CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. – Sergio Garcia hit great shots that led to eagle, birdie and par Friday. They carried him to a 6-under 64, giving him a one-shot lead going into the weekend at the BMW Championship on ever-changing Cherry Hills.

Garcia holed out from a greenside bunker for birdie on the second hole. He holed a lob wedge for eagle on the short, par-4 seventh hole. And after hitting into the water going for the green on the par-5 17th hole, he escaped with par by getting up-and-down with a wedge to a foot.

He needed them all.

Ryan Palmer also made eagle with a short wedge on the seventh hole, and he finished birdie-birdie for a 64 to end up a shot behind.

Rory McIlroy made three straight birdies late in his round and left his last putt on the edge of the cup. The late surge gave the world’s No. 1 player another 67 and put him two shots behind. Billy Horschel, a runner-up last week at the TPC Boston, had a 66 and was tied with McIlroy.

Garcia was at 8-under 132.

Barring a charge that would make even Arnold Palmer proud, Phil Mickelson is playing his last PGA Tour event of the season. He twice hit into the water – making a triple bogey on the par-3 12th and a bogey on the 17th – and shot a 76. Mickelson, who needs to finish about fourth to qualify for the Tour Championship, was 14 shots behind and in a tie for 63rd in the 68-man field.

Jason Day withdrew on the ninth hole with a back injury and said he would try to be ready for the Tour Championship.

The only peculiar part of Garcia’s day was his left ear. He was on the sixth green when he felt a series of beeps, followed by a “pop” that made him feel uncomfortable for about the next hour before it finally went away. He’s not sure what it was. He’s not sure there’s a word for it in Spanish.

“It’s happened before, but usually I kind of blow it and it gets back,” Garcia said. “But for some reason, it just didn’t feel quite the same. And it still doesn’t, but it’s definitely better. It shouldn’t be too big of a deal.”

But it clearly didn’t affect his golf.

“Obviously, it helped, because then I made 2 on the next hole,” he said with a laugh.

The turnaround came at the end of his round. He went for the green in two on the 17th and came up well short. With the tough 18th ahead of him, it looked as though he would lose his lead and perhaps even more ground. But he hit wedge to tap-in range for his par, and then made one only six birdies on the closing hole at Cherry Hills.

“It’s only Friday, so we still have two days to go,” he said. “But it definitely helped my frame of mind going into the 18th tee, which today was playing quite hard. So it was nice to be able to get that up-and-down and then play 18 really well.”

Masters champion Bubba Watson had no trouble with the water on the 17th. He has taken on the cross bunkers both days with his driver, leaving him only an 8-iron Thursday and a 9-iron Friday. He made eagle the second time, shot 66 and was in the group at 4-under 136 that included Graham DeLaet of Canada and Hideki Matsuyama, who came into the week at No. 30 in the FedEx Cup.

The top 30 advance to the Tour Championship for a shot at the $10 million bonus.

Palmer has been showing up on leaderboards over the last month – share of the first-round lead at the PGA Championship and an opening 63 last week in Boston. He thought the greens might be softer because of the rain, and he was right. Palmer saw a few approach shots on No. 1 and told his caddie the course would be there for the taking.

He waited until the end to grab it with four birdies in his last five holes.

“It was a great way to finish,” he said. “I was glad I was one of the ones that shot low.”

McIlroy also made a late surge after starting with one birdie, one bogey and 12 pars. He began to turn it around with a 30-foot birdie putt on the 15th, a 35-foot birdie putt on the 16th and a long two-putt birdie at the 17th.

He shot the same score and felt entirely different – finishing with two late bogeys one day, three late birdies the next.

“I feel much better coming off the golf course because I birdied three of the last four holes,” McIlroy said. “I sort of struggled to get anything going today. It was a little cooler, so the ball wasn’t going quite as far, a little bit of wind … even though the course was softer, it still played pretty tough.”

