The hallowed grounds of professional golf, a place where dreams are forged and occasionally shattered by a rogue divot or an errant squirrel, have seen another one of their own take a tumble. Young Matti Schmid, who was quietly carving out a rather respectable year, has had his season unceremoniously put on ice. The culprit? Not a shanked drive into the woods, nor a triple-bogey meltdown, but a fall so mundane it makes tripping over your own shoelaces look like a daring feat of athleticism. This pedestrian pratfall has resulted in a fractured elbow. So, our German hopeful must now swap the emerald fairways for the beige purgatory of physical therapy.
Schmid, bless his 28-year-old heart, shared this grim tidings via the digital town square known as Instagram. I'm picturing the post, complete with a solemn filter and a caption that’s just so earnest it makes you want to reach for a pint. The bottom line is this: several months off the greens, which for a golfer with momentum feels longer than a bad slice into the parking lot. His shot at more playoff glory, and frankly, any immediate appearances in upcoming tournaments, has gone south faster than a flock of geese in November.
Honestly, Schmid’s year was shaping up rather nicely. He was comfortably sitting in the top 60 of the FedEx Cup, which is a big deal. This earned him a golden ticket to the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He didn’t win, not by a long shot (T47, if you must know), but it was another solid step forward. Making the postseason basically says, "Hey, I’m not just a flash in the pan, I’m here to stay," which is a lot more than you can say for most of us who just watch golf.
But the real showstopper, the moment that probably had his nan glued to the TV, was his performance at the PGA Championship. He was flirting with a major title, a feeling I can only imagine is akin to finding a twenty-dollar bill in a coat pocket you haven't worn since last winter. He started the final round just two shots back, and for a brief, glorious moment, a maiden major win seemed within reach. Alas, like a perfectly struck draw that hooks just a hair too much, it slipped away. Still, a tie for fourth is a career-best major finish. It proved he can hang with the big boys, even if he can’t quite land the knockout punch.
I hope his trip to Paris for the Olympics, where he snagged a respectable 26th place, was more enjoyable than this current elbow-related sabbatical. That elbow, as any golfer who’s ever pumped a fist in triumph (or, more likely, despair) knows, is pretty darn important to the whole swing thing. Healing it up will take time and, I suspect, a healthy dose of Netflix. While this setback is a real kick in the shins, and the timing is just brutal, I'm betting Schmid will come back with a renewed fire. Maybe he'll even have a newfound appreciation for how easily our athletic dreams can go sideways. We can only wish him a speedy recovery and, perhaps, a stern warning against any spontaneous jazz hands.
In other news, J.J. Spaun’s season has also hit a snag. He had to bail from the Tour Championship after just six holes thanks to a shoulder that decided to throw a fit. Apparently, it started hurting like the dickens and just wouldn't quit. These little aches and pains have a nasty habit of showing up when you least expect them, just as opportunities are lining up. Spaun’s untimely exit also meant he missed out on a spot on the Presidents Cup team, which I’m sure stings more than a missed two-footer for birdie.