During the 2021 Ascendant LPGA benefitting Volunteers of America, Jane Park’s daughter Grace began having a series of undiagnosed seizures that left the then 10-month-old with severe brain damage. Jane stepped away from competitive golf to care for her child who now needed round-the-clock attention, and the LPGA Tour veteran wasn’t certain if she would ever return to the professional golf world.
But at this year’s Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational in July, Jane decided it was time to dust off her golf bag and lace up her spikes. She called up her longtime friend and fellow #LPGAMom Paula Creamer and asked if she’d be her partner. Her husband and LPGA Tour caddie Peter Godfrey carried her bag. And most importantly, Grace was on-site to witness what might have been her mother’s last moments as a professional golfer.
This is the story of Jane’s unforgettable return to the LPGA Tour in Midland, Mich. and what that week at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational meant to her and her family. It’s also a story of advocacy for those in the disabled community and their loved ones that serve as caretakers.
But most of all, it’s a story about a remarkable display of resilience from a family that was dealt a difficult hand and who have gone through immense challenges in recent years, coming out on the other side all the much stronger for it.