  Chris Baryla watches his drive on the 13th hole during the first round of the 103rd U.S. Open at the Olympia Fields Country Club on Thursday, June 12, 2003, in Olympia Fields, Ill. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/M. Spencer Green) |
It wasn't so long ago that Chris Baryla wondered if his professional golf career might be coming to an end.
A mysterious back ailment limited him to just seven events on the minor-league Nationwide Tour last year and there weren't any miracle cures being offered by doctors. The golfer from Vernon, B.C., found it painful just to swing a club.
"I had numbness in my left leg, which persisted, and some muscle weakness and numbness in my back," Baryla said Wednesday. "It was causing me to kind of blow out my back when I was trying to play and exercise and all that."
Indeed, one of the newest members on the PGA Tour has come a long way in a short amount of time.
Baryla ended up getting treated for a nerve problem and began feeling better earlier this year. But a big problem remained - where to play?
The 27-year-old had lost his full-time status on the Nationwide Tour and ended up having to qualify for events, getting into his first tournament at the end of May.
That's where his luck began to change as he posted a fourth-place finish at The Rex Hospital Open, setting the tone for a breakthrough year. He went on to get his first tour victory and made the cut in 13 of 14 events - a remarkably consistent run of golf that allowed him to finish 19th on the money list and earn his PGA Tour card for 2010.
It was a major step forward.
"Just top to bottom, a little more consistency throughout the game - I'm definitely proud of that, the consistency throughout the year," said Baryla. "The win was obviously fantastic, just to be there a lot of times is going to increase your odds of success."
The success earned him US$217,680 on the Nationwide Tour. He also made another $123,037 with an eighth-place finish at the RBC Canadian Open in July - tying him with Calgary's Stephen Ames for the low Canadian honours at the national open.
With so many good moments to choose from in 2009, Baryla has trouble identifying one favourite.
"If you look back, the whole year was a highlight," he said. "From getting into that first event and playing well on the weekend to the Canadian Open and playing in front of the home fans and obviously having a great finish. And clearly the win was fantastic and last week getting the (PGA Tour) card, accepting that was fantastic. There was a lot of highlights this year which isn't always the case."
Take 2008, for example.
In his final round of that season, Baryla actually signed for a 96 - an unthinkable number for a pro - after aggravating his back at the Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic. He had to hit some shots one-handed but thought it was important to finish the round because he had been given an exemption into the event.
It was a fitting end to a frustrating season.
"The highlight of last year was sitting on the beach with a cooler of beer," said Baryla.
Now that he'll be playing alongside the likes of Tiger Woods, Mike Weir and the other top golfers on the planet, there will be plenty of opportunity for new highlights in 2010.
The toughest thing for most PGA Tour rookies is the fact they often don't get in to many events early in the year. That puts them behind the eight-ball and doesn't leave much time to get comfortable later on.
Baryla will enter with an open mind.
"In terms of expectations, I really have none," said Baryla. "That may sound a little weird. I've got goals and ambitions, but no real expectations for anything."
It's particularly understandable given everything he's been through. With a few months still to go before his PGA Tour career officially begins, Baryla can sit back and enjoy his accomplishment.
"(I'm) very satisfied," he said. "I'm basically just ecstatic with how things turned out."
