It appeared Max White’s wish came true last Wednesday.
The 19-year-old, who battled cancer during his time at Captain Shreve, received a custom St. Jude Children’s Hospital golf bag, a new set of Titleist irons and a personal caddie during his round at East Ridge Country Club with Shreveport’s PGA Tour Canada member, Philip Barbaree Jr.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation did an impeccable job of ensuring White’s day was unforgettable and that his story was told – nearly every media outlet in the area was there to relay a tale lathered in inspiration.
White did a great job of making it seem things were perfect. Cancer derailed many aspects of his life, including his golf game, but he showed little sign of rust during a glorious afternoon.
I’ll be back in Canada to loop for Philip this week, but I was honored to “carry” Max’s bag Wednesday. I had the best seat in the house when White drained a 12-foot birdie putt on the first hole and showed Barbaree his nifty short-game with an up-and-down birdie on their fourth hole.
There were smiles, there were fist pumps. And even some tears from White’s mother, Laura Leigh.
However, something on the inside was eating White alive. No, not cancer. Well, at least he hoped.
“When I looked back at my media interviews, you could tell I was thinking about it,” White told The Journal. “And I WAS thinking about it. I could have done better in the interviews.”
The minute golf with Barbaree was to end, White faced a near-six-hour ride to Memphis. The following day, two years after disease was eradicated from his body, he was to undergo a battery of tests at St. Jude.
“I was stressed out,” White said. “It’s a whole day’s-worth of testing. It’s very overwhelming to even think about it. I’m mentally exhausted, but I feel very blessed. You can’t beat that.”
Imagine being the center of attention for an entire day and doing interview after interview as a cancer “survivor,” knowing the next 24 hours could produce devastating news?
Thankfully, that didn’t happen.
Not only did White get the all-clear Thursday, he was informed his check-ups in Memphis would move from every six months to every 12 months.
The fight isn’t over, but White’s new lease on life is officially underway.
“It’s time to get my life back on track,” White said.
White, who has a couple of loose ends to tie up in terms of school, hopes to attend Louisiana Tech after the first of the year. Wednesday’s round with PBJ has him excited about golf again. In fact, White put his new sticks to use with three rounds of golf this weekend in Hot Springs following his arduous Thursday.
“My new clubs definitely make we want to play some more,” White said. “I’m definitely going to go home and practice.”
White has a new golf coach now, too.
“Philip said I can send him videos of my swing,” White said. “I need to fix it.
“I grew up in the same neighborhood as Philip and I’d see him on the range hitting balls, but I never knew him — he’s a few years older. A lot of my friends knew him. Now, I know him. This is probably something that should have happened a while back. He’s a great guy. I’m glad I got to finally meet him.”
I guarantee we weren’t the only recent additions to Team Max, but Team PBJ is 100 percent on board after our wonderful round at East Ridge. White has some game. The kid who used to play the local Front Nine Tour is talented and competitive.
Of course, you need a little fire in your belly to defeat the C word.
“My life was thrown off, so I’ve been having to deal with that. It took a little bit longer than planned — my life recovery, not the physical part,” White said.
Now, White is ready to make up for lost time. And his support system, Team Max, is bigger and stronger than ever.
Contact Roy at RoyLangIII@yahoo.com
Photo by CHRISTI LANG
