By Craig DeVrieze | Saturday, December 16, 2006
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Teenage golf sensation Michelle Wie said she may look at missed putts and double-bogeys from a new perspective after a brief telephone conversation Friday evening with paralyzed Rock Island High School football player Travis Hearn.
Wie called Hearn at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago after learning of his plight from a question posed by e-mail earlier this week by the Quad-City Times.
The 16-year-old professional golfer from Hawaii also is donating $25,000 to the Travis Hearn Fund.
?As a fellow human being this is something I wanted to do,?? she said. ?It just felt like the right thing to do to help out another person.??
Hearn suffered a burst C-4 vertebra while attempting to make a tackle during a Rock Island football game Sept. 22. He has been diagnosed with quadriplegia.
Hearn said he was excited to hear from the Hawaiian golfer, who has played in the John Deere Classic the past two summers.
?She encouraged me,?? Hearn said.
Wie said her fellow teen inspired her, too.
?I told Travis not to give up and he said: ?Never. Never. Never,? ?? Wie said. ?I was glad to hear that. I told him I would pray for him.??
Wie said she also was motivated to help Hearn because of the strong level of support she has received from Quad-City fans during her past two appearances at the TPC at Deere Run in Silvis, Ill.
That includes last July, when she was forced to withdraw because of heat exhaustion midway through her second round, leaving the course in an ambulance. She was treated and released from Genesis Medical Center-Illini Campus, Silvis, Ill.
?The people of the Quad-Cities have given me so much,?? she said. ?They have rooted for me and supported me like no other. Even though I was sick last year, they supported me. I feel very warm and loved at the John Deere.??
Wie said she has not finalized her 2007 summer schedule yet but said she hopes to make a third straight appearance at Deere Run, where in 2005 she came within four holes and two shots of becoming only the second woman to make a midway cut on the Professional Golf Association Tour.
?If they give me an invitation, I would love to come back,?? Wie said.
Tournament director Clair Peterson said Wie will be welcome if the tournament fits her schedule.
In that event, Wie already has issued one special invitation to watch her play at the Tournament Players Club at Deere Run in Silvis, Ill., next July.
?I told (Travis) it would be cool if I could see him at the next JDC,?? she said.
Hearn?s mother, Colleen Stovall, said that will serve as motivation for her son to complete his rehabilitation program in Chicago.
?You know where we will be next golf Classic,?? she said.
Wie is coming off of a tumultuous year as a professional rookie.
She made tens of millions of dollars via sponsor?s endorsements and had ample success playing against women, posting top-five finishes at six Ladies Professional Golf Association tournaments, including three major championships.
But, after making the midway cut against a field of men at the Asian Tour?s SK Telecom Open in Seoul, Korea, in May, the history-seeking teen struggled in five other men?s events, including July?s John Deere Classic, where she was 7-over-par through 45 holes when she was forced to withdraw by illness.
She subsequently played poorly in men?s events in France and Japan and in the PGA Tour?s 84 Lumber Classic in Pennsylvania in September, increasing criticism of her determination to play against men as well as women.
Wie, though, is undeterred in her dream to be one of the world?s best golfers, gender notwithstanding. She is preparing to make a fourth start in her homestate?s Sony Open in Honolulu next month.
?I feel like my game is progressing and getting better and better,?? she said.
If the going gets tough again, however, she said she will think of Travis Hearn.
?Seeing him in that kind of situation and knowing he?s not going to give up?? will supply motivation, Wie said.
?I thought it was the end of the world when I played bad my last couple of events,?? she noted. ?It?s nothing compared to what he is going through.??
A huge outpouring of support from people on both sides of the river here for this young football player. Makes you feel good to see that many people who have never meet Travis are stepping up to help any way they can.
If you are interested in helping this young man out, here is the address:
Fundraisers for Travis Hearn
* The Friends for 41 will present the Run for 41 competitive run and fun walk on Sunday beginning at 11:45 a.m. All proceeds will go to the Travis Hearn Fund. For details, call David Nevling at (309) 721-1960 or (309) 756-0926.
* Tunes For Travis, 2-7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26, The Boulevard, 1801 10th St., Moline. Featuring Siyg, Minus Six and Nicole Caras. Proceeds will benefit the Travis Hearn Fund. $4. (309) 738-7933.
* A Night With Elvis, a Travis Hearn benefit, 7 p.m.-midnight, Saturday, Dec. 9, Clarion Hotel, Davenport. Sponsored by Tunes 2 Play DJ/Karaoke, Elvis Inc., there will be an Elvis tribute, silent auction, raffle, music and karaoke. $5 donation to get in. For more information call Steve Meier, 563-505-6813.