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland – Richie Ramsay shot a 4-under 66 Friday to lead Ryder Cup rookie Jamie Donaldson by one stroke in the second round of the European Masters.

The 2012 champion from Scotland had a 12-under total of 128 after starting in morning rain on the 6,848-yard (6,262-meter) Severiano Ballesteros course in the Swiss Alps.

Donaldson had seven birdies and a bogey in his afternoon 64, putting the 38-year-old Welshman in good position to follow up his win at the Czech Masters two weeks ago.

American Brooks Koepka shot a second straight 65 and was joined on 10 under by Graeme Storm of England.

Another American, David Lipsky, had a 64 to sit a further shot back.

Victor Dubuisson of France, the other Ryder Cup debutant in the lineup, carded a 67 to head a group of players on 8 under.

Edoardo Molinari of Italy, who shared the overnight lead with Ramsay, only managed a 70 to join Dubuisson and three others, including Scot Marc Warren whose 63 was the lowest score of the day despite a pair of bogeys early in his round.

The third member of Europe’s Ryder Cup team playing here, Thomas Bjorn of Denmark, dropped 10 shots off the lead.

Bjorn, the European Masters champion in 2011 and last year, carded a 72 after his 66 Thursday.

The cut was made at 1 under, leaving 2010 winner Miguel Angel Jimenez out of the weekend action after a second straight 70.

Jimenez can still stick around to watch the Ryder Cup trio, as he is one of Europe’s five vice-captains for the Sept. 26-28 match against the United States at Gleneagles, Scotland.

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland – Richie Ramsay shot a 4-under 66 Friday to lead Ryder Cup rookie Jamie Donaldson by one stroke in the second round of the European Masters.

The 2012 champion from Scotland had a 12-under total of 128 after starting in morning rain on the 6,848-yard (6,262-meter) Severiano Ballesteros course in the Swiss Alps.

Donaldson had seven birdies and a bogey in his afternoon 64, putting the 38-year-old Welshman in good position to follow up his win at the Czech Masters two weeks ago.

American Brooks Koepka shot a second straight 65 and was joined on 10 under by Graeme Storm of England.

Another American, David Lipsky, had a 64 to sit a further shot back.

Victor Dubuisson of France, the other Ryder Cup debutant in the lineup, carded a 67 to head a group of players on 8 under.

Edoardo Molinari of Italy, who shared the overnight lead with Ramsay, only managed a 70 to join Dubuisson and three others, including Scot Marc Warren whose 63 was the lowest score of the day despite a pair of bogeys early in his round.

The third member of Europe’s Ryder Cup team playing here, Thomas Bjorn of Denmark, dropped 10 shots off the lead.

Bjorn, the European Masters champion in 2011 and last year, carded a 72 after his 66 Thursday.

The cut was made at 1 under, leaving 2010 winner Miguel Angel Jimenez out of the weekend action after a second straight 70.

Jimenez can still stick around to watch the Ryder Cup trio, as he is one of Europe’s five vice-captains for the Sept. 26-28 match against the United States at Gleneagles, Scotland.

KARUIZAWA, Japan – Canada continues to hold a two-stroke lead over defending champion Korea after Friday’s third round of stroke play at the Women’s World Amateur at Karuizawa 72 Golf East.

Leading the trio once again was 16-year-old Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., who carded a bogey-free, 6-under 66 for the second straight time on the Oshitate course. The Team Canada National Squad member recorded four birdies on the back nine to help her retain the individual lead for the tournament at 15-under par.

The world’s no. 2 ranked female amateur is dialed in and excited to close out the tournament strong in tomorrow’s final.

“I’m really excited for tomorrow and to be in the position that we’re in at such a beautiful golf course in beautiful Japan,” said Henderson. “I’m just really excited and enjoying the moment.”

The second-lowest Canadian score for the day was posted by 22-year-old Orangeville, Ont. native Brittany Marchand. In her first World Amateur appearance, Marchand has delivered consistent results across the board to sit at 6-under par (71-70-69) individually.

