Golf is the Best Medicine
by ACAC Sports Writer Curtis J. Phillips
While attending high school at Monsignor McCoy High School in Medicine Hat, Becky Martin would swing her way to Alberta Schools Athletic Association's women's golf championships in Grade 10 and Grade 12 while earning runner-up status in Grade 11.
Her golf resume also includes capturing the 2010 Maple Leaf Junior National Tour Championship with an impressive 14-over par 158 (75-83).
Such talent does not go unnoticed.
Martin landed an athletic scholarship south of the border and became a student/athlete for the University of Toledo Rockets. In her first year on the NCAA circuit, her highlight was an 18th place finish, 156 (75-81), assisting her team to the championship at The Preview
Returning home for the summer break of 2012, she won the Medicine Hat City Open championship showing her skills with a 13-over par 227 (74-78-75). On the big stage, Alberta Ladies Amateur, she tied for fourth.
She upped her game in her second year at Toledo with a career low 232 (77-76-79) to be part of the Redbird Invitational champion Rockets squad.
Playing any sport, golf too causes bumps and bruises and the body does not lie.
Due to years-and-years of repetitive arm movements perfecting her game, Martin had to medical redshirt for 2013-2014 due to golfers elbow.
She would return to school for the fall of 2014 competing in only four tournaments.
Her mental aspect of the game, which is all important, was fine but her body was not listening.
She had numbness and tingling in her hands along with pain in her neck and shoulders,
"I probably had it (Bilateral Functional Thoracic Outlet Syndrome) for five or six years but it became serious three or four years ago but no one really believed it," said Martin, now 23 years-of-age. "But then it became an emergency."
In a nutshell, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome "is a condition in which there is compression of the nerves, arteries, or veins in the passageway from the lower neck to the armpit."
Physio therapy may only do so much, in such; Martin has had to undergo six surgeries, her last August 9, 2016.
"I've had my first rib removed on both sides as well as some neck muscles," said Martin, who after four years in Toledo had a brief stay at University of Alabama Birmingham, where she was medically ineligible to play for the Blazers for the 2015 season.
She is now a member of her hometown Medicine Hat Rattlers golf team and despite any physical ailments, Martin is tops in 2016 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) play.
At the ACAC South Regional held September 17-18, 2016 in Olds, the 5-foot-9 Martin totalled a 146 (Sept 17: 36,47 Sept 18: 36,38) which was 20 better than second place Shaye Leidenius of Red Deer College who had a two-day total of 164.
The ACAC North Regional held September 24-25 17-18, 2016 at Ravencrest Golf & Country Club found Martin No. 1 once again at 150, eight strokes better than Leidenius .
"Right now I don't have the stamina that I need to practice," said Martin. "Right now I am in chronic pain. I had been off a couple of months, so I have lost a lot of distance on my drive. While (the nerves regenerate ) I might as well continue doing something I love…and that is golf.
"It has been a long road and I will probably never regain 100% physical function. Potentially I may be able to get close to normal."
Of returning to her home links: "Too be honest, living away from home kind of sucked, so I am happy to be home in Medicine Hat…which has nice golf facilities."
The ACAC Golf Championships are scheduled for October 1-2, 2016 at Lac La Biche Golf & Country Club.