Freeman shakes off ‘Tiger’ injury to win at Penwortham

James Freeman bounced back from a ‘Tiger Woods-style’ back injury to win the PGA Assistants’ Championship north qualifier at Penwortham Golf Club.

Rotherham-based Freeman shot a five-under-par round of 64 to top the leaderboard by two shots - despite going out of bounds at the first hole and collecting a double bogey.

Freeman, representing Doncaster’s Owston Hall Golf Club, pipped Cobie Atkin of Cottingham Golf Club in East Yorkshire, and the 31-year-old (pictured) - along with 18 other qualifiers from the event - will now head to Coventry Golf Club for the £32,500 FootJoy-supported final on June 11-13.

The result came after Freeman spent two years out of the game with back problems.

He underwent surgery in Sheffield last July after suffering crippling pain.

And he says his victory has paid back Owston Hall for keeping faith with him.

“They’ve been absolutely brilliant,” said Freeman.

“I’d tried everything over a two year period, epidurals, MRI Scans, nothing worked.

“The problem was a pinched nerve in the back which is similar to the injury Tiger Woods has had.

“I was in a bad way, I was having to lie down a lot and I just thought ‘I can’t live my life like this’. I couldn’t move for six weeks.

“I’d also had the problem mis-diagonsed, but decided to have an operation last summer. When I joined Owston Hall after deciding to go down the PGA route, I was still recovering.

“But they supported me and this win is for them. I’ve also had a lot of backing from my sponsors, Network Blinds and the Jelly Bean Factory. Now I’m injury-free and looking forward to playing again.”

However, Freeman did not expect to qualify for the final after his disastrous start at the Preston venue.

“I’d been showing decent form but I hit the ball just out of bounds and finished up with a six,” he said.

“After that I just went for it, it seemed to relax me a bit in fact, and I picked up eight birdies! I found I was putting well so it was a good day in the end.”

For more great images from the qualifier please click here