Davis Love III undergoes successful open-heart surgery

Davis Love III is back home after undergoing open-heart surgery earlier this week to repair a leaky valve that was detected about 10 years ago. The surgery had been scheduled for some time. 

CBS’s Jim Nantz shared during the Farmers Insurance Open telecast that Love, 60, a 21-time Tour winner and the 1997 PGA Championship winner, was released this morning from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.

“I went in healthy and came out healthier,” Nantz recounted that Love said when they spoke on Saturday. Nantz added that Love stopped on his way home for his first rehab with Sea Island’s Randy Myers, the father-in-law of Andrew Novak.

Love said that 10 years ago he had a routine physical at the Mayo Clinic and his doctor detected a heart murmur and sent him to a cardiologist, who confirmed a leaky valve. In a phone call with Golfweek, Love recalled his doctor telling him, "I can't believe your doctor could hear that through a stethoscope."

His doctor has kept an eye on it ever since. During a visit late last year, it was determined that it was time to replace the valve. "The doctor told me it's not an emergency but let's do it before the spring. I said, 'Let's do it the first date you have open,' " Love recounted.

That turned out to be Tuesday. "My heart is cranking again," Love said. "I didn't realize I had a cylinder not firing."

Love is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and still competes on PGA Tour Champions and said in November that he’d like to break Mark Brooks’ record for the most starts on the PGA Tour. (Brooks has made 803; Love is stuck on 790.) Love missed most of last season after undergoing thumb surgery in April. 

“Cow parts in my thumb and heart now,” he wrote to Golfweek in a text. “Hopefully hit it farther and no mooing!”

Good to see his sense of humor remains intact.

Cracking open Love's chest means he'll be sidelined for about 12 weeks to allow his ribs to heal. His goal is to be putting in March, the same month he can resume driving a car, and hopes to be swinging in April. “Standing behind you, Davis Love III,” Nantz said.

We, here at Golfweek, second that sentiment.