Notebook: Pat Perez has surgery for torn labrum, out for rest of season

 

PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) – Pat Perez has played seven times this year, but only once on a Sunday. A trip to the doctor explained what might have contributed to his poor play. Perez discovered a torn labrum in his left shoulder and will be out the rest of the season.

 

Perez said on his website that he had surgery Tuesday and will be out until a new season begins in October.

 

He said he noticed something wrong at the CareerBuilder Challenge and barely made it through his third round while missing the cut. Perez said he knew it was bad at the Honda Classic, so he sought a specialist to get tests done.

 

Perez is expected to be in a sling for four weeks, followed by a few months of physical therapy to strengthen the shoulder.

 

"I've been competing at this level for 15 seasons now and want to be out here for at least 15 more," Perez said. "The timing of the injury isn't optimum, but I'm choosing to see the positive in a negative. This is a rare opportunity for me to hit reset, get healthy and redial in my game so I can get back to business this fall."

 

LAUREUS NOMINEE: Jordan Spieth faces some tough competition off the golf course, too.

 

Spieth has been nominated for a pair of honors in the annual Laureus World Sport Awards, which will be April 18 in Berlin. The Masters and U.S. Open champion was nominated as sportsman of the year along with Stephen Curry, Usain Bolt, Novak Djokvic, Lewis Hamilton and Lionel Messi. Spieth would be the youngest winner of the sportsman of the year award.

 

Spieth also was nominated for breakthrough of the year along with PGA Champion Jason Day, boxer Tyson Fury, Formula One driver Max Verstappen, English swimmer Adam Peaty and Chile's national football team.

 

DIVOTS: More than a dozen Americans got into the Olympic spirit last week at Doral when they were fitted for team uniforms for Rio. No country can have more than four players in the 60-man field (men and women) provided all four are among the top 15 in the world ranking. ... Adam Scott did not make a putt longer than 10 feet on the weekend at the Cadillac Championship, the first PGA Tour winner to do that since Zach Johnson two years ago at Kapalua.

 

STAT OF THE WEEK: For the first time, the four World Golf Championships titles are held by non-Americans – Adam Scott of Australia (Cadillac Championship), Russell Knox of Scotland (HSBC Champions), Shane Lowry of Ireland (Bridgestone Invitational) and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland (Match Play).

 

FINAL WORD: "I'll take a bronze medal over third at Augusta. Winning ... that one might be juggling chain saws." – Henrik Stenson on the value of majors compared with the Olympics.

 

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