and they don’t CURE my problem anyway… So I refuse to take ibuprofen unless I absolutely need it.
Anyways, please keep checking in with me. The website still needs a bit of work and any suggestions are welcome. I may need to schedule a photo shoot. All I have are Big Break photos in my Picture folder…
Thanks for reading and for being great fans!!!
Sincerely, Jeanne Cho-Hunicke