Sidelined golfer Ariya targets LPGA Tour card

The teenage prodigy Ariya hurt her shoulder when she slipped and fell during a practice round for the Wegmans LPGA Championship in New York last month. Doctors diagnosed a torn ligament and slight dislocation of the joint.

“After treatment for almost a month, there were no signs of recovery. I decided to come back home with my brother for surgery. I was introduced to a specialist in this area and I decided to go ahead with it,” said the 17-year-old, who was operated upon by Doctor Pornthep Mamanee, a specialist in orthopaedic and arthroscopic surgery.

“The surgery went well. Now she will have to do a rehabilitation session every day at the hospital. When she gets better, she can do some minor training,” the surgeon said. His team will also keep an eye on Ariya’s diet during the rehab process.

Once she is allowed to resume training, Ariya said she would start by working on her short game – putting and chipping – and may need up to three months before practising her full swing again.

“I will just watch golf events on TV in the meantime. I have no idea what my comeback event will be.”

But she made it clear she would not be entering any European Ladies Tour events this season, having secured a two-year Tour card after winning the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco in March.

Instead, she said she would focus her attention on the last stage of the LPGA Qualifying School in December in a bid to join elder sister Moriya, last year’s winner, for a full tour card.

Despite being to young for LPGA membership, Ariya has made the most of invitations  with stunning results on the circuit, finishing second in the LPGA Thailand in February then getting inside the top five at the following week’s HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore.