BY SETH SOFFIAN • ssoffiannews-press.com • May 27, 2009 What’s a sure sign that Tommy Tolles was about as close to his old self
as can be expected In his first event back from surgery last fall to remove a bone chip in his spine that could have caused paralysis, the Southwest Florida product was just as disappointed that he didn’t play better as he was encouraged just to be playing again. A Fort Myers native and Cape Coral High graduate, Tolles, 42, shot 71-70-70 in the BMW Charity Pro-Am near his home in Hendersonville, N.C., two weeks ago and missed the Nationwide Tour event’s 54-hole cut by three shots. “These were not my home courses by any means, but I’ve played quite a bit at them,” Tolles, a PGA Tour member from 1995-2002 and in 2004, said of the three facilities near Greenville, S.C., where the tournament was held. “I was a little disappointed in my short game, because that’s the only thing I’ve been able to do with any duration the last five to six months,” Tolles said. “I thought I would struggle with distance control and trajectory. It was the exact opposite.” Out of action since surgery last September to remove a broken piece of bone that had wedged between two vertebrae in his back, Tolles had been unable to practice much until switching medications to a muscle relaxer only about a month ago.
Prior to that, Tolles had been taking two painkillers since his rehabilitation ended that weren’t as effective. He learned that both were on the PGA Tour’s banned substances list, forcing him off the painkillers and on the muscle relaxer.