Brett Quigley Injured but Defending at Constellation Furyk & Friends

He is not the only celebrated golfer in his extended family. His father, Paul, is a highly skilled amateur, having won the Rhode Island Amateur three times, the Rhode Island Stroke Play nine times, the Rhode Island Mid-Amateur once, and the Rhode Island Senior Amateur seven times. 

But that’s not where the golf stops with the Quigleys.

Brett’s uncle (and Paul’s brother), Dana Quigley, was a long-time club pro in Massachusetts. Then, after he turned 50, Dana became a PGA Tour Champions stalwart, and eventually won 11 times on the senior circuit. They called him The Iron Man because he rarely missed a tournament. 

Dana played in 439 PGA Tour Champions events, finishing in the top ten 128 times and making 436 cuts. He could probably be described as possessed by the game. He once played 278 events in a row.   

“He is still playing almost every single day at 77. Loves playing,” Brett said about his uncle. “I skipped Pebble Beach two weeks ago, and he called me every day to give me a hard time. How could you possibly skip?”

His uncle said, toughen up. Take more Advil. But not everyone has Dana’s determination or his body, which could take the punishment of day after day of golf for 439 tournaments.    

One reason Brett Quigley skipped that event is the injury situation.

“I have a torn labrum in my hip so that's been a little bit of a challenge the past three months,” he explained. “Surgery in another three or four weeks, after Little Rock (Simmons Bank Championship). And then it's about a six-week recovery. Be ready for the start of next year.”

It is not the kind of injury that heals on its own.

He knows what everyone who has been injured says. When you think you are ready, wait another two weeks.

“That's the hard part, too. You want to get back. When you're feeling somewhat okay is not ( the time) to rush it,” Brett added. “You hardly ever hear anybody say I waited too long to come back.”

Today, he spent an hour in the physical therapy trailer with the PGA Tour Champions experts, then he hit balls for a while.

“I'll rest and then try to hit a few more this afternoon,” he explained about his current routine. “That's been the frustrating part in the last three months. Haven't been able to practice like I want to.”

Not only that but playing hurt builds bad habits that are hard to break upon return. Maybe he changes his swing a little so it won’t hurt. Maybe he modifies his ball position, his stance, his grip. Then it’s a matter of reclaiming his prior game when he comes back. Playing hurt is always dangerous to your game.

However, even with the injury, Brett will enjoy the course this week because it’s a Donald Ross design, brought back as close as possible to the original by Bobby Weed.   

“I grew up in Rhode Island playing Donald Ross golf courses,” Brett explained. “So similar areas around the greens where your short game has to be pretty darn good. I think growing up at Rhode Island Country Club, Brad Faxon grew up there; great short game. Billy Andrade grew up there; great short game.”

He called his short game good.

Like other noted Ross courses, Timuquana Country Club, the site of this week’s tournament, has Ross design features. According to Brett, it has a similar feel to the courses he played growing up.

“If you're off a little bit, there is a lot of run-off areas on these greens,” he said about the course. “For me, on this golf course, if you can hit it on the greens in the right spot, you're going to have some good birdie putts.”

If you miss the correct portion of the green, the ball is going to roll off and maybe cost a player a stroke. The greens repel. That’s what makes a Ross course a challenge. It’s what will determine the winner by the end of the day on Sunday.