“I started out strong, I made a few good putts outside of 20 feet and I was really confident with my putter,” said 5^th year N.C. State student. “I was a little shaky on the back with a couple of birdies and a couple of bogeys but overall I think it was a good day.”

Augusta James of Bath, Ont. carded 16 pars en route to an even-par 72, which was discounted as the team’s highest score for the day. James, 21, is playing in her second World Amateur for Canada (2012) and knows what to expect come tomorrow.

“There are some things that I can draw on from two years ago but we’ve got a fresh golf course and it’s a different position that we’re in,” said the reigning Canadian Women’s Amateur champion. “Just trying to embrace that it’s a new day tomorrow and trying to improve on the last three days to help the team.”

Team captain, Liz Hoffman, plans to help the girls remain focused on closing out the tournament after holding the lead for three straight days.

“We talk about taking each day as a new day. We are focusing on each and every shot, one shot at a time, and we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves. We haven’t got ahead of ourselves and we’re certainly not going to tomorrow. We’re ready for the challenge.”

The Canadian trio is set to tee-off tomorrow on the Iriyama course starting at 11:05 a.m. (JST). They will be paired with Korea (-21) and Japan (-17) in their quest to capture the first ever Espirito Santo trophy for Canada.

Click here for team scoring.

Click here for individual scoring.

Augusta James, Liz Hoffman, Brooke Henderson, Brittany Marchand (USGA/ Steve Gibbons)

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Canada’s Adam Hadwin birdied the first six holes on the back nine and shot a course-record 9-under 63 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the Chiquita Classic, the second of four events in the Web.com Tour Finals.

The 26-year-old Hadwin, the Chile Classic winner in March, made putts from 10-16 feet during the birdie run that ended with a two-putt par from 35 feet on the par-4 16th.

“My record was five before today,” Hadwin said. “I think I’ve done it a couple of times playing for fun and stuff. At no point during that stretch did it cross my mind. I was just disappointed I left the seventh birdie putt short on 16 to keep it going. Par seems disappointing after six in a row.”

Hadwin finished fourth on the Web.com Tour’s regular-season money list to earn one of 25 PGA Tour cards. Those 25 players are competing against each other for PGA Tour priority, with regular-season earnings counting in their totals and the final leader getting a spot in The Players Championship.

“I’m going to the tour next year and I’ve got no pressure on me,” he said. “I’m just playing for seeding. I’m going to go out there, stay aggressive, stick to my game plan and whatever happens, happens.”

The other players in the series – Nos. 26-75 from the Web.com Tour money list and Nos. 126-200 in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings – are fighting for another 25 cards based on their earnings in the four tournaments.

John Peterson was second at 65, making eagle putts from 15 feet on the par-5 18th and 3 feet on the par-5 second. He was 179th on the FedEx Cup list.

“I think I changed clubs almost weekly this year,” Peterson said. “It was bad. I switched up caddies, instructors, clubs – everything. It got out of hand. I got caught up in trying to hit fades and play like this guy or swing like that guy. I just got lost of what made me me.”

He retooled his entire golf bag two weeks ago – all 14 clubs.

“I switched back to everything that I had last year,” Peterson said. “They weren’t necessarily the exact clubs, but they were still the same. It’s amazing how the look of something when you’re looking down on it can change your outlook.”

Scott Pinckney, Derek Fathauer and Hudson Swafford were three strokes back at 66. Nick Taylor, Tony Finau, Colt Knost, Jamie Lovemark, David Lingmerth, Kyle Reifers and Oscar Fraustro shot 67.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C. needs to continue to play well if he hopes to earn one of the final 25 PGA Tour cards being offered via the Web.com Tour and he did just that Thursday, carding an opening-round 67.

Bud Cauley, a one-stroke winner over Knost last week in the series-opening Hotel Fitness Championship in Fort Wayne, Indiana, opened with a 71.

