Iron will

PARTIALLY BLIND, TOTALLY FOCUSED; Rick Kush is partially blind but he plays a great golf game

THANA DHARMARAJAH - Guelph Mercury

GUELPH (Sep 15, 2006)

Rick Kush is partially blind, but he can play a mean game of golf.

The 37-year-old is able to shoot in the 90s despite the fact all he sees is a blurry white blob sitting on the green, can barely make out his club as he gets set to hit it off the tee and can't see the ball as it flies down the course.

"My level of concentration has to be far greater since I can easily be distracted by sound," he said.

As Kush focuses on hitting the blurry ball, his second set of eyes -- in the form of a coach -- is telling him to fix his stance, whether he's facing the right direction, whether his club is positioned correctly with the ball and the distance he needs to hit.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could hit a golf ball," said the Guelph man, who will be competing in the Desjardins Canadian Blind Golf Tournament in Laurentides, Que., next week.

The tournament opens Sunday and lasts until Wednesday, drawing 47 golfers from Japan, Australia, Northern Ireland, England, Canada and the United States.

"We're going to see some very outstanding players," said Louise Langelier, president of the organizing committee for the annual tournament, which is being held for the first time in Eastern Canada.

"We always tell golfers to keep their eyes on the ball but these golfers can't see the ball . . . so we say 'keep your heads straight.' "

With less than 10 per cent vision, Kush said the key to a good game is to receive clear direction from his coach as to how many yards to hit the ball as well as the direction. Kush is able to see the numbers on his clubs to pick out which one to use on his own and paints lines on his putter, so it's visible to him.

It's most frustrating for him when he tries to putt because every inch can pose a difficulty for him, he said.

"Putting is an enormous challenge because balls don't go straight on the green."

Langelier added that some players will walk the distance between the ball and the hole to feel for a slope with their feet.

At the age of 16, Kush was diagnosed with Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, which was an inflammation of his optic nerve that led to the loss of much of his vision.

His involvement in sports took a backseat for a couple years as he tried to come to terms with his lack of sight.

Eventually, he got back on the basketball and volleyball court and in the bowling alleys.

When he was introduced to the game of golf at the University of Waterloo, Kush decided to try it out because it was an individual sport.

"Team sports was difficult because I didn't want to let my team down based on my limitations, whereas if I pursued individual sports I am only performing for myself."

But that doesn't mean Kush has lost his competitive edge. He's excited about facing off on the green against some of the best visually impaired players in the world.

tdharmarajah@guelphmercury.com