WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” For Brian Anania, the long road back to competitive golf has been about as topsy turvy as his opening round in the 102nd West Virginia Amateur on Sunday afternoon.
And, yet, with a uniquely appreciative perspective that has come from having the game torn away from him, SundayÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s opening 3-over-par 73 was just fine.
The 2014 Amateur champion from Hurricane completed his first round in the event since 2018 on Sunday and is still in contention six shots back in a tie for 25th place. But itÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s his involvement in the tournament that is what counts most right now.
In June of 2019, just before the West Virginia Open, Anania was out for a casual round at Pete Dye Golf Club in Bridgeport and took a swing that wasnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t much different than the countless swings that had come before. But the result was anything but usual as his left wrist gave way, resulting in a freak injury that sidelined him for nearly two years.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI was just out with my dad and some friends and just a normal shot and it just gave out on me,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Anania said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œ[Extensor Carpi Ulnaris] tendon and all the tissue that holds it is my understanding, I just kind of shredded all that. Talking with a surgeon, itÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s not a very common injury and it took five, five-and-a-half months to even diagnose it and figure out what was going on.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
And the eventual diagnosis was just the beginning. Anania underwent surgery on January 14, 2020 with rehab beginning shortly after. Suddenly, a player that competed in the 2014 Greenbrier Classic by virtue of his Amateur win, was looking down the barrel of perhaps never competing again even while still in his 20s.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWhen I started I truly didnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t know if IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™d be back playing competitive golf,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Anania said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIt felt so weird and it felt like I wasnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t even close.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Truth is, he wasnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t. Anania estimated that it took at least a year to hit a full, normal golf shot. His recovery started with 30-yard pitch shots and for a while, any full shot was taken from a tee, thus avoiding club contact with the ground.
It was little more than a few months ago that Anania was still at square one in terms of rebuilding his swing.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œMy first round out I was playing from the white tees, I couldnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t hit a ball 200 yards,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Anania said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThis spring has just been kind of getting my distances back. Every time I went out I tried to ease in and there was a point I was four clubs short of normal, then three clubs short of normal and finally working my way back up. Really, [JuneÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s 88th West Virginia] Open was the first time I felt like I could go after it again and swing normal.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
The Open, which was also coincidentally held at Pete Dye, was a bit of a struggle as Anania opened with a 12-over 84, but made the cut and shot a respectable 1-over 73 in the final round, eventually finished tied for 32nd at plus-21.
But the familiar terrains of the Meadows and the Old White TPC courses, as they do for so many players in the field, ignites something special in Anania, who gushed about being back on the property and in the event.
One could likely credit some of that appreciation to age as Anania is now 29. But everyone grows older. Not many have had to battle what Anania has.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™m just so glad to be out playing again and to come back to The Greenbrier,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Anania said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThis place is so special to me. IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ve played literally every level of golf there is here.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s a cool place to be. It gives me chills every time IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™m here.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
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From one past champion making a return to another making his farewell tour, Steve FoxÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s 54th and final West Virginia Amateur started with a bang on Sunday as he ran his score all the way to 3-under on the first six holes before fading a bit, finishing with a round of even-par 70. That puts the 67-year old and two-time winner of the Amateur (1988 and 1994) three shots back of the lead and in a tie for eighth place.
The early momentum helped Fox settle into a round that he admitted was a difficult one emotionally as he prepared to tee off Sunday morning.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIt was emotional,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Fox admitted. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œMy whole family was there ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” my kids, my grandkids, my sister ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” I handled it a little bit better emotionally than I thought. I was teary-eyed, but I thought IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™d be a wreck. Just having their support there ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” itÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s golf and thatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s all it is. ItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s sad. I love The Greenbrier, I love the state am, I love competition and being with the guys ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥¦ anything youÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ve loved and youÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re not going to have it anymore youÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re going to miss.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
As for how he played?
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œFar exceeded my expectations today,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Fox said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œKind of takes the pressure off.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
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Fox was hardly the only player to give a few shots back down the stretch.
The back nine played brutally hard compared to the front on Tuesday, particularly the final four-hole run to the clubhouse. Nos. 15, 16, 17 and 18 ranked fifth, first, fourth and second respectively in terms of hole difficulty on Sunday. All told there were 171 bogeys made across the four holes and an additional 67 double bogeys.
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KermitÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Davey Jude, a former Marshall player, announced his return to the Amateur loudly on Sunday. Playing in his first round since regaining his amateur status after trying out a life on tour, Jude drove the green on the par-4 first hole and made a short putt for eagle, the only eagle to be recorded on the hole all day. He finished at even-par.
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One slight change to the tournament, the cut after TuesdayÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s second round will be the top 42 and ties this year instead of the top 50 and ties in years past due to course availability.
