Golfer
undergoes surgery
By Karl Peterson
On-line Forty-Niner
Golfers
are no strangers to injuries, but Long Beach
State golfer Tyler Mays suffered one of
the strangest injuries.
While practicing with the team at El Dorado
Golf Course on Sunday afternoon, Mays’ club
snapped during a swing, lacerating a ligament
in his right index finger.
Mays, a senior and one of the 49ers’ top
golfers, will miss at least three months
after undergoing orthopedic surgery from
Dr. Ross Nathan at Long Beach Memorial Hospital
Wednesday in which a three-inch metal rod
was inserted into the finger.
After three weeks, the rod will be removed
from Mays’ finger and, two weeks after that,
he will be able to begin stretching the
area, head coach Bob Livingstone said.
Mays should be able to start swinging a
club again by Jan. 1 and Livingstone said
he hopes to have Mays’ contributions again
by the Ping Arizona Intercollegiate on Feb.
3 or for the UC Irvine Anteater Invitational
on Feb. 10.
In addition, senior Robert Sul will fill
in for Mays at this weekend’s Fresno Lexus
Bulldog Classic.
The Beach, according to Livingstone, will
need better performances from the entire
team in order to replace one of their top
golfers.
“We all need to be really focused,” Livingstone
said.
The injury was not considered anything more
than a deep cut originally.
“He came to me and asked if I thought it
needed stitches,” Livingstone said. “He
had blood all down his shirt and all down
his shorts.”
Mays received ten stitches that day, but
bruising and swelling raised suspicion that
the injury was indeed worse and, after further
inspection, it was determined that Mays
would require the surgery.
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