Paula remains positive

For Paula Creamer, nothing has changed, and everything has changed. Her goal remains to become the premier female golfer on the planet, which she’s aimed for since turning pro in 2005.

With eight victories before the age of 22, the goal seemed within reach.

Over the past two years, however, Creamer, 23, has learned something many in her profession normally don’t discover until their 30s or 40s: She is not invincible. The body breaks down.

First came the mysterious stomach ailment that plagued her for much of 2009. The doctors still don’t know what caused it, but, at least, it has gone away, although she will always be careful. Whenever she leaves the country, Creamer brings her own food.
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Then came the problem with her injured left thumb, which became so painful that she fell down and started to cry after hitting a shot on the 16th hole of her first tournament round this year in Thailand. She withdrew and hasn’t played a single round since. After making several attempts at rehab, Creamer finally underwent surgery, the last resort, on March 30.

The painful thumb was doing more than interfering with her golf game. It was interfering with her life.

A month later, the cast is off, but Creamer is a ways from returning to the LPGA Tour. She’s hoping for sometime in June, but it is far from certain. She doesn’t even know when she’ll be able to start hitting balls.

Source: Yahoo! Sports