Jason Bohn (Getty Images)

Jason Bohn’s heart attack may have saved mother’s life

GOLFWEEK.COM

By Adam Schupak

AVONDALE, Louisiana – You may have heard the story that Jason Bohn is lucky to be alive.
 Turns out, so is his mother!
The 42-year-old two-time US PGA Tour winner complained of chest pains after his second round of the Honda Classic on Feb. 26. Little did he know that his left anterior descending artery – often referred to as “the widow maker” – was 99 percent blocked.
 After recuperating at home from heart bypass surgery  and taking in his kids’ games, he returned to competition two weeks ago at the RBC Heritage.
Speaking Tuesday  ahead of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Bohn shared how the story has taken another twist. After his heart attack, Bohn said that his 72-year-old seemingly healthy mother, Carol, went in for a stress test on April 14, and she ended up requiring triple-bypass surgery four days later.
“If (my heart attack indirectly) saved my mother’s life, it would be probably the greatest thing that could ever happen to me,” Bohn said. “She’s doing well. She’s recovering back home now.”
As for Bohn, he already had made some lifestyle changes, including hour-long cardio work-outs three times a week and eating a low-sodium diet, although he did devour a bunch of ribs to celebrate his 43rd birthday on Sunday.
Bohn also applied for and received a temporary use exemption from the Tour to take a betablocker to regulate his heartbeat.
The one extra precaution he has to take now is a doozy.
“The only thing the doctor said I cannot do is ride a roller coaster,” Bohn said. “I was kind of worried because I love amusement parks, and I said, ‘Is this going to be for life?’ And he said, ‘No.’ But right now, they just – I’ve got to watch my blood pressure. They don’t want it dropping too much, and I guess roller coasters can do that.”
His first tournament back was a roller coaster of emotions. “I kind of told my caddie, I don’t know where my game is. We’re just going to have some fun. We’re going to have a lot of laughs. We’re going to enjoy it, and on Saturday I was cussing the game already,” said Bohn, who made the cut at the RBC Heritage and tied for 69th.
“So I was kind of like, Wait a second. I thought it would take more than three days for me to cuss the game.”
Bohn counts the Zurich Classic as the most recent of his two Tour titles. That was back in 2010, but he said he still remembers every shot, and his goose bumps had goose bumps as he entered the main drive of TPC Louisiana for the first time this week. In an effort to recapture the magic from his triumph, Bohn is trying to duplicate his past routine – everything from staying in the same hotel to practising at the same time to eating the same foods.
“When I won, I started with a dozen char-grilled oysters before dinner,” he said. “I can’t eat a dozen every night now, but I will have some.”