Five players were unable to finish the round after play was delayed for 70 minutes in the afternoon.

BEON EOIN, NS – Westlake Village, California’s Brandon Hagy shot a 7-under 65 at The Lakes Golf Club on Thursday to take the first round lead at the Cape Breton Celtic Classic presented by PC Financial.

The 23-year old University of California grad is playing the event on a sponsor’s exemption and proved he was worth the selection on Thursday, carding seven birdies, an eagle and two bogeys to lead by one over Grand Rapids, Michigan’s Matt Harmon.

“It’s actually the second time I’ve been here in about two months, so it’s a long way, but I seem to like the place,” said Hagy, referring to his start at the Web.com Tour’s Nova Scotia Open in July in Halifax, where he made the cut and finished T40. “This is my sixth professional event, so it’s still pretty new for me. I’m just trying to get some experience against some good competition.”

Hagy is coming off a brilliant collegiate career that saw him named a 2014 PING All-American, and comes to Cape Breton in search of experience as he sets out on his professional career. With a stretch on Thursday where he went 9-under for nine holes at one point, Hagy said he learned a lot from his opening round.

“That’s one of the toughest things in golf to learn, when you start taking it deep like that how to stick to your process,” said Hagy, noting his bogey on the eighth hole (his 17^th) that dropped him to 7-under. “I didn’t do a great job of it, so it’s something where the only way you can get comfortable in that situation is by shooting those scores more often.”

One shot back of Hagy was Harmon, the current Order of Merit No. 4, whose timely round could see him make a move up the top of the standings this week. All four other members of The Five – Joel Dahmen, Tim Madigan, Brock Mackenzie and Josh Persons – were over par on Thursday, leaving Harmon with a head start in hopes of making a move this weekend.

“I’m just trying to finish out the season strong and maybe pay for some expenses later,” said Harmon, downplaying the race for the top spots on the Order of Merit. “It was nice to get off to a good start, and I’m looking forward to playing in the morning tomorrow.”

One shot behind Harmon was a group of four players at 5-under 67: West Vancouver, B.C.’s Seann Harlingten, Syracuse, New York’s Daniel McCarthy, Jupiter, Florida’s Adam Long and Moscow, Idaho’s Chris Williams.

North Vancouver, B.C.’s Eugene Wong continued what has been a solid 2014 season on Thursday, opening with a 4-under 68, the second best score of the morning wave. Though he’s been consistent with seven made cuts and five top-25s, the 23-year old said he’s looking for more consistency in putting four rounds together.

“I’ve had some struggles on one day, but I think I figured out the reason why I would have one bad round out there. I need to keep it more in play and not be so aggressive,” said Wong, who posted five birdies and one bogey on the day. “Sometimes I push myself too hard to try and catch people.”

With two events to go, Wong finds himself in good position to be rewarded for his 2014 season at 16^th on the Order of Merit. In addition to The Five earning status on the Web.com Tour, the top 10 players at season’s end earn an exemption into the final stage of Web.com Tour Q-School, with the top 20 getting into the second stage.

“My first goal is to be top-10 at least, to get into Final Stage if not second. But yeah, I’m just trying to let my game do all the work,” said Wong. “I try not to think about it. Obviously it’s on the back of your mind, but for me, I know if I play to my abilities I should be able to get in the top five or so.”

CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. – Rory McIlroy felt anything under par was a good score Thursday at Cherry Hills, even if he had reason to expect much better.

McIlroy ran out of par saves late in the opening round at the BMW Championship and had to settle for a 3-under 67, still enough for the world’s No. 1 player to share the lead with Jordan Spieth and Gary Woodland.

Cherry Hills, one of the shortest courses on the PGA Tour when factoring in the mile-high air, held up just fine.

“It’s tricky. It really is,” McIlroy said. “The altitude, we’ve had a couple of days to adjust to that. It’s fine. But these greens have gotten so much firmer over the last 24 hours. I think that’s what is giving the guys just a little trouble out there.”

