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LPGA golf star Danielle Kang is competing in the 77th U.S. Women’s Open this weekend with plenty on her mind.
Lingering back pain that she’s been dealing with for months took a turn in April when she found out that she has a tumor on her spine.
Kang confirmed reports of the ailment when speaking with reporters on Friday afternoon.
“I don’t really have the answers now,” Kang said when asked if the tumor was benign.
She was told by doctors that she wouldn’t be able to play in this weekend’s major, but defied the odds despite and played through pain. Through Friday, Kang is sitting at three over par for the tournament, which is just outside the cut line as the afternoon tee times continue their rounds on the course.
“Right now, it’s not as simple as blaming the tumor to be the problem. It’s not just that I have an issue with my back, there’s 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,” Kang added.
When asked how she’s feeling overall, Kang was honest with reporters who were present after her round.
“I’m not feeling fantastic, but I’m playing golf, which is good. 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,” Kang said.
Kang said after the event this weekend, it’s not clear when she will compete again, saying that it could be weeks or months, but she didn’t know for sure.
The 29-year-old has six professional wins on Tour, with her biggest win coming in the 2017 Women’s PGA Championship, her first and only major title.
