Brett White's inspiring journey from illness to making his first PGA Tour cut

Brett White carded a 2-under 70 on Friday, October 6, to make the cut at the Sanderson Farms Championship, marking his first since turning pro. He jumped to T18 on Saturday after shooting a 4-under 68.

For White, his first PGA Tour cut is particularly special given what he went through in these six years. Soon after turning pro in 2017, he was diagnosed with viral encephalitis, which caused inflammation in his brain. This resulted in him becoming paralyzed and he lost his ability to walk and talk. Worst of all, he had lost his memory.

White overcame all the struggles, learned to walk and swing again, and returned to golf in 2018. Earlier this year, he made his first PGA Tour start at the Waste Management Phoenix Open via Monday qualifier. This week, he played in the Monday Qualifier to earn a spot in the Country Club of Jackson's field and eventually secured a place for the weekend.

In an interview with Golf Channel earlier this week, he spoke about his experiences and struggles.

"Two weeks before I ended up in the hospital, I took second," said White. "I lost in a playoff in the New Hampshire Open. I was playing good golf, and then, boom, like 10 days later, I’m laid up in the hospital, not knowing what’s going to happen."

He added that there were questions if he would ever play golf again or be able to walk alone.

He added:

"But once they got the brain swelling under control, it was all about, 'Now let’s see how much you can get back to normal.' And I’ve been blessed. I was lucky. I had great medical care — Spectrum Health and Mary Free Bed in Grand Rapids — and a lot of luck, I’m sure, from the big man."

The 30-year-old golfer revealed that he would undergo hours of physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy to recover. He added that breaking down the obstacles one by one was his approach, and golf played an important role in his recovery progress.

He said as per the Golf Magazine:

"I knew I needed to be able to play golf just for my sanity. I didn’t know what level it was going to be, but it’s just a part of my identity. Getting back to golf motivated me through all the physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy and all that kind of stuff."

"Things can look stacked against you, but you got to play the hand you’re dealt, and try and figure out a way to get better. Hopefully, people look at my story and, you know, try and persevere through whatever they’re going through."

---

When will Brett White tee off in the final round of the Sanderson Farms Championship? The golfer's tee time details explored

Brett White is currently T18 at 10-under after three rounds, still 10 strokes behind the leader at the Sanderson Farms Championship 2023. He is paired with Alex Smalley for the final round of the 2023 Sanderson Farms Championship. The duo will tee off on Sunday, October 8, at 1:15 pm ET.