U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer, Canada’s Graham DeLaet and Sergio Garcia were among those at 68, while Justin Rose wasted a fast start and was at 69. Phil Mickelson, who won the U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills in 1990, opened with a 70.

“It reminds me of Augusta in the early `90s, where the course played very short but the greens were the defense,” Mickelson said. “And the greens were very fast, and very firm, and it was very difficult to get the ball close.”

McIlroy ran off four birdies in a five-hole stretch around the turn to reach 5-under par. He appeared to escape trouble with one of his best par saves of the year, hitting a lofted pitch from the side of a mound that landed just on the green and rode the slope to about 8 feet. He avoided a three-putt on the next hole by making a 7-foot par save.

But that was the end of that.

McIlroy failed to save par from the bunker on the next two holes.

Spieth also ran into his share of trouble, though he countered with six birdies and figured out the nasty combination of soft turf in front of the greens and putting surfaces that felt like they had been mixed with cement.

He blasted driver through the fairway on the 382-yard seventh hole because it offered the best angle into the green. The trick was playing the wedge. It came out low and running, something one would expect to see more in links golf, and it had just enough speed to crawl onto the green and settle a few feet away.

“Today, I had a good short game,” Spieth said with a smile, a strong comment from a guy with one of the best short games in golf.

Woodland made only one mistake when he three-putted from about 50 feet on the fourth hole. He birdied both the par 5s, missing an 8-foot eagle attempt on No. 11, and was equally pleased with a par on the 18th hole, which features a severely canted fairway toward the lake and an uphill approach. Woodland hit 2-iron off the tee and a 6-iron onto the green.

“Probably the firmest golf course we have ever seen,” Woodland said. “The greens, they’re concrete out there. So if we don’t get any rain, it can be pretty interesting by the weekend.”

Just his luck, rain arrived late in the day and suspended the first round with nine players still on the course. They will return Friday morning before starting the second round. The field is only 69 players and there is no cut.

Among those who did not finish was Henrik Stenson, who missed a 4-foot par save on his 17th hole – the par-3 eighth – and fell to 2 under. Jerry Kelly, whose eagle on the final hole at the TPC Boston on Monday enabled him to be the last of the top 70 qualifiers for the BMW Championship, was at 1 under with two holes to play.

The top 30 in the FedEx Cup after this week advance to the Tour Championship in Atlanta, where everyone will have a mathematical shot at the $10 million bonus.

McIlroy has proven himself plenty this year, winning the British Open and the PGA Championship, with a World Golf Championship in between. He is No. 2 in the FedEx Cup standings behind Deutsche Bank Championship winner Chris Kirk, though he is assured a clear shot at winning the cup.

Boy Wonder has been saying during these FedEx Cup playoffs that his big year deserves a big finish.

He was hoping for a big round, and almost had one.

“The scoring isn’t that good out there,” he said. “Not that it’s not good, it’s just not that low. It’s tricky. It’s playing a little bit like a U.S. Open. I wouldn’t say it’s quite as difficult as that, but it’s thick rough, especially around the greens, and firm greens. That’s what they need to keep the scoring the way it is.”

McIlroy wasn’t the only player to reference a major championship.

“It felt close to it,” Garcia said. “Obviously, it’s not a long course with the altitude and everything, but a lot of the shots had to be hit perfectly to be able to hit it close to the pin.”

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland – Richie Ramsay of Scotland and Edoardo Molinari of Italy each shot 8-under 62 to lead after the European Masters first round on Thursday.

Both carded bogey-free rounds in the thin Swiss Alps air to finish two strokes ahead of Englishmen Tommy Fleetwood and Graeme Storm, and Gareth Maybin of Northern Ireland.

Ryder Cup teammates Jamie Donaldson of Wales and Victor Dubuisson of France were in a group of seven players a further shot back on 5 under.

