PONTE VEDRA, Fla. - The Players Club made a dream come true Wednesday for Wounded Warrior and golf enthusiast retired Rhode Island Army National Guard Sgt. Michael McCombs. As part of their annual military appreciation day, the PGA presented McCombs with a membership to The Players Championship in Boston, just 22 miles from his home.
McCombs enlisted in the Army Guard as a military policeman in 1990. He deployed to Bosnia in 2000 prior to deploying to Iraq in February 2003. While deployed to Iraq, he was serving in Baghdad and Fallujah when a numb finger during a mission one day alerted him to a problem with his neck and spine.
He was medically evacuated from Iraq and underwent surgery. During his recovery, he was reinjured and eventually medically retired from the service in 2005. He still deals with constant pain from his injuries and post traumatic stress from his experiences.
It was nearly five years after he was discharged that McCombs discovered the Wounded Warrior Program. He is now a regular participant in the many programs and services that are offered to wounded warriors and their families and finds the support he receives helpful in dealing with his injuries and helping to bring his family together.
"It's great meeting up with people who are going through the same thing," said McCombs.
Receiving a membership to the TPC in Boston means a lot to McCombs who grew up in Rehoboth, Mass., played golf in high school and for a short stint in college. He even caddied for Dana Quigley, a professional golfer. Although his injuries have given him a slight setback, he said he still plays regularly and feels that golfing helps him to cope better with PTSD.
"I've always had a passion for golf," said McCombs. "Being out on the course clears my mind and keeps me from thinking of all the things I'm going through."
In addition to involving his family - Holly, his wife, and two sons and a daughter - in golf, McCombs is setting his sights on playing in the Senior Open at age 50.