While the name Garrett Rank might ring a bell to some hardcore NHL fans, golf fans were a bit surprised watching Rank move up on the leaderboard at the RBC Canadian Open.
An Ontario native, 28 year old Rank is currently tied for 15th during the second round, Rank has a rather interesting story.
After winning the 2015 Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship for the second straight year, he earned an invitation to Glen Abbey Golf Club. But before that, his life wasn’t that simple.
In 2011, during his third year at Waterloo, Rank was diagnosed with testicular cancer. “As a young kid and athlete, I didn’t think it was possible. But I took it in stride and had surgery on January 31,” Rank said. “I had a six-week recovery period, so I stayed home to recover and tried to keep up with my school work.”
3 months later, and hours and hours of rehab, Rank was cancer-free.
Rank who had always had a love for the game of golf, put down his hockey sticks and traded them in for golf sticks. It was less of an impact sport and after his surgery, he had lost a good amount of strength that was needed to endure hockey.
After graduating, Rank worked as a ref in the Ontario Hockey League and for a short time in the American League. Last summer, he was hired by the NHL and has been pretty busy ever since!
He’s made time for golf and luckily, the more important months of golf, are the least important months for hockey so he has been able to balance his two loves.
Lets see if things change after this weeks tournament!
Golfer Insights 