Thomas Bjorn of Denmark, the third member of Europe’s team playing here who will face the United States in Scotland this month, was among 15 players shooting 4-under 66 on the 6,848-yard (6,262-meter) Severiano Ballesteros course.

Bjorn won two of the past three European Masters titles, and Ramsay was champion in 2012.

Ramsay eagled the par-5 first and birdied the next two holes before reaching the turn in 31 shots.

The Scot carded three more birdies spanning the 12th to 15th. He needed to birdie his last three holes to achieve a tour-record 59.

“On the 16th, I thought that if I could make my birdie putt I’d have a good chance,” Ramsay said. “But once I missed the putt, I obviously knew the game was up.”

Molinari also picked up five shots on the front nine holes, all birdies, and three more on the back nine.

Dubuisson, the world No. 21, is the highest-ranked player in the event co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours.

Like the Frenchman, Donaldson will be a Ryder Cup rookie. He is seeking his second straight victory after winning the Czech Masters two weeks ago.

Ten years ago I was diagnosed with Kidney Disease and now I need a kidney transplant.

Most people don’t realize I have this disease because there are so few visible signs of actual illness. I probably went undiagnosed for a couple of years. From this vantage point, I can look back and see symptoms of kidney disease, which at the time didn’t seem like much at all. Adding them up led to a diagnosis.

Since that diagnosis I have certainly had my share of ups and downs. I take very little medication, which is a good thing. However my Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR), which is how much blood is filtered in the kidneys per minute, continues to drop and now sits at 11%.

I have been on the transplant list since June of 2013, beginning a staggering 8-10 years wait for a cadaver donor. (These are possible because people have decided that if something terrible happens to them—usually an accident—they want something good to come of it. You can sign your donor card by clicking here.

As the disease progresses, without a transplant, my health will eventually decline, forcing me to go on dialysis.

That scares the hell out of me.

I have lost 25 pounds in two years as I struggle with diet and sticking to low sodium, low phosphorous, low potassium and gout triggers. I’m also lactose intolerant and have to stay away from fructose. Ironically, as I’ve lost weight, many people have commented to me how great I look. Some, who haven’t seen me for a while, comment on how thin I am getting.

I find it overwhelming at times. In order to cope with all of this I am taking advantage of counselling provided by the Kidney Foundation so that I am mentally prepared for the next stages . . . I also have to organize my life, so that I have plans in place as my life changes.

When I begin dialysis, I am going to need assistance in the form of a chauffeur, to and from the hospital. I may need some support for daily life, especially when tired out from the disease and treatment.

As I wait for a transplant, I will lose a level of health and well-being. If a live donor could be found, it would be my best chance for avoiding more declines in health and a much better outcome for the rest of my life.

I have found it really hard to imagine asking someone to consider becoming a donor. I know being a live kidney donor is now much easier and less invasive and traumatic to the donor than it was in the past. Surgery used to require a full incision and a long recovery time. Modern medicine now uses laparoscopic surgery with recovery time of 5-7 days.

I am blood type O and will need another O to donate to me. At this time, live donors must know whom they are donating to. But if you are willing to be a donor and are not blood type O, the kidney foundation may be able to set up a ‘domino’ surgery, where donors and recipients who don’t match are matched with others in the same situation, to make a match. Last year there was a donation like this where four live donors each gave a kidney to four people who needed a kidney.

Everyone has two kidneys, but only needs one to be healthy.

There is no long-term consequence to a donor’s health, other than the surgery itself. To see if you can be a donor; first you have to talk with your doctor and if there are no preexisting health issues, you will have some basic medical tests performed ensuring t you are able to be considered as a donor. It takes about six months for the screening process before donation can even be considered.

So there is lots of time to think about it, prepare and be sure this is the right thing for you. If you were wondering if you might be able to be a donor, would you consider taking the first step? Ask your doctor if you might be able to be a kidney donor.

Now my life is all about hoping someone will give me the best gift: the rest of my life.

