Jimmy Walker had a tough 2017.
A battle with Lyme Disease can do that to anyone.
For Walker, it created a lost season. The 2016 PGA champion spent countless days trying a variety of treatments and finally ended up with “pulsed tetracycline theraphy.” The results have been encouraging.
Walker felt good enough in December to visit swing coach Butch Harmon before Christmas.
“We had some really good sessions,” Harmon said. “It’s probably the best I’ve seen him swing. Last year was tough on him physically and mentally it was a big strain on him.”
Lyme Disease will do just that.
Walker fell from 15th in the world rankings to 68th and that’s where he’ll start when he returns to the tour starting Thursday at the Sony Open.
He’s had success at Waialae, winning there in 2015.
“Physically, 80-90 percent,” is how Walker described himself. But then there’s the mental part. That’s where Lyme Disease can really affect someone, particularly an athlete. “Lyme Fog,” was the term Walker used.
Walker missed the cut at The Shriners last November but after seeing Harmon, he’s hoping for a better year starting this week.
All things considered, it would be good if Walker can make it to the weekend at Waialae.
