Jeff

Klauk

Out since June due to shoulder surgery, his personal freedoms have been restricted by his condition. He’s had enough. “After a battery of tests this winter, I was deemed a candidate for epilepsy surgery. Before I see the operating table later this spring, doctors will slide several plastic strips containing electrodes under my scalp and two to four platinum wires into my brain. ... If the procedures pinpoint the problem area, we can proceed to surgery. If not, we’ll have to go through the process again. The epilepsy surgery ... entails removing the electrically abnormal brain tissue, a section on average of roughly two inches by one inch by one quarter of an inch deep. Dr. [Edward] Faught [a neurologist at Emory University in Atlanta] feels the chance for complete control of my seizures is 60% to 70% now and, we hope, closer to 90% after the additional pre-op tests. ... Assuming all goes well, I could be playing competitive golf again a month or so after surgery.”

We relayed Klauk’s first-person account to you in early March. “It’s going to be a challenge for my family,” he told The Florida Times-Union this week. “Moreso for them than me because I’m anxious to get this started and finally put an end to the seizures.” Remarkably, his recovery periods from at least two surgeries are shorter than most others. He’ll need 1-2 weeks following the first one, and about a month following the second. If a third procedure is necessary, it will be determined later, but he’s optimistic to play golf later in 2012. “If everything goes well, I could be playing some Nationwide Tour events at the end of the year.” He still has eight starts on a Major Medical Extension on the PGA TOUR.

First, the tweet: “I’m going crazy not being able to play in Tour events. Must figure out seizure stuff first. But great watching the family grow!” In early February of last year, Klauk spent two and a half days at the Mayo Clinic hoping to resolve what he called complex partial seizures. The 34-year-old make six starts thereafter, cashing just once, before opting out for the remainder of the year for surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder on July 7. Whenever he returns to the PGA TOUR, he’ll have eight starts on a Major Medical Extension to earn $578,937 and retain status.

Since having 108 electrodes inserted into his brain on April 20, Klauk has endured one grand mal seizure and handful of lesser magnitude events. While the source has been identified, the challenge of how to solve the problem remains. “The left side is a very important part of what the brain controls, and my family and I will have some important decision to make,” he said. “But I’ve got great doctors and they do this kind of thing all the time and people come out fine all the time. ... It’s a quality of life issue,” he said. “I want to be able to do things like drive a car again. And I still believe I will have a career in golf.” For the time being, he anticipates returning to competition on the Nationwide Tour this fall.

It’s the 12th annual edition of the charity outing that includes such dignitaries as Jim Furyk, Fred Funk, Deane Beman and Frank Lickliter II. Klauk has not competed anywhere since having surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder on July 7. His labrum was also cleaned up. This is a dandy opportunity for fantasy gamers to monitor any scores publicized since he has a Major Medical Extension on the PGA TOUR allowing eight starts to earn $578,937 and retain status. While it’s great news that he’s well enough to tee it up this week, we’ll leave him on our Injury Report until he returns to official action.

Klauk hasn’t competed anywhere officially since giving Q School a try last December. He’s been out all year dealing with the effects of epilepsy for which he had surgery on his brain on April 20. Since, he’s handled the symptoms with a balance of three medications. “If everything goes well, I’ll be looking forward to playing at home,” said Klauk, who lives near TPC Sawgrass where he hopes to tee it up (on the Valley Course) for the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open in October. He gets a maximum of five rehab starts on the secondary circuit before he must return to the PGA TOUR where he has eight starts on a Major Medical Extension to earn $578,937 and retain status.

Klauk wrote: “After a lot of Praying and talking with my surgeon at Emory.I decided not to have my 2nd brain surgery Aug.1.new meds r working well. It was ... [a] tough decision but feel like the risks are just not worth taking at this time.” When we first shared the details of his ordeal, he was expected to have as many as three surgeries, so you can appreciate the enormity of the decisions each step requires along the way.

In what was his first competitive action in 15 months, Klauk split 10 (of 14) fairways, hit 11 greens and took 28 putts at Hillcrest Country Club. He offest four birdies with four bogeys and sat nine strokes off the lead as the afternoon wave plays. After his first brain surgery on April 20, he elected not to schedule a second procedure that would have resulted in a removal the part of the brain where his seizures originate. His appearance in Boise marks his first of five allotted rehab starts on the development circuit. He still has eight starts on a Major Medical Extension on the PGA TOUR to earn $578,937 and retain status.

Klauk did what he needed to do at TPC Scottsdale. He circled an eagle and 18 birdies while limiting the damage to six bogeys. It’s his best finish on the PGA TOUR since a T4 at the JT Shriners in October 2009. He now has five starts on his Major Medical Extension to earn $476,768 and retain status.

Klauk started slow enough, trading a birdie and a bogey through his first 11 holes before finishing hot. He circled birdies on the 12th, 13th and 14th holes before stopping his approach on the par-4 18th 18 inches from the bottom of the cup for a kick-in birdie to finish. With just five starts remaining on his Major Medical Extension following this week, he’s doing his best to chip away at the $560,933 nut he has to cover to retain his status.