Tony Romo On The Importance Of Managing Health In Golf

On Wednesday before the Pebble Beach Pro Am, Tony Romo confirmed that he has accepted a sponsor invite to a PGA TOUR event in the Dominican Republic called the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship.  The announcement was met with tremendous media interest and the PGA TOUR broadcast a Facebook Live of Romo’s press conference.  At the 10:05 mark, Romo discussed his rehab from football injuries, specifically how Jordan Spieth’s intro to his chiropractor Dr. Troy Van Biezen got him back on the course.  Like too many golfers, Romo's practice time wasn't only limited by his schedule, but by his health. 

Chirosport Specialists's appointment book is a who’s who of Dallas-area professional athletes, from the PGA TOUR to the NHL.  We aren’t highlighting this story because Dr. Van Biezen and his team were able to help another prominent athlete.  Considering their track record of success, that isn’t surprising.  We wanted to highlight the story because we feel that Romo’s experience is shared by many avid golfers and it illustrates an important opportunity in the golf industry.

According to data from the National Golf Federation, roughly 1 million people pick up golf each year and 1 million people stop playing golf each year.  

While there is tremendous energy directed at introducing new golfers to the game (especially young ones), slowing the exit is just as effective strategy for growing the game. 

The #growthegame effort can sometimes feel like a cheap marketing gimic, but it’s something everyone involved with golf should care about - from acupuncturists to agronomists.  The more golfers that play, the more opportunity that will be created for those who work in golf.  

There are plenty of reasons why golfers quit the game: it’s difficult, it’s expensive, it’s time-consuming and, not in the least, their bodies fail them.

Some studies suggest that the annual incidence of injury among amateur golfers is as high as 40% whereas the lifetime injury rate can be as high as 65-70%.  That is one of the highest rates of any recreational sport in the world, contact or non-contact.

Most golfers don’t think golf injuries are a serious issue until they have one.  It’s one of the reasons why the VAST majority of amateurs neglect their pre-round body prep.  But anyone who has suffered from back pain in their swing will speak with earnest of the misery they experienced.  If an injury happens, it’s almost never too late to get help, but it’s always inconvenient.  

Improving durability, lengthening careers and enabling a golfer to play more often are some of the most overlooked strategies in the “grow the game” movement.  Tony Romo’s circumstance isn't unique, but his recovery is evidence of the value of hiring a professional with training and experience in golf (like a TPI Certified expert).  It’s not just a value to the individual golfer, but offers value and opportunity to the industry as a whole.