Most professional golfers do not require much reminding that they are lucky to play the game they love for a living, but for Matthew Southgate a double cancer blow – one a personal testicular cancer diagnosis and the other an ongoing leukaemia battle for his niece – was a stark reminder of how insignificant a bad golf shot is in the grand scheme of things.
For the Englishman, who has played two seasons on The European Tour but currently plays on the Challenge Tour, 2015 has been quite a life-changing year despite a relatively quiet season in the development of his golfing career.
Just days after recording his best result of the Challenge Tour campaign at the AEGEAN Airlines Challenge Tour hosted by Hartl Resort, the 27 year old was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
He takes up the story: “I went to the doctor with a bit of a complaint and then he sent me for a scan. I was actually waiting for the results during the week of the tournament in Germany (AEGAEN Airlines Challenge). I finished fifth that week, played really solidly and I had been working hard with my game.
“I flew home on the Sunday and then I was diagnosed on the Tuesday, so I met with the surgeon and he was fantastic. They talked me through what was going to happen, so I was in the following the Wednesday, I only had to wait a week, and the problem was removed.
“That was the week of The Open so I just sat around watching the golf. I couldn’t really walk properly for about two weeks and I couldn’t get any power from my core to hit a ball. It must have been six or seven weeks until I could actually hit a ball.
“I was really lucky because the cancerous cells were all together in their own little nucleus so I could get it all removed at once and it hadn’t spread anywhere. It wasn’t any threat and once it was out that was it. I just have to go for regular check-ups now.”
Going for that first check-up was ultimately what saved Southgate from a potentially devastating personal situation, and he believes he is in the right place to create awareness of the need for men to overcome their reservations about seeing a doctor and catch any health problem before it is too late.
“I’m a big guy and I’m a loud kind of person but when it comes to going to the doctors it can be tough to just force yourself to go,” he said. “I thought it was a pretty big achievement to just have the bottle and say I’ve got a problem. As it turned out it was a great decision because normally I would just wait for it to go away, it was a good call to go and get it checked out.
“It’s so important to go and get checked by a doctor. Even if you don’t have a problem, it’s good because you know then that you don’t. If you’re not sure, then you’re leaving it to chance.
“I don’t think there are enough men who are forthcoming about just going and getting things checked. I think it’s great what they do here on the Challenge Tour and on The European Tour – there was someone here this week checking players’ bloods and there was a doctor here and of course we have our physio.
“It’s a massive thing for the tour to have their medical staff and they’re worth their weight in gold. The amount of times you see players struggling with injuries and the physio just fixes them and they go and play well, you can’t credit them enough for that and you know they’ll always be there for you. Their support is fantastic and you know that even if the physio isn’t present at the time, you can pick up the phone and they’ll help you. It’s a great attribute for the tour, it’s great to have them here.”
Another huge dose of life perspective comes in the shape of a two year old girl by the name of Hattie Seymour, Southgate’s niece, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy having been diagnosed with leukaemia.
While the charity efforts from his local town for he #HattiesHaka campaign has provided a huge pillar of support, it has been a difficult time for the Southend man and his family and friends – one which has made him a much more serene human being off the golf course, even if a golf shot will never fail to be irksome.
“She’s in Great Ormond Street with leukaemia,” he said. “And she’s on a two year course of chemotherapy, just coming to the end of the first year, so our fingers are crossed it will work. Child cancer is amazing because there is a very small amount of research that goes into drugs for kids’ cancer.
“Last month we had a Go Gold fundraiser for kids’ cancer and the way that my town Leigh-on-Sea and Southend came together to raise awareness for kids’ cancer was incredible and it’s so touching. It makes my situation completely secondary.
“I’m a big family man and I love my two nephews and niece to bits. Hopefully she will pull through, but she’s incredible – you think about all the bad things that might be going on in your own life, you hit a bad golf shot and you feel like it’s the end of the world.
“Then you stare into her eyes and you don’t even know you have any problems – you still have the power to smile. Anybody who knows that little girl has been changed by her. We had a golf day for her recently and we were all just crying our eyes out.
“The way you go about your business and you realise you’ve got a sister in Great Ormond Street looking after a kid that might not make it through – it’s out of her hands – all of a sudden it changes everything.
“I’ve always known my family was very strong and the support that they’ve given me just playing golf for a living has been fantastic, but the support they’ve given for a little girl who can barely speak is absolutely incredible.
“I’ll always be very passionate about golf and hitting bad shots will always be frustrating, but it’s being able accept it. I’m annoyed with a bad shot, I’m not bringing other things into it, it’s not because everything keeps going wrong in my life or anything.
“It’s an absolute privilege to be playing golf and to be back playing as quick as I have come back, it can be frustrating but it could be a lot worse. I’ll always be competitive and if I wasn’t passionate I wouldn’t be where I am now, but in the evenings I find it a lot easier to just sit down and have a beer and just get over it.”
Hattie Seymour’s Just Giving page for donations is here:https://www.justgiving.com/hattieshaka/
