Derek Gillespie is happy to be back on Canadian soil.
In fact, these days, the Oshawa, Ont., native 鈥� who just returned from playing in eight events on PGA Tour Latinoamerica 鈥� is glad to be on any type of solid ground after surviving a horrendous accident in 2011 while travelling through the Arizona desert with two other professional golfers.
Gillespie, who will turn 35 in a month鈥檚 time, was considered to be sa国际传媒鈥檚 up-and-coming tour pro back in the early 2000s when he came through the University of Arizona, competing against the likes of future PGA Tour players like recently crowned Masters champ Adam Scott, Luke Donald, Ryuji Imada, Paul Casey, Charles Howell III, Lucas Glover, D.A. Points and Jonathan Byrd.
The veteran PGA Tour sa国际传媒 (formerly Canadian Tour) pro escaped death when the vehicle tumbled numerous times on Interstate 17, north of Phoenix. Gillespie 鈥� who was in the back seat sleeping 鈥� was thrown from the car and found laying in some cacti.
He suffered a broken right femur, as well as five broken ribs and a punctured lung back on that frightening April 24, 2011, day. They also had to remove cactus needles that had penetrated his beaten body before medical personnel could transfer him to a stretcher.
鈥淭he good thing was, I was kind of sleeping while it happened so I was like a rag doll. You take things for granted until something like that happens and it kind of wakes you up. I think I鈥檓 a bit of a different person now than I was a couple of years ago,鈥� said Gillespie, who was often described as an intense individual on and off the course.
鈥淚 think I鈥檓 over it now,鈥� he said of recurring visions of the accident. 鈥淓ven last year I might have had some bad dreams of what it felt like or what I remember seeing. Now, it鈥檚 pretty much over.
鈥淚 do have to take a step back every once in a while and think of where I was a couple of years ago.鈥� he added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 scary. I never had a fear of being in a car until that happened. Not that I have a fear, now, but I never really thought something like that could happen.鈥�
A former all-American competing in the Pac-10 at Arizona and a six-time competitor in the Canadian Open, Gillespie has experienced his moments on the former Canadian Tour with three second-place finishes and a third on the annual Order of Merit, which is based on money leaders. He also has a Big Break title to his name. Gillespie won the popular show on The Golf Channel in 2008 when it was filmed in P.E.I.
In Victoria, at last year鈥檚 sa国际传媒 Island Savings Open at Uplands Golf Club, Gillespie finished fourth in his comeback from serious injury and finished with $20,243.50 for the season; that left him 12th on the 2012 Order of Merit.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good to be here,鈥� he said of returning to the Island, arriving from the Dominican Republic on Sunday. 鈥淚 love coming here.
鈥淭hings were going very average, it鈥檚 nice to get on home soil and hopefully get some results,鈥� added Gillespie, who had one top 10 on the Latinoamerica tour, the only Canadian to do so, finishing ninth.
鈥淭his [Uplands] suits my eye pretty well and hopefully I can turn my year around here. Today felt really good,鈥� he said of being a few strokes under par at the Pro-Am on Tuesday. 鈥淗opefully, I can play some good golf and get the job done.鈥�
And if he ever gets in the doldrums, it鈥檚 quicker to pull himself out after what he experienced in 2011.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not the end of the world if I miss a cut or if, say, golf doesn鈥檛 work out,鈥� said Gillespie who still experiences constant pain in his hip. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 obviously better than the alternative.鈥�
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