“This is the fight of my life, a fight for my life, but one I am determined to win”, said Michael Hendry last year. He qualified for the fourth major in 2023 after finishing in the runner-up position at the World City Championship in Hong Kong. He was left only two strokes behind Taichi Kho, who won on his home ground.

The 44-year-old’s life turned upside down when, just two months ahead of the 151st edition of the tournament at Royal Liverpool, the New Zealander was diagnosed with leukemia (blood cancer). The shocking diagnosis marked the beginning of his road to recovery. Nine months later, Hendry returned to the golfing greens at Queenstown for the 103rd New Zealand Open; however, he missed the cut. Now, as The Open Championship returns to Royal Troon, Hendry will also be part of the 156-player field.

A new chance at life for Michael Hendry?

Michael Hendry has been granted a medical exemption for the 2024 Open Championship. The 2017 New Zealand Open champion was pretty nervous as he made a comeback. “It was the most nervous I’ve ever been on a first tee,” he said. However, he soon got a hang of the courses, the clubs, and the competition and got back into the winner’s circle in just three months.

In May of 2024, almost a year after his diagnosis was confirmed, the New Zealander grabbed his second career title on the Japan Tour after nine years at the For The Players, By The Players Championship. Just a year ago, he was back at the hospital bed, watching the pre-tournament coverage of the fourth Major. “July 19 last year, I’d managed to get out of hospital, but I was laying on the couch, 14 kilograms [30 pounds] lighter and battling to walk up the stairs at home,” Hendry said.

The Kiwi pro also had his biggest cheerleader, his daughter Maddison, by his side on the course. The journey through the surgery and the chemotherapies was extremely difficult for Hendry. “That was the toughest part; I’d stare at photos of my kids and wonder how unfair it would be if they had to grow up without a father,” Hendry said. However, his willpower and love for the family helped him survive through the phase.

Michael Hendry’s Battle Against Leukemia

Right after coming second at the Asian Tour event in Hong Kong, Michael Hendry noticed a lump on his chin. He returned to New Zealand after finishing at T11 at the Toke Homemate Cup in Japan. He started feeling tired and would sleep over 12 hours every day. When he got his tests done, he was diagnosed with Leukaemia in April 2023. He confirmed the diagnosis on his social media in May, and wrote, “Earning these doesn’t come easy and I was so excited to earn qualification to this year’s Open Championship, but alas I will no longer be able to compete this year.”

However, R&A had also told him that if he could come back healthy, he would be given a spot next year. This was what kept him motivated to recover quickly. But the treatments, as he said, were horrific. He had to undergo chemotherapy and think about weight and muscle gain all at once. “I’d do a session with my trainer, throw up [feeling sick from the treatment], and either rest or keep training,” Hendry said. His treatment was completed by August 2023.

Eleven months later, here the 44-year-old pro golfer is! Right where he had left the game before being diagnosed. Will he be able to shine at the Royal Troon? Stay tuned to find out!