Columnist Victoria Sun: Injuries have Barlow itching to play golf

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2001 | 11:13 a.m.

Victoria Sun's golf column appears Wednesday. Reach her at 259-4078 or by e-mail at victoria@lasvegassun.com.

PGA Tour professional Craig Barlow used to take simple things for granted -- things like walking and playing golf.

Now, he vows to never make that mistake again.

The Henderson resident pulled out of the Invensys Classic to have season-ending hip surgery in September.

On Friday, he'll have surgery on his left shoulder to correct a chronic injury.

"My hip is coming along," Barlow said. "I probably would be a couple of weeks away from golfing if I wasn't getting my shoulder done.

"By the time the season starts, my hip should be good, but my shoulder is questionable. I've been told it will take from a month to six months before my shoulder heals up."

Barlow is hopeful he will be ready for the start of next year.

The past eight weeks have been particularly difficult.

Because of the surgery, his mobility was severely limited and he was forced to use crutches for six weeks.

Physical difficulties aside, Barlow had the added worry of losing his PGA Tour card for next year.

Entering the Invensys Classic, he was 108th on the PGA Tour's money list with $414,139.

By skipping the final six events, Barlow would have lost his card if he dropped out of the top 125.

He was relieved to learn that the money he earned had kept him in the 122nd spot on the final money list, thus allowing him the chance to play whichever events he choses in 2002.

"I'm set," Barlow said. "It's just a matter of how quickly I get back to playing next year.

"It was stressful. I had a minor medical exemption for next year if I needed it, but luckily I was saved a lot of headaches. Definitely the last couple of weeks were very nerve wracking, especially because I didn't have control of everything."

Barlow can't remember ever taking this much time away from golf since he began playing when he was 10.

"I definitely will not take golf for granted any more. I've always taken my body for granted and assumed I could do whatever I wanted.

"It's been hard for me not being able to do normal things. I'll always remember these times when my body wasn't feeling very good."

Barlow said the decision to have surgery was simple because he needed to have two separate procedures. He said his shoulder has been bothering him for a year and a half and his hip flared up in June.

He decided shoulder surgery was necessary after a series of cortisone shots and rehabilitation did not solve the problem.

"Golf is my job," Barlow said. "It was a hard decision to take time off of golf because it makes me money.

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The top-ranked women's tennis doubles team in the world, Rennae Stubbs and Lisa Raymond, as well as other current and former tennis professionals will play. A $250 fee per person includes golf, lunch, gifts and admittance to a cocktail party and dinner with the tennis players and honorary chairperson Serena Williams at the Venetian hotel-casino from 6 to 8 p.m.