So despite all of this, I continue to set goals for my future and look forward to life after transplant. My career as a golf professional continues to be my passion in life. Every day I learn new things about the students I teach and coach, creating a fun positive learning environment and more importantly I strive to be better at what I do.

I am grateful for the support of close friends, family, coworkers, members of Willow Park Golf Club and McDougall United Church who continue to be in my life and show a great capacity for caring and kindness. Sharing my story wasn’t easy in the beginning, but lately it has become a necessity if I am to continue to have a decent quality of life in the future.

Ten years ago I was diagnosed with Kidney Disease and now I need a kidney transplant.

Most people don’t realize I have this disease because there are so few visible signs of actual illness. I probably went undiagnosed for a couple of years. From this vantage point, I can look back and see symptoms of kidney disease, which at the time didn’t seem like much at all. Adding them up led to a diagnosis.

Since that diagnosis I have certainly had my share of ups and downs. I take very little medication, which is a good thing. However my Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR), which is how much blood is filtered in the kidneys per minute, continues to drop and now sits at 11%.

I have been on the transplant list since June of 2013, beginning a staggering 8-10 years wait for a cadaver donor. (These are possible because people have decided that if something terrible happens to them—usually an accident—they want something good to come of it. You can sign your donor card by clicking here.

As the disease progresses, without a transplant, my health will eventually decline, forcing me to go on dialysis.

That scares the hell out of me.

I have lost 25 pounds in two years as I struggle with diet and sticking to low sodium, low phosphorous, low potassium and gout triggers. I’m also lactose intolerant and have to stay away from fructose. Ironically, as I’ve lost weight, many people have commented to me how great I look. Some, who haven’t seen me for a while, comment on how thin I am getting.

I find it overwhelming at times. In order to cope with all of this I am taking advantage of counselling provided by the Kidney Foundation so that I am mentally prepared for the next stages . . . I also have to organize my life, so that I have plans in place as my life changes.

When I begin dialysis, I am going to need assistance in the form of a chauffeur, to and from the hospital. I may need some support for daily life, especially when tired out from the disease and treatment.

As I wait for a transplant, I will lose a level of health and well-being. If a live donor could be found, it would be my best chance for avoiding more declines in health and a much better outcome for the rest of my life.

I have found it really hard to imagine asking someone to consider becoming a donor. I know being a live kidney donor is now much easier and less invasive and traumatic to the donor than it was in the past. Surgery used to require a full incision and a long recovery time. Modern medicine now uses laparoscopic surgery with recovery time of 5-7 days.

I am blood type O and will need another O to donate to me. At this time, live donors must know whom they are donating to. But if you are willing to be a donor and are not blood type O, the kidney foundation may be able to set up a ‘domino’ surgery, where donors and recipients who don’t match are matched with others in the same situation, to make a match. Last year there was a donation like this where four live donors each gave a kidney to four people who needed a kidney.

Everyone has two kidneys, but only needs one to be healthy.

There is no long-term consequence to a donor’s health, other than the surgery itself. To see if you can be a donor; first you have to talk with your doctor and if there are no preexisting health issues, you will have some basic medical tests performed ensuring t you are able to be considered as a donor. It takes about six months for the screening process before donation can even be considered.

So there is lots of time to think about it, prepare and be sure this is the right thing for you. If you were wondering if you might be able to be a donor, would you consider taking the first step? Ask your doctor if you might be able to be a kidney donor.

Now my life is all about hoping someone will give me the best gift: the rest of my life.

So despite all of this, I continue to set goals for my future and look forward to life after transplant. My career as a golf professional continues to be my passion in life. Every day I learn new things about the students I teach and coach, creating a fun positive learning environment and more importantly I strive to be better at what I do.

I am grateful for the support of close friends, family, coworkers, members of Willow Park Golf Club and McDougall United Church who continue to be in my life and show a great capacity for caring and kindness. Sharing my story wasn’t easy in the beginning, but lately it has become a necessity if I am to continue to have a decent quality of life in the future.