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By Helen Ross
PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Judy Rankin freely admits she is not one of those "can-do" people. She is, however, a "will-do" person.

"Whatever faces me -- good bad, indifferent -- I will do it," Rankin said, adding that she thinks most women have the same kind of determination. "That's why women can do 42 different things; why they can be a nurse when they are not a nurse, a teacher when they are not a teacher. Men tend to be more single-minded. But it's our will that gets us through."

Judy Rankin was diagnosed with breast cancer in April of 2006. (Greenwood/WireImage)

Rankin needed every ounce of that will when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in April of 2006. Two months later, she made the difficult decision to have a double mastectomy to eliminate the risk of recurrence, a choice her doctor told her would save her life as she was wheeled into the operating room.

The return to the game she loves so much came gradually. At one point during her recovery, Rankin couldn't even raise her arms to brush her hair. In February, she finally played her first round of golf since the surgery. Another 18 holes on Wednesday produced a few shots and a score "I wouldn't be embarrassed to talk about," the World Golf Hall of Famer said with a smile.

On Thursday, Rankin came to the TOUR Golf Academy to help a group of breast cancer survivors like herself get started in the game. She and two-time PGA TOUR champion Len Mattiace spoke to the group of 14 who make up the inaugural "Pink Links" class at the state-of-the-art teaching facility based at the TPC Sawgrass.

The program is one of many that benefits from the $2.8 million raised by THE PLAYERS Championship, which is the PGA TOUR's signature event. "Pink Links," developed in partnership with Baptist Health, is designed to promote the healing process for breast cancer survivors through golf.

The money raised for charity each year on the PGA TOUR is "mind-boggling," Mattiace said. When he started playing the TOUR 18 years ago, the former Wake Forest All-American said the average purse was about $1 million and a charitable donation topping $200,000 was an impressive number.

"It's great as a TOUR player to feel a part of something so special," he said.

Judy Rankin (center) was a big hit with the "Pink Links" class on Thursday. (Condon/PGA TOUR/WireImage)

Mattiace didn't join Rankin at Thursday's function simply as a celebrity golf instructor, though. His mother was diagnosed with lung cancer 10 years ago. She watched his spirited bid to win THE PLAYERS from a wheelchair and died shortly afterwards -- "so I know what it's like to have to go through this as a family member," he said.

"You are always thinking back to what you could do to make things better," Mattiace said. "To be a survivor is very, very special ... I commend all of you and celebrate this day with you."

Rankin remembers vividly the "jaw-dropping experience when you're told, yes, it is cancer." She said she couldn't talk for three days before the double mastectomy. Her family and friends like Sarah Strange, Curtis Strange's wife, who is also a breast cancer survivor, helped Rankin through the ordeal.

"I woke up after the surgery and I couldn't go back," she said. "I couldn't change anything. I couldn't look back."

Rankin, who won 26 times on the LPGA Tour and twice led the money list, was back at her job as a golf commentator during the World Golf Championships-American Express Championship in London in the fall of 2006. Darren Clarke, whose wife, Heather, had recently died of breast cancer, and Tiger Woods, spotted Rankin as they were playing their first round and went over to hug her.

The women in the "Pink Links" class worked on their putting as part of their instruction activities at TPC Sawgrass. (Condon/PGA TOUR/WireImage)

Earlier this year, she received the Ben Hogan Award which is given by the Golf Writers Association of America to someone who has come back from serious injury. Rankin will be honored by the LPGA on Friday with its Komen Award, given to a person who makes a significant contribution to generate support for breast cancer research through the game of golf.

On Thursday, though, Rankin clearly wanted to focus on the members of the inaugural "Pink Links" class, introducing each one to the crowd. Several had been diagnosed within the last year; one was a 16-year survivor. Helen Sherman, a five-year survivor, went back to college and earned a bachelor's degree in business and a master's degree in education after beating the disease. Lillian Stozier has learned to tandem ski jump and do water acrobatics.

All have learned to appreciate life more than ever, and now, thanks to "Pink Links," they will learn to play golf.