Injuries are a constant threat to professional golfers and Dutch player Nikki Hofstede is no stranger to that.
Yet even by an elite golfer’s standards, this year was one of rotten luck for Hofstede but she is a fighter.
Whilst most golfers’ goals for the year are finishing top six in the LETAS Order of Merit or making every cut Hofstede has had a much simpler goal: to play without pain.
Hofstede started her year out in South Africa and played on the two LET events there but was suffering pains in her right wrist, her dominant hand.
After flying back home in March she thought a quick trip to her physio would solve it and she would be back to fighting fit in no time. However, the pain got worse and then her wrist became swollen, red and itchy.
Two weeks of intended rest turned into eight months. After failed injections and confused doctors, Hofstede was finally diagnosed with having a ganglion cyst which hadn’t protruded and was stuck between the bone and tendon. Painful but solvable with surgery.
“I played my last tournament in the beginning of March, so it’s been a long road. I went a bit crazy, at some points I thought maybe it’s just all in my head. I was in a lot of pain and the doctors couldn’t find anything.
“Before I knew I needed surgery, I thought maybe I’m just not going to be able to play golf at this level or maybe it’s my body telling me that professional golf is not the way to go. It was scary and overwhelming.”
Post-surgery, Hofstede had stiches in her wrist for two weeks and describes how even getting a coffee felt like a workout.
After about two months Hofstede started with some low impact chips and putting. Mid-October the 22-year-old was able to hit balls on the range and at the start of November, she could finally play 18 holes again.
“When I could play 18 holes again it was amazing as my goal was to be able to play Q school again.”
Hofstede used the Santander Golf Tour- Cantabria matchplay event at Real Golf De Pedrena as her test event, to make sure she could compete again, and she finished tied 5th after qualifying and beating LETAS player Clara Moyano Reigosa 2 & 1.
“I was very happy to be able to play the tournament, I played 18 holes of practice, the pro-am and then 18 holes qualification and 35 holes on the second day.
“It was a lot of golf in a very short period, and it went physically better than I expected.
“Mentally I had all the feelings. I felt everything. I felt extremely heavy and blessed. I was sad and disappointed and everything in between yet I was glad to notice that I hadn’t lost the fighter inside of me.
“At some points it felt like the break had been too long. I have questioned whether I even enjoyed golf because in my time off I had zero connection to the game anymore.
“It’s been hard and to be able to go out there I was so happy, it was overwhelming but reassuring as I’m exactly where I want to be.”
Although 2023 has been incredibly difficult Hofstede has still searched for the positives from suffering the injury by working on the mental side of the game and secured some temporary work in a golf shop where she has made new friends.
“It was refreshing to make friends who just did golf as a hobby but the amount of support I got from the girls out on LET Access has been amazing.
“There were times where I would get a message and I would just cry because I didn’t know I meant so much to people.
“The support was motivating as well. It made me want to come back stronger.”
Now Hofstede has her sights on competing at the LET Q School in December, starting with the Pre-Qualifiers.
Hofstede earnt a fast-track to final qualifiers in 2022 after finishing 20th in the LETAS Order of Merit in her rookie year but this time she is feeling less pressure with Q School.
“I’m feeling so blessed that I will be able to play, and I will try and focus on the positive side. I am nervous because I haven’t played a lot, but I don’t feel pressure though like last year, I’m just going in with no expectations.
“I want to soak it all in, enjoy it. I can only gain stuff and I’ve already completed my goal of playing without pain.”
