Three months ago Davis Love III, a 20-time winner on the PGA Tour, underwent a two-level disk fusion surgery in his neck after struggling with numbness in his left arm. It's a been a frustrating layoff, and Love had wanted to return at Hilton Head, New Orleans and even at Charlotte last week, but he has finally received Doctor's permission to return to competitive action at TPC Sawgrass. Perhaps fittingly, for a two-time Players Champion, Love will make his comeback in his 28th appearance in the PGA Tour's flagship event.
Love has won at TPC Sawgrass twice in his career, in 1992 and 2003. He is the only multiple champion in the field this week, and has remained a consistent contender at this event. He cited that competitiveness as a factor in being able to qualify for so many Players Championships. When asked on the significance of his 28th appearance, at his Tuesday press conference, Love stated that it made him realise two things: “One, that means you’re old. And two, it means you’ve stayed pretty competitive.” And he most certainly has remained competitive. In 2011 he was just three shots back of Graeme McDowell after 54 holes, before falling back on Sunday, and he finished in a tie for fourth in 2010, courtesy of a final round of 68.
It's also the 10th anniversary of Love's second Players title, which he clinched with one of the greatest final rounds of the last decade on the PGA Tour. Finding himself two-shots-back of Jay Haas and Padraig Harrington after 54 holes, Love, playing alongside his friend Fred Couples, took to Sawgrass on that fateful Sunday with the backdrop of a cold and windy March afternoon. With the field falling to the wayside in these difficult conditions, Love shot a final round of 64 to win by a stunning six shots. This incredible final round was described by Couples, who was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame on Monday, as "the best round I have ever seen. And not just Davis – anybody. I’ve never seen a round like that. He hit about 63 great shots, so it was easy to say, ‘Nice shot, nice shot, nice swing, nice putt.'"
Such a remarkable round is a testement to the quality that has personified his career. 20 PGA Tour victories is the third highest of any player under 50, and those included the 1997 PGA Championship and two Players Championship titles. Certainly, with 20 top-10 finishes in majors, and over 30 second places on Tour, his career could have been even more storied. But Love is without question one of the truly great names of the game spanding over two decades.
Despite turning 49 in April, Love remains a draw on Tour. His presence at the top of American professional golf has been remarkably consistent as his career approaches its third decade. But it is difficult to expect Love to contend this week, after such a long layoff, and returning at such a demanding venue. There's a distinct difference between practicing at home, or hitting balls on the range, to hitting shots in a competitive environment. In that respect, it would be unfair to anticipate Love to be playing back to his best at the TPC. In terms of his own expectations this week, he was naturally cautious and quite simply stated that “I realise that I’m blessed just to be back playing”.
However, his expectations over the longer term are more optimistic. “I want to make the Presidents Cup team,” Love said, “and I told Tom Watson, I want to be at the Ryder Cup (In 2014), but I want to play. You have to have big goals like that. I’m healthy again and my mind is clear. I think I can get back. I really do.”
Lofty ambitions from the 49-year-old, who would be hoping to follow Raymond Floyd and Jay Haas in representing the United States passed his 50th birthday. But Love has always been capable of extraordinary things, as his final round at Sawgrass in 2003 illustrated.
Perhaps there is just a little bit of magic left in the career of Davis Love III.