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WESTFIELD CENTER, Ohio - There are those players who are happy to be competing in the 32nd Westfield Junior PGA Championship, and there is Hillary Gerster.
With the curveballs that life has tossed her way in the past three years, Gerster said that she is thrilled to be spending a week in northern Ohio.
The 18-year-old from Andover, Minn., is a leukemia survivor, having completed a difficult journey that began in the spring of 2004, resulting in her missing her entire freshman golf season.
Gerster was stricken with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), one of the two major categories of acute leukemia, characterized by anemia, fatigue, weight loss, easy bruising, bone pain, and which sometimes spread to the central nervous system.
For Gerster, she never learned that anything was wrong until she had her wisdom teeth removed.
"I was in extreme pain and it wasn't getting better," she said. "We didn't know why until after having some tests."
Gerster also learned that she had a chromosome defect, which she said, made treatment more complicated. To make matters worse, she could not get a bone marrow match, which would have speeded up her chances of recovery.
She underwent chemotherapy and managed to continue to play golf. The Minnesota winter isn't conducive to enhancing one's golf game, but Gerster found a way around that.
She participated in regular physical training and would hit balls in indoor facilities. The training and practice paid dividends once she was in remission.
She continued to gain strength, and last year earned her first berth in the Westfield Junior PGA Championship. While the scoreboard results were not what she wanted - she missed the cut after 54 holes, she was playing golf among the best of her peers.
Gerster also finished third in the 2006 and '07 Minnesota Class AA Girls' State Golf Championship.
But, one could tell that there is a special glow to Gerster's smile when she arrived at Westfield Center, Ohio.
"This is my favorite tournament and I was real excited to get here," she said. "They really go all out for you, which is nice."
The next day is always the brightest for Gerster, who has sampled more than her share of dark and near-tragic times.
"I go in every month for a checkup," said Gerster. "I guess I'm more patient now. It is not something I would wish upon anyone."
Soon, the campus of South Dakota State University in Brookings will be her new port of call. An honor student, Gerster will be a pharmacy major.
On Friday, Gerster missed the 54-hole cut after rounds of 83, 77 and 77. But, she has left an impact among many new friends at the Championship for having overcome more than a scorecard along the way.
