In the midst of his first comeback on the Champions Tour, an unthinkable tragedy struck Ken Green last June.
He was driving home from a tournament in Austin, Texas, when his rv blew a tire, rolled down an embankment and hit a tree. His brother, girlfriend and life-long companion Nip the german shepard, were killed instantly. Green was thrown through the windshield and shattered his right leg.
"My only hope of ever playing professional golf was if they cut the leg off," Green Says. "At the time was pretty simple and I'm still glad I did it."
For Green, golf was all he had left. "It's what's giving me the hope because when you lose as much as I've lost, you have a lot of bad days, bad moments," he says. "Having something out there, you know, it's kind of like teasing the horse with the carrott. Golf's doing that. Giving me that hope that we can get through all this and move forward."
Less than a year after having his leg amputated, Green is playing in his first tournament this weekend. And while he continues to move forward, Green never loses sight of the past. Written on his shoes are the names of all those he lost including his son hunter who died just six months after the accident.
"Just my way of saying I'm never gonna forget. And I'll make sure I don't forget," he says.
Green is the first golfer with a prosthetic leg to compete on the Tour, but for a guy who was known as one of golf's bad boys in the '80s, the role of inspiration is one he doesn't take lightly.
"Ken Green and inspiration don't usually go hand-in-hand, " he says with a laugh. "It is kind of wierd. But if you are a believer and he puts you on a certain path for a reason. I'm hoping I can fill the task. Honestly, that's one of the things I'm worried about. I want to make sure I do all the right things. Whereas before I don't think I ever worried too much about that."
Ken is still learning how to play with his new leg and every course brings new challenges. But if there's anyone who can handle whatever life throws his way, it's Ken Green.
