He had begun to experience chest pains but still only missed the cut by four shots, Colm Hughes’ open heart surgery would coincide with the final of the South of Ireland just three days later.
The Galway man was 13 when he was first made aware of his life-threatening condition after he won an All-Ireland cross country race.
Colm is part of the two percent who have a bicuspid aortic valve, a congenital heart defect.
Under the care of the cardiology department in University Hospital Galway, he had annual ecograms, which became routine until May 2023 when the 27-year-old found out he would need open heart surgery.
“I used to do a lot of athletics and during one race I started experiencing a shortness of breath, we weren’t sure whether it was asthma or something more,” said Hughes.
“I got checked and found out I had a leaky bicuspid valve. Most people would have a tricuspid valve, like a Mercedes Benz sign, whereas my heart was filling up with a lot of blood and it was really expanding the heart but it wasn’t able to pump it all out.
“It was really, really mild when we first picked it up for a few years and then it went from mild to moderate to severe over Covid. I got sent for an MRI and the tests came back worse than expected.
Risk
“There was a risk, and it was outlined by the surgeon before I went under, there is a small percentage chance of death going into the surgery.”
Hughes is from Knocknacarra on the outskirts of Galway City and he grew up playing golf, following in the footsteps of his parents, Richard and Jean, his grandparents and his great grandfather.
His first clubs were hand-me-downs from his mother and he joined Galway Golf Club in his early teens where he went on to play alongside Challenge Tour player Ronan Mullarney and Liam Nolan, who featured in The Open last week at Royal Troon.
He played soccer for Salthill Devon, where he teamed up with Portsmouth defender, Conor Shaughnessy, and he represented Galway at underage level alongside Ireland international Ryan Manning.
Hughes was also a minor footballer for his county and won All-Ireland cross country and indoor titles running for Galway City Harriers underage and it was during one of those races that he first experienced symptoms.
Despite having this heart condition he lived a normal life, packed full of sport and golf provided the perfect outlet to play at an elite level without the physical exertion of contact sport.
At his April appointment for his annual ecogram Hughes was referred to the Blackrock Clinic to have an MRI.
“I went for the MRI and the results were a lot worse than I was expecting. Hearing the news was definitely a lot to take in. I didn’t expect to need the surgery until I was in my 60s,” said Hughes.
“It was definitely a big shock finding out I was going to need open heart surgery.”
His cardiologist in University Hospital Galway referred him to the surgeon, Professor Mark Redmond, at the Beacon Hospital in Dublin.
The love of the game
Hughes continued on with life as normal, it was a difficult summer, but he began to play golf with a new freedom – he was playing for the love of the game.
He qualified to play in Lahinch at the end of July and although the weather took a turn for the worse, he still shot a respectable 77 in the opening round before a 78 meant he didn’t make it through to the match play.
“The first symptoms I experienced were while playing in the Barton Shield Connacht finals in Castlebar last June. We won that day to reach the All-Ireland finals in Dun Laoghaire in September, I knew I wouldn’t be playing in the finals,” said Hughes.
“My surgery was scheduled for 1 August, but this was my first time to get to play in the South of Ireland and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity.
“It was a blessing in disguise that I never made it through the cut because the final was on the day before the surgery.”
Hughes kept himself removed from the detail of the surgery, it was his own way of coping and focusing on recovery rather than the anxiety of his uncertain future.
“If I had have known it might have been much harder, so I was really taking it day-by-day, hour-by-hour,” said Hughes.
“I remember waking up in the ICU, I was delighted to be waking up but I was plugged into so many machines.”
He spent ten days in hospital and every day presented its own challenges, from trying to eat, sleep and walk. His recovery was slow initially but each day he grew stronger.
On the difficult road to recovery he was helped by his parents, sister and girlfriend, their visits became the highlight and the inspiration. His brother rang every day from Sydney and bought him a Kindle to help occupy his time.
He returned home to Galway where he received round-the-clock care for the first month. Two months post-surgery his remarkable recovery had come full circle.
“I went from walking around the house, to the garden, to the local shop, however I needed to put my mind to something more challenging, I did the Cappagh Park run,” said Hughes.
Doing the Croi run
It was his first ever park run and that was a major achievement. Hughes invested in a Garmin watch to track his progress and as his fitness improved, the times dropped and he could see his heart health improving. Ten weeks post-surgery he ran the Croí Charity 5k in 20 minutes and 30 seconds.
“I was getting the feedback from the watch telling me my heart rate was coming down as I was running faster. It was good for my mind and the data was telling me it was good for my heart,” said Hughes.
“I couldn’t play golf because of the rotation of the chest. I was starting to do various forms of rehab but running was really all I could do, so that’s where I put my focus. I learned a lot about myself.”
Hughes finally returned to Galway Golf Club with his father at the end of the year, it was a momentous occasion, his first time playing a round since his surgery.
He had been learning to chip and putt again but the greatest relief was when he could make a full rotation and swing his driver without the fear of hurting himself.
Now representing Castle, having moved to Dublin for work, the journey culminated at County Sligo, for the Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship – Hughes finished T24 on +5 with rounds of 72,72,72 and 73.
He has a busy schedule this summer and this week will mark one year since his surgery and his second appearance in the South of Ireland.
“It was a pinch me moment when I was playing in the Irish Amateur,” said Hughes.
“It was the nicest four days you’ll ever get up in Rosses’ Point, I was delighted to put four consistent rounds together, something I haven’t done in a long time and the only thing I can put it down to is a change in perspective, an appreciation for being out.
“When you go through such an intense surgery you are just so happy that you are out playing. Everything is a bonus now.”