To send mail to Travis, write to:
Travis Hearn
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
345 E. Superior St.
Chicago, IL 60611
(0) Comments | Rate this article | Default | Large
Teenage golf sensation Michelle Wie said she may look at missed putts and double-bogeys from a new perspective after a brief telephone conversation Friday evening with paralyzed Rock Island High School football player Travis Hearn.
Wie called Hearn at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago after learning of his plight from a question posed by e-mail earlier this week by the Quad-City Times.
The 16-year-old professional golfer from Hawaii also is donating $25,000 to the Travis Hearn Fund.
?As a fellow human being this is something I wanted to do,?? she said. ?It just felt like the right thing to do to help out another person.??
Hearn suffered a burst C-4 vertebra while attempting to make a tackle during a Rock Island football game Sept. 22. He has been diagnosed with quadriplegia.
Hearn said he was excited to hear from the Hawaiian golfer, who has played in the John Deere Classic the past two summers.
?She encouraged me,?? Hearn said.
Wie said her fellow teen inspired her, too.
?I told Travis not to give up and he said: ?Never. Never. Never,? ?? Wie said. ?I was glad to hear that. I told him I would pray for him.??
Wie said she also was motivated to help Hearn because of the strong level of support she has received from Quad-City fans during her past two appearances at the TPC at Deere Run in Silvis, Ill.
That includes last July, when she was forced to withdraw because of heat exhaustion midway through her second round, leaving the course in an ambulance. She was treated and released from Genesis Medical Center-Illini Campus, Silvis, Ill.
?The people of the Quad-Cities have given me so much,?? she said. ?They have rooted for me and supported me like no other. Even though I was sick last year, they supported me. I feel very warm and loved at the John Deere.??
Wie said she has not finalized her 2007 summer schedule yet but said she hopes to make a third straight appearance at Deere Run, where in 2005 she came within four holes and two shots of becoming only the second woman to make a midway cut on the Professional Golf Association Tour.
?If they give me an invitation, I would love to come back,?? Wie said.
Tournament director Clair Peterson said Wie will be welcome if the tournament fits her schedule.
In that event, Wie already has issued one special invitation to watch her play at the Tournament Players Club at Deere Run in Silvis, Ill., next July.
?I told (Travis) it would be cool if I could see him at the next JDC,?? she said.
Hearn?s mother, Colleen Stovall, said that will serve as motivation for her son to complete his rehabilitation program in Chicago.
?You know where we will be next golf Classic,?? she said.
Wie is coming off of a tumultuous year as a professional rookie.
She made tens of millions of dollars via sponsor?s endorsements and had ample success playing against women, posting top-five finishes at six Ladies Professional Golf Association tournaments, including three major championships.
But, after making the midway cut against a field of men at the Asian Tour?s SK Telecom Open in Seoul, Korea, in May, the history-seeking teen struggled in five other men?s events, including July?s John Deere Classic, where she was 7-over-par through 45 holes when she was forced to withdraw by illness.
She subsequently played poorly in men?s events in France and Japan and in the PGA Tour?s 84 Lumber Classic in Pennsylvania in September, increasing criticism of her determination to play against men as well as women.
Wie, though, is undeterred in her dream to be one of the world?s best golfers, gender notwithstanding. She is preparing to make a fourth start in her homestate?s Sony Open in Honolulu next month.
?I feel like my game is progressing and getting better and better,?? she said.
If the going gets tough again, however, she said she will think of Travis Hearn.
?Seeing him in that kind of situation and knowing he?s not going to give up?? will supply motivation, Wie said.
?I thought it was the end of the world when I played bad my last couple of events,?? she noted. ?It?s nothing compared to what he is going through.??
A huge outpouring of support from people on both sides of the river here for this young football player. Makes you feel good to see that many people who have never meet Travis are stepping up to help any way they can.
If you are interested in helping this young man out, here is the address:
Fundraisers for Travis Hearn
* The Friends for 41 will present the Run for 41 competitive run and fun walk on Sunday beginning at 11:45 a.m. All proceeds will go to the Travis Hearn Fund. For details, call David Nevling at (309) 721-1960 or (309) 756-0926.
* Tunes For Travis, 2-7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26, The Boulevard, 1801 10th St., Moline. Featuring Siyg, Minus Six and Nicole Caras. Proceeds will benefit the Travis Hearn Fund. $4. (309) 738-7933.
* A Night With Elvis, a Travis Hearn benefit, 7 p.m.-midnight, Saturday, Dec. 9, Clarion Hotel, Davenport. Sponsored by Tunes 2 Play DJ/Karaoke, Elvis Inc., there will be an Elvis tribute, silent auction, raffle, music and karaoke. $5 donation to get in. For more information call Steve Meier, 563-505-6813.
To send mail to Travis, write to:
Travis Hearn
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
345 E. Superior St.
Chicago, IL 60611
