Atlanta —
Professional athletes are often held up as something above and beyond the mere mortals who pay hefty ticket prices to be in the stands.
But every now and then there comes a reminder that even the best in the world at what they do can be waylaid by a universal experience. Just ask world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler.
The four-time major champion played below his usual standard in the opening round of last week’s BMW Championship outside St. Louis. He revealed after the tournament was over that he had been suffering from hand, foot and mouth disease – a familiar affliction to any parent with young kids.
Scheffler said the painful sores associated with the viral illness made it hard for him to grip his clubs and nearly convinced him to withdraw from the tournament. A few days later, Scheffler described himself as at 95% with just a few sores left in his throat.
