Ed Note: The following appears courtesy Ed Sherman and The Sherman Report.
Normally, this would be a special week for Mark Rolfing. He would be in his hometown working the BMW Championship outside of Chicago.
Instead, Rolfing is home in Maui as he prepares to begin a six-week treatment program for a rare form of salivary gland cancer next week in Houston.
“It’s really tough not being there,” Rolfing told me during an interview that aired Saturday on our golf talk radio show, “The Scorecard,” on WSCR in Chicago.
Rolfing has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from the golf community. He said he has received hundreds of calls, texts and emails from people around the world.
“It’s a wonderful thing,” Rolfing said. “They’ve given me a reason to fight hard. I just don’t want to let them down.”
One correspondence stood out, and it came in the form of an old-fashioned letter.
“I got a letter from Arnold Palmer the other day,” Rolfing said. “I opened it and there were tears streaming down my face. It made me realize how lucky I am and what the game has done for me. A letter from Arnold Palmer in regular mail. It was typical Arnold. I’ve had a lot of support, but that one stands out.”
Rolfing’s goal is to be back for the first tournament of 2016 in January, which takes place in his backyard in Maui.
