As Tiger Woods's gammy back saw him gingerly hobbling and hirpling about like a firewalker than had just stepped on one glowing ember too many, Gary Orr probably felt the ailing champion's pain.
A career spent thrashing and battering away at a small, dimpled ball eventually took its toll on the Helensburgh man, too. Orr has not played on the European Tour since September 2013 and, as he creeps towards his half century, the 47-year-old is unlikely to return. "I wouldn't rule it out but I probably won't go back to the tour," admitted the canny Scot, whose own back niggles have caused him much groaning and grimacing in recent years. "The back problems just made it all an uphill struggle and I wasn't enjoying it. I've had plenty of advice but never been able to get to the bottom of it. The joints would inflame pretty easily if I made a bad swing, it would then spasm really badly and I couldn't do anything for about two weeks. It was a fairly grim scenario. It was frustrating, as I was actually playing half decently, but a thing like a back niggle gets into the mind. As soon as you feel a wee twinge you think 'oh God, here we go again'. It creeps into the head and you lose all confidence in the ability of your body to cope. I couldn't keep going and just needed a break."
It's now 22 years since Orr, in more supple, pain-free times, began his European Tour escapades and the former assistant professional at the Burhill club in Surrey made a right good fist of it. Rookie of the year in 1993, Orr would finally make his breakthrough seven years later during a shimmering season in which he won the Portuguese Open and the British Masters. "It was not the main goal to be a tour pro," he added. "I thought I'd get my PGA qualification first. I was fortunate. I did ok on local circuits down south and on the Tartan Tour and got some financial support from the club. I went to q-school, got my card and we were off. You're never sure how you'll get on and how your game will stand up on the tour but I was pretty steady straight away and just built on that."
Two wins in 2000 proved that this building process was created on solid foundations but, with success, came the pressure of added expectation from within. "I think I pushed myself too hard after that," said Orr, who was 10th on the European money list in 2000 but had slithered down to 110th just two years later. "I expected to do the same the next year but when you've had the best season of your career, it's hard to repeat. Your expectations rise and when you don't reach those targets, you get frustrated and it has a detrimental effect on your game. Of course, as you get older you learn more about your game. It would be nice to have the knowledge I have now and go back to how I was physically at 25. You'd get a lot more out of yourself but then every golfer would say that. That's the nature of golf and sport in general. But I can't complain. If you'd told me when I was an assistant that I'd be a double tour champion I would have been more than happy with a career like that. Golf has been good to me."
With an eye on the Senior Tour in a couple of years' time, Orr - dodgy back permitting - is not quite finished with the game that has been his life. "After 20 years on tour you do miss it," he said. "You miss certain events, certain courses and the general buzz.. And, at this time of the year, you miss the weather. I mean, you'd rather be out in Abu Dhabi this week wouldn't you?"
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