Jamie Lovemark burst onto the PGA TOUR after a decorated collegiate career at the University of Southern California, where he won the NCAA Championship and was recognized as the nation's top golfer.

He solidified his reputation as a top prospect when he finished second in just his fourth PGA TOUR event as a pro, the 2009 Safeway Open. Lovemark and Rickie Fowler, who also turned pro that year, both shot final-round 64s to tie Troy Matteson for first place. Matteson eventually held off the two phenoms in a sudden-death playoff for his second career victory.

Fowler has four PGA TOUR victories, including THE PLAYERS in 2015, is ranked inside the top 10 of the world ranking and is a perennial participant in Presidents Cups and Ryder Cups.

Lovemark, who turned 30 earlier this year, has shown improvement in recent seasons under swing coach Chris Como, but is still seeking his maiden victory. After a back surgery seven years ago that sidelined his career, he feels healthier than ever thanks to a partnership with Massage Envy, the official body care sponsor of the PGA TOUR's Player Performance Centre.

Lovemark finished runner-up in his Web.com Tour debut while still a student at USC in 2007, losing a playoff just a few weeks after winning the NCAA individual title. After his close call at the Safeway Open, Lovemark was the Web.com Tour's Player of the Year and leading money winner in 2010.

But it hasn't always been smooth sailing for Lovemark, whose surgery in 2011 sidelined him for months.

"I tried to manage it as best I could, because I was a rookie on the PGA TOUR and I was super stoked to be out there at 23 years old. It was so hard to really sit down and assess your health and realize you weren't fit to play, say you were going to shut it down," he explains. "I fought through that for about four months until I really couldn't even bend down any more."

He struggled when he returned to the PGA TOUR in 2012. Although he had to head back to the Web.com Tour for the following season, he found his game and played nearly pain-free, capturing his second Web.com Tour title in 2013.

He's become a fixture on the PGA TOUR the last few seasons, and has notched two top-10 finishes so far in 2017-18, sitting 74th in the FedExCup standings.

"I'm into a nice groove now," Lovemark says at the halfway point of his season, pointing to the work he's done with Massage Envy as being a helpful for his success.

"I feel great. My back has been totally fine, and it's been functioning really well after my surgery. I'm not even sure when it was anymore," he says with a laugh. "I'm doing a lot of good stuff at home and on the road with Massage Envy. Their massages, their soft-tissue stuff has really helped me keep a good, healthy balance."

Lovemark joined Massage Envy, the largest chain of franchised massage spas in the U.S. with more than 1.65 million members, before he even got hurt, enjoying some of the relaxation benefits of a Massage Envy massage. It was after he got hurt when he says he underwent some more intensive therapy sessions.

"I've been doing a lot more since," he says.

The back takes the brunt of the golf swing, Lovemark says, because it is not a natural motion. Professional golf - with the long travel days, multiple rounds per week and long hours spent standing - can take its toll on player's body.

As he just turned 30 in January, Lovemark is more aware of his entire lower body and how it impacts his back. He tries to keep himself in better shape and stay more flexible, as an injury to his hamstring, hip flexors or IT bands would also have a negative impact on his back.

He does this by visiting a Massage Envy location every week when he's on the road, or taking advantage of the trained Massage Envy therapists on site on the PGA TOUR.

"Everywhere the TOUR goes, there is a Massage Envy," he says. "It's super easy to make an appointment on the app even before you get to the city. It's really seamless and they have so many locations, which is awesome for what we do. We travel 30 weeks a year, so it's a constant battle to get on a plane, stay limber, play golf, and do it all over again. It's nice to have a routine like that thanks to Massage Envy."

Lovemark usually gets stretched out before his round, but says the Massage Envy stretches he gets after the round are even more important. He goes to the Massage Envy therapists a lot, he says. With every therapist in every city receiving the same training, he feels comfortable no matter where he goes.

"The fact that your body can get the same feeling week in and week out, even if you're in a different climate, at a different course, or in a different state … your body just starts to feel used to everything," he says.

But just because Lovemark is one of the best golfers in the world doesn't mean he thinks a Massage Envy experience should just be for him. A lot of swing faults he sees in amateur golfers come from a lack of flexibility, especially in muscles that aren't used on a regular basis. Going through a stretching program that Massage Envy has can definitely loosen you up.

"It will get you into a better groove of a swing, whether it's a bigger shoulder turn or more hip mobility," he says. "I think it's definitely beneficial for anybody and everybody."

As Lovemark tries to find the winner's circle for the first time on the PGA TOUR, he feels confident that although he had to suffer through pain early in his career, he'll be able to live a healthy, active lifestyle over the rest of his career thanks to his support system.

He feels, quite literally, Massage Envy has his back.

"They have this program that is nationwide, and you're getting the same quality service at all the locations. The new app they have is incredible, you can book appointments online, seamlessly, months in advance," he says. "Their business plan and my lifestyle was a perfect mold."