Merrick Bremner back on course after donating kidney to his wife
After donating a kidney to his beloved wife and being off for 12 weeks, pro golfer Merrick Bremner has been practising for the Fortress Invitational since being allowed to return.
Professional golfer Merrick Bremner will be participating in the Fortress Invitational after a 12-week break.
He said he was only recently allowed to practise again after being “blessed with the opportunity to donate one of my kidneys to my rock, queen, best friend, and mother to our amazing son, Poveshnie Bremner, my wife, on June 10 this year.”
Bremner explained that he was then forced to take 12 weeks off, with no golf and no swinging.
ALSO READ: Ekurhuleni golfers inspired to chase big dreams
Since being cleared, he has been practising and playing golf almost every day. Despite his circumstances, Bremner said preparations for the Fortress Invitational are going well.
Bremner said he has no expectations for the tournament other than enjoying the moment and returning to the sport he “loves so dearly.”
He enjoys the uniqueness of golf, where no two days are alike and every challenge is new. “One day the wind may blow from the east, and the course plays a certain way; the next it may blow from the west, and it plays completely differently,” he explained.
He also values the fairness of the sport, noting the handicapping system, which allows professionals and amateurs to compete fairly against one another.
ALSO READ: Local golfers to tee off in Tunisia for tournament
“There is no other sport I can think of where professionals and amateurs can compete under the same rules,” he said.
Bremner also cherishes the traditions of golf, which began in Scotland. Having visited St Andrews a few times, he described walking the hallowed grounds as surreal, knowing that past greats once stood there and future greats will too. He added that he admires the manner in which golfers play the game, as “gentlemen and ladies.”
Being in contention on the back nine of a tournament is what drives Bremner. “We professionals spend most of our career losing and only winning a few times each season if we are fortunate.
“The competition, the drive and the desire to improve – being in the hunt on a Sunday is massive for me,” he said.
He hopes that recent rain will make the rough more challenging, putting a premium on accuracy.
Outside of golf, Bremner enjoys working with his hands, including woodwork, steelwork, and gardening.
ALSO READ: Young golfers excel at tournament
He said his grandfather, an instrument technician with a passion for woodwork, inspired him. His favourite foods include wood-fired braai, steak, lamb chops and boerewors.
If he were not a golfer, Bremner said he would have loved to be a sports journalist, speaking to athletes across different sports to understand what drives them and how they prepare, plan and build up for competition.
