SOUTHERN PINES, North Carolina – For the past two months, Danielle Kang has done everything she can to get to the 77th U.S. Women’s Open. It was her only goal.
But in the grand scheme, her battle to make the cut at Pine Needles pales in comparison to a bigger battle. Kang, who has endured back pain for some time now, has a tumor on her spine.
When asked if the tumor was benign, Kang told a small group of reporters, “I really don’t have the answers now.”
Kang, 29, said she has gone through a number of procedures with specialists, and it’s a process of elimination. She was told she wouldn’t be able to compete in last week’s match-play event or this week’s major, but she proved otherwise.
Kang said she found out that she had a tumor when she returned from the LPGA tournament at Palos Verdes in late April, which she withdrew from after the first round.
“Right now, it’s not as simple as blaming the tumor to be the problem,” Kang said. “It’s not just that I have an issue with my back, there is more to it. The scary part is that, I understand, and I didn’t want to publicize it, but I know it got out. There’s more to it. I just don’t want to really discuss the details of what’s going on in my back.”
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Danielle Kang hits a tee shot on the 17th hole during the second round at the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open Presented by ProMedica at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C. on Friday, June 3, 2022. (Darren Carroll/USGA)
Kang carded a 3-over 74 in the second round with a triple-bogey on the first hole. She’s currently 3 over for the tournament, in a share of 67th. The top 60 and ties make the cut.
“I’m not feeling fantastic but I’m playing golf, which is good,” she said when asked if she was playing in pain. “I’m good enough to kind of play. All I wanted to do was compete. I feel like I can, just got a little unlucky out there today, made a crazy triple. Other than that, I actually played really solid.”
As for her future plans, the six-time tour winner said she has already withdrawn from the next two events.
“It could be a week, it could be months,” she said, “I don’t have the answer.”
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