Davis ready after health scare

Bryce Alderton

Rodger Davis arrived at Newport Beach Country Club late Monday

morning, much earlier than he would have thought 24 hours before.

Davis, the defending Toshiba Senior Classic champion, spent two

days in Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia after experiencing

severe light-headedness and chest pains Friday that caused him to

withdraw during the first round of the SBC Classic at Valencia

Country Club.

“I thought I would not play today, but thought I would come out

and see how everything is,” said Davis, who was released from the

hospital Sunday after nearly two days of tests, following the

harrowing experience.

The 52-year-old Australian felt light-headed when he reached the

13th tee at Valencia Country Club and had to be taken off the course.

Pointing to the red sweater he wore Monday, Davis said, “I turned

that color. [Tournament officials] carted me off.

“Doctors aren’t sure what it is, but it’s not heart disease. They

think it might be a gallstone [a lump of rock-like material that

forms inside the gall bladder].”

Davis, prone to bouts with allergies, said there was a lot of

pollen in the air during last week’s tournament, which could have

played a part in his condition. Davis is taking medication for

treatment of acid reflux, ulcers and heartburn and was concerned that

could also be giving him trouble.

Last week’s event was the second straight tournament Davis

withdrew from -- the ACE Group Classic in February was the other.

Fuzzy Zoeller, hitting balls a few stalls over on the driving

range, came over to greet Davis and offer sympathetic words.

“Glad to see you here,” Zoeller said.

Last year Davis also suffered distress of a different sort in the

weeks leading up to Toshiba.

It was Zoeller who talked Davis into continuing to play in last

year’s MasterCard Championship in Mexico City after Davis, another

golfer and two caddies were held up in a restaurant by two men who

stole their watches.

Davis, who led the Champions Tour in putting and sand saves last

year, took Zoeller’s advice and two weeks later made the Toshiba

Senior Classic his first tour victory. It was the fifth continent on

which he has won.

Zoeller, Davis and Chi Chi Rodriguez will all speak at the

Champions Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. today at the Newport Beach Marriott.

During Sunday’s final round at Toshiba last year, Davis birdied

11, 13 and 16 to prevent any competitor from catching him and

finished the tournament with a 16-under-par 197, one stroke off of

Hale Irwin’s tournament scoring record set in 2002.

Davis’ best finish in four events this season was a tie for 23rd

in the Royal Caribbean Golf Classic in February when he shot a

2-over-par 218. He shot a 6-under 210 to finish 31st in the

season-opening MasterCard Championship and is currently 67th on this

year’s money list. Last year, he finished 22nd on the money list

($885,781).

Health permitting, he will compete in his third Toshiba Senior

Classic when the first round begins Friday. Like several other pros,

he said the tournament is one of the select few they look forward to

each year.

“We are obviously delighted he is here and ready to play,” Toshiba

Senior Classic Tournament Co-Chair Jake Rohrer said of Davis.