There are 120 golfers competing at the Alberta Senior Men’s Championship at Henderson Lake Golf Club this week in Lethbridge. They’re all highly skilled, but there’s one man whose will is allowing him to defy expectations.
If you were watching from afar and saw his golf ball flying right down the middle of the fairway, you’d say: “That’s a really good golfer.”
When you see Bob MacDermott up close, you ask: “How is he doing that?”
The 61-year-old is a force on the golf course and he’s doing it with one leg and one arm.
In 1987, MacDermott was electrocuted in a farming accident, and taken to hospital by ambulance.
“We were on the way to Saskatoon University Hospital to save my life. We blew a couple tires and the ambulance rolled and chucked me into a stubble field,” MacDermott said. “It rolled me out the back end. Out of those two injuries, mostly the electrocution, I ended up being a multiple amputee, losing my left leg below knee, my left arm below the elbow and my right thumb.”
MacDermott’s life was changed forever but one thing wasn’t: his love for golf.
“It’s not just a passion; it’s an addiction,” MacDermott said. “(I told myself) I just want to play a little bit better and a little bit better. Time, perseverance, technology, and just the love for the game — before I knew it, in a couple years, I was back to playing at about a five, six handicap.”
In fact, MacDermott is actually a better golfer now then he was before his accident. He practices every day, has played in tournaments abroad, and is even sponsored by TaylorMade, which supplies his equipment.
“Amputee golf has taken me around the world. The people I’ve met, it’s just awesome,” MacDermott said.
He now shares his experience with new amputees who may be struggling.
“The best thing you can do for a new amputee sometimes is just walk into (the room) and walk out,” MacDermott said. “And you can tell them a little bit about your story, because we all have stories, that’s what life is. Let them know that hey, you don’t see it right now, but look at me.”