Heather MacRae set for return to pro golf after cancer op

Heather MacRae will team up with friend and fellow Scot Craig Lee in the Fourball event. Picture: Richard Martin-Roberts/Getty

MacRae, 35, was diagnosed with cervical cancer in March and had surgery in mid-June, only a few days after winning the Women’s PGA Championship for the second time.

As well as being her first competitive outing, the 54-hole tournament at Farleigh Golf Club in Surrey will, to all intents and purposes, be her first round of golf. She said: “I played my first five holes on a proper golf course a week or so before the tournament and I hope to play 18 holes for the first time before it.”

MacRae will team up with fellow Scot and PGA Professional Craig Lee for the event and being fit to take part in the popular PGA tournament with her friend was one of the post-surgery goals she set herself.

Nevertheless, the PGA pro who is attached to Stirling Golf Club, has adopted a softly, softly approach on the road to making a full recovery.

“I have been really cautious,” she explained. “I don’t want anything to knock me back. I didn’t hit a driver until a couple of days ago but I have practised my short game.”

MacRae anticipates, however, that any issues she encounters will not be ring rustiness but rather fatigue. “It’s more just feeling tired that gets me,” admitted MacRae.

“The surgeon said a few weeks ago I would be fine just swinging the club and building things up.

“But feeling exhausted after nine holes on a mini course has been difficult to get my head round.

“It doesn’t feel as you’re doing that much but it kind of wipes you out.

“I did some work with the Scotland team in the Home Internationals a couple of weeks ago and we walked the course before the matches.

“It was the most I’d done since the operation and I was absolutely exhausted. I spent the rest of the week riding round in a buggy.

“As far as Farleigh is concerned, I’ll be fine. I don’t feel stressed about it because it’s fourball.

“If I get tired over the last few holes, I have a good partner. Hopefully he’ll carry me most of the way and I’ll try and help where I can.”

MacRae and Lee will be in a 60-strong field vying for a portion of the £33,250 prize purse. They will be joined by defending champions Jack Winer and Jack Watts and the duos that finished second and third at Belton Woods last year.

Adam Keogh and Michael Reed lost in a play-off against Winer and Watts, and Michael Watson and Richard O’Hanlon were third having been runners up in 2017.