Gainey working hard to return from back injury

He was playing so good that Tommy Gainey could harbor hopes of turning a dream into a reality.

A birdie on No. 8, the toughest test at Harbour Town, left him two strokes off the second-round lead in the 2016 RBC Heritage, and visions of a top-10 finish – or even his second PGA Tour title – didn’t seem far-fetched.

In the twinkling of an eye, a back injury dashed the dreams – for the moment. Instead of despairing, he overcame the initial disappointment and is hard at work preparing to return to golf’s major league.

“After I hit my second shot on 10, I took a step and my back locked up,” Gainey said, the scene – and the pain – of April 15 indelible in his mind. “It got worse closer to the green. I two-putted for par, but I could hardly bend over to mark my ball.”

En route to the 11th tee, he called for a rules official, who told him he couldn’t wait for a physical therapist to arrive and check his condition. He played on. A weak drive found a pond, he made quadruple-bogey 8 and his hopes vanished.

“I had a special feeling about that week, but God has a plan for me,” Gainey said. “I’ve got to take time off and get my back fixed. If it hadn’t happened that Friday, who knows what might have happened? The blessing is, I get to spend more time with my family.”

He withdrew from the tournament, had a session in the PGA Tour’s fitness trailer and spent a restless night before going to the emergency room the next morning. An MRI revealed the news: “Two herniated discs and two bulging discs,” he said, “and the ER doctor thought I might need surgery.”

Gainey hooked up with Dr. Jeffrey Guy, the USC football team’s physician whom he had met through his friendship with Steve Spurrier. “He looked at the MRIs and told me, ‘It’s bad, but it might not be as bad as you think.’ He referred me to a specialist.”

Instead of surgery, Gainey, 40, had an epidural injection and drives from his Hartsville home at least three times a week for therapy, which he called “pretty intense. I think we’ve accomplished a lot, but I will have a long way to go.”

In golf terms, the guy with the homemade swing called “Two Gloves” has no timetable for his return. He looks at the PGA Tour’s 2016-17 schedule that begins in October, and knows his past-champion status would get him into at least three of the five pre-holiday tournaments, but realizes he won’t be ready to compete at that time.

“We’ve got to do it right and go slow and get to 100 percent,” Gainey said. “I have no clue how long it’s going to take. They have said I can hit some wedge shots, but nothing more.”

Therapy, family time and watching golf on television fill his days, and he feels the frustration of not being able to play.

“I wish I was out there; competition is what drive me,” Gainey said. “At the same time, I understand what I have to do in therapy in order to get back out there. Obviously, I’m nowhere near ready to play competitively. When I get back, I want to be prepared.”

Then, he will work again to make that dream a reality.

Chip shots

The Midlands Chevy Dealers Columbia City Championship will be played Thursday-Saturday at Columbia CC. Cole Thornton edged Jason Sease by one stroke and Robert Dargan by two for the 2015 title at the CC of Lexington. …With Jamie Lightsey (Fort Mill) leading the way with a 2-under 70, 22 players qualified for the South Carolina Amateur at Columbia CC. … Eighteen players, led by Chandler Mulkey (Johns Island), earned berths in the Carolinas Amateur in qualifying at Columbia CC. … Former Clemson golfer and long-time teaching professional Billy Delk died last Sunday. He was 85. Delk won two state collegiate titles for the Tigers and his students included current Clemson coach Larry Penley and current PGA tour player Ben Martin.