Absent from the game for nearly three years, PGA golfer Morgan Hoffmann returned to the course Thursday, shooting an even-par 71 at the RBC Heritage.
“A lot of fun moments today,” Hoffmann said, according to Golfweek. “I felt great. The first tee shot wasn’t as nerve-racking as I thought it would be. The game didn’t feel anywhere near as bad as I thought it was, so it was pretty exciting.”
“I didn’t have really any goals of a score, I guess, per se, but I was just trying to hit it solid,” he continued. “I mean, 80 percent of (the shots) were decent enough. So I hit some balls on the range after, and I think I should have a good round tomorrow.”
It’s been an incredible journey for Hoffmann, experimenting with different treatments in order to defeat his diagnosis of muscular dystrophy around six years ago.
When diagnosed, Western doctors had no answers except that his diagnosis would only worsen, and hoped that they could keep him walking. According to Golf Digest, that answer didn’t work for Hoffmann, who began his quest for a cure in 2017.
Hoffmann went on a grape cleanse, eating close to 800 grapes a day. He spent 90 days in the mountains of Nepal, experimenting in urine therapy, which involves drinking your own urine and rubbing it all over the body. Hoffmann then traveled to Costa Rica — where he now lives with his wife — to go through a treatment using ayahuasca, a concoction that causes hallucinations. He gave up processed foods, and focused on a “raw” diet without cooked foods.
“My muscles, ever since I went to Nepal about probably four years ago, have been slowly getting better,” Hoffmann said. “There hasn’t been any more atrophy, which has been amazing. And now, my right pec was the worst—it kind of got down to my ribs, where all you could see is bone—and now when I put my hand here and I flex, I can feel it again. It’s very, very exciting.”
While Hoffmann’s life has certainly changed over the past few years – he and his wife started the Morgan Hoffmann Foundation in 2017 in order to “support the lives of individuals on their journey to wellness” — the game of golf still means a great deal to Hoffmann.
“It was pretty surreal today, a lot different than the lifestyle I’ve been living the last 2½ years, and having people cheer your name out there, it’s very special,” Hoffmann said. “Having the support and the media and getting that kind of focus on what we’re trying to build, the natural health and wellness center in Costa Rica, it’s going to be great. I’m really excited about the outcome and the building process.”
“I love this game so much,” he continued. “It’s so difficult. I had a great time out there. I think the game’s closer than I thought, and it’s exciting. I’m pumped.”
Hoffmann’s playing partner on Thursday, Harold Varner III, said it didn’t matter that Hoffmann’s drives off the tee often fell short of the others playing in the tournament.
“He hit his 5 iron close to where I hit my 8-iron, so I don’t think it really mattered. If you were watching the whole round, I know on No. 3, I outdrove him by 30 yards, but he hit it to four feet and I’m sitting there at 20, 25 feet,” Varner said of Hoffmann.
“That’s what makes the game so beautiful,” Varner continued. “He knows how to hone in on what he needs to do to play well.”
According to Golfweek, Hoffmann is playing at the RBC Heritage on a medical exemption. Hoffmann shot a 1-over 72 on Friday.
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].