Alfredo García Heredia has been having a few issues lately. At the British Masters, he had to withdraw during the second round due to neck discomfort, and this week in Ireland, he almost didn’t start the tournament because of a back problem. The Spanish saying “it never rains but it pours” could apply to him, as amidst these physical difficulties, he is fighting to maintain his playing rights on the DP World Tour for next year. He is in need. However, the reality is that today he has experienced one of the best days of his sporting career. Who would have told him on Wednesday, when he was seriously considering withdrawing from Ireland…
The Asturian got off the physiotherapists’ table of the DP World Tour, a fairly common visit for him lately, and could barely walk. He had a severe muscle spasm in the lumbar area. He discussed it with Álvaro Alonso, his caddie, and they considered the possibility of withdrawing from the tournament. 24 hours before the start, he didn’t feel up to it.
However, as they say, in the next room was Juan Ochoa, caddie, coach, and all-rounder for Ángel Ayora. He was finishing treating the man from Málaga, primarily focusing on recovery. Álvaro Alonso told Juan about Alfredo’s situation, and Ochoa, who has extensive knowledge of physiotherapy, offered to have him on his table for a look after dinner.
And so it was. Ochoa treated García Heredia and relieved the spasm. On Thursday, he had another session with him, and the improvement continued. Additionally, to complete the treatment, the veteran golfer from Gijón is playing with a hyperice brand belt that primarily applies heat. He wears it between shots. As you know, Alfredo signed his best round of the season on Friday (65 strokes) and today he played with Rory McIlroy for the first time in his career, in Ireland, beat him, scored 67 strokes (68 for the Northern Irishman), and placed third with serious chances of victory, three strokes behind Adrien Saddier (-15).
And to think Alfredo almost missed today… It has been a very solid day, with two eagles, two birdies, and a solitary bogey. He played great golf, hit very good irons, and is making the most of his caddie’s excellent contribution in reading the greens. His finish was spectacular. He hit a masterful second shot on the 17th and sank a two-metre putt for birdie and finished with an eagle on the 18th, with the stands absolutely packed and being congratulated by McIlroy. And to think he almost missed it… Life. Let’s end with another saying: Every cloud has a silver lining.
