CRANSTON HERALD

08/04/2005

Cranston's Kelly wins R.I. Amateur

By ED OWENS Sports Editor

Less than a year ago, Cranston’s Diane Kelly entered Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston to have a benign mass removed from her brain. Less than two weeks ago, Kelly was crowned the First-Division winner at the Ocean State Women’s Golf Amateur State Championship held at Newport National Golf Course.

Kelly’s road to recovery has been long and difficult, but her adversities have only strengthened her resolve and made victory taste that much sweeter.

“Winning the tournament was so rewarding and very emotional,” Kelly said. “Last summer I was in the hospital and I didn’t know what my fate would be. This summer I am out on the golf course and winning a beautiful trophy. It is very rewarding to myself and my friends. They always said that they knew that I could do it. I knew that I deserved it from all of my hard work and dedication, but it meant so much to go from the hospital to the forefront and to win [the tournament].”

Almost as remarkable as her speedy recovery is the fact that Kelly, in only her fifth year as a golfer, is almost entirely self-taught. Through the use of videos and reading materials, Kelly helped propel herself to the top of the Rhode Island women’s amateur ranks. Not only that, but she has had to learn how to play golf twice.

Following her surgery last September Kelly suffered, and still does, from complications such as nerve damage, loss of equilibrium, hearing problems and blurred vision. Any one of these ailments could cause a serious problem in the game of golf, but all of them combined would make competing at such a high level nearly impossible. But Kelly battled through her complications and used golf as a barometer to gauge her recovery.

“Mentally, it was very difficult,” Kelly said. “It was the scariest thing that I have ever been through and it helped put everything in perspective. But, I had to learn how to play golf all over again. I suffered from a severe loss of strength; where I used to be able to use a sand wedge to hit 70 yards, I had to hit an eight iron instead. But my strength is back near 100 percent now and my focus is sharper that it was prior to the surgery. It has given me a true appreciation for the sport as well as for life.”

Kelly, a competitive body-builder in the mid-’90s, used her background in strength training to help get her back to playing shape quickly. But, despite her strength being fully recovered, Kelly was unsure if she would be able to compete in the amateur championship as recently as the beginning of July. After she had an adverse reaction to her medication, her hopes of playing in the tournament seemed to be in jeopardy. But Kelly showed her resolve and again fought through her ailments to accomplish her goal.

“I had to play through pain, headaches and extreme fatigue in the tournament,” Kelly said. “It was very difficult for me. I had to get up at 4:45 a.m. to get to Portsmouth for my tee time, go through a five-hour match and then drive home. Fatigue set in for me during the day, but my adrenaline and excitement helped keep me going.”

Kelly won the First-Division title at the tournament, just one step below the Championship Division. But Kelly didn’t just win her division, she dominated it. Posting a personal tournament-low score of 81, she defeated Judy Gravier, 5 and 4, to win the championship but also won her earlier matches by scores of 6-up, 6-up and 3-up. The Ocean State Women’s Amateur Golf Championship is a yearly event and draws the top competition from around the state. Kelly has only been a member of the OSWGA for two years and has already made great progress in her game.

“When I joined the organization in my third year as a golfer, I was very green,” Kelly said. “I had never played in a tournament, so this is almost like I have only been playing golf for two years. I have so much still to learn. This tournament was pretty significant, to play against such a high level of competition. But with my motivation, I really felt like I could do it.”

Kelly took a 14-handicap into the amateur championships but, following her impressive performance at Newport National, expects to see that drop soon. Her goal for now is to continue her recovery and lower her scores on the course.

“I spend most of my time on the golf course now,” Kelly said. “It is so peaceful and quiet out there. I can do a lot of thinking and soul-searching while I am playing golf. I like that [golf] is individual like that; everything that you put into it is your own.”