Crane is back after unwelcome six-month hiatus  Special to PGATOUR.com SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Ben Crane is back on the PGA TOUR after a chronic bad back sidelined him for the past six months. And no one is more relieved, literally, than the 31-year-pro from Westlake, Texas. "I think of the six months, I think there was four months that I was thinking, 'I don't know if golf is in the future,''' Crane said of his hiatus. "You just don't know... It was a possibility that golf wasn't going to be in the cards (in the future).''  Ben Crane has carded 11 birdies and an eagle through 36 holes this week. (Feldman/WireImage)
Whatever the problems, and whatever the cure, Crane certainly has got back to business in a hurry, as a pair of 4-under-par 66s have pushed him to the top of pack at the Fry's Electronics Open at Grayhawk Golf Club. "You never really know how you're going to play, so it's exciting to come back and throw some good rounds in,'' said Crane, who actually returned last week at the "other Fry's'' -- the Fry's.com Open in Las Vegas -- where he tied for 38th place. Crane, a two-time winner on the PGA TOUR whose last victory came at the 2005 U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee, has been plagued by a bad back throughout his career. In 2004 he was out of action for two months, and the pain also interrupted his season last year. But this latest ordeal was the worst yet, and it left the former University of Oregon standout in such a state that he ducked all questions regarding his treatment, perhaps keeping his fingers crossed. "I was struggling to find the answer why I was having pain,'' he said as a concerned look spread over his face. "I went through a bunch of treatments -- everything. "What worked? It's a long story. I've been through a lot. But the answer is, I'm feeling great and I'm excited about it. That's the best answer.'' And why not? Crane's game just keeps gaining steam each day he plays. Like Friday, when he was solid as a rock with five birdies and a bunch of saves, including a 20-foot par putt that found the cup at No. 5 after his first putt barely stayed on the green. It certainly was a better effort than Thursday, even if his opening round was pure fireworks with six birdies and an eagle to offset four bogeys. "I guess you could say I'm fresh, to say the least,'' Crane quipped. "You never know how you're going to play (after six months), so it's exciting to come back and throw some good rounds in.'' If there was a silver lining to Crane's lost season, in which he has made just $206,763 in eight tournaments, it was being home with his wife, Heather, and their 10-month-old daughter, Cassidy. "That has been the greatest blessing in our lives, to be able to spend the time with her,'' Crane said. "She knows daddy as well as mommy, which I don't think many people are able to spend that much time at home with their little ones. "In another way, it's also been the toughest, because I haven't been playing.'' Actually, returning to the PGA TOUR just as it hits the sun-drenched desert might be just what the doctor ordered for Crane. Remember, one of Crane's first professional wins came right her in the Valley of the Sun when he captured the now-defunct Gila River Classic in 2001 on the Nationwide Tour.
"I was talking to my good buddy, Jonathan Byrd two weeks ago, and talking about coming back and he goes, 'You know, if I were you, I'd wait until they went out to the desert to play,''' Crane said. "I thought to myself, maybe he's right. I do love playing in the desert for some reason. "The greens are always pretty good, and I like it out here. I've played a lot of golf in Palm Springs and here over the years, and being a West Coast guy, I love playing out here.'' Crane even had this interesting footnote regarding being back in the Greater Scottsdale area. It seems the same caddie he used way back when he won the Gila River Classic, Craig Welty, has returned to his bag after his regular caddie went to work for Ryan Moore during Crane's long absence. "So I called (Welty), I go, 'Hey, want to caddie for a couple of weeks?''' Crane said with a laugh. "And he's from Seattle, and he said, 'Sure.' "So I got my same caddie on the bag... and, obviously, a great memory on the Nationwide.'' Now, if those "good thoughts'' can just carry over to the weekend. |
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