Margaret Weder and Tony Johnstone on the Swilken Bridge at the 18th on the Old Course today. Photo by Ross Kinnaird of Getty Images.

M S VICTIM EX-MARINE MAGGIE
COMPLETES ALL THREE ROUNDS

One of the most uplifting stories at this year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is that of the remarkable Margaret Weder, a 50-year-old former American marine.
Maggie, as she prefers to be known, has suffered from multiple sclerosis since 1991. Yet, in the past decade, golf has not just enabled her to regain muscle co-ordination and improve her life, it has helped her to help others.
Her charity, Golfin4MS, raises money for multiple sclerosis patients who cannot afford mounting medical bills. She has no corporate sponsor, but merely asks people to pledge money for every birdie, eagle or hole-in-one she makes in tournament play.
Playing with Zimbabwe’s Tony Johnstone, she finished with a three-round team total of level par and missed the cut, but it did not diminish her enthusiasm for her cause. She said: “I have been absolutely overwhelmed to be here, but I have been trying not to get too excited so that I don’t fall down.
“Today I have been wearing my marine hat as I had to be like a marine to get round. Nothing can stop me. After 18 holes I am always exhausted, but I can always recover. The more birdies I get the more people support me and the more people I can help. I got lots of pledges this week from a lot of generous people.
“Golf is just a game, but it saved my life, my quality of life. I am no hero, I am someone trying to make a difference. I just want to give a little respect to people who cannot help themselves and that’s what keeps me going."
She says the onset of the illness was quite sudden.
“After 16 years serving in the US Marine Corps, one day I was hiking with a heavy backpack on with the rest of my boys in my battalion, and the next day I was in the hospital. The numbness started in my legs and worked all the way up to my chest."
Being a natural athlete and hard worker her entire life, Weder could not believe what was happening to her. She had previously competed in the Marine Corps marathon and was a nationally-ranked softball player. Upon the recommendation of her neurologist, Weder began playing golf in 1997, after being house-bound for nearly six years after her diagnosis.
Completing three rounds in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St Andrews has been a huge physical effort for someone who has days when she can barely hold a golf club.
*For more information about the Golfin4MS charity, go to: www.freewebs.com/golf4ms