Jerry Kelly, a senior pro, sees the Cologuard Classic as more than simply another golf tournament.
It’s an opportunity to save lives.
That may come across as a little harsh, but Kelly, a Cologuard ambassador, says that this week is about much more than birdies, bogeys, and a trophy.
“This is always a wonderful field for us.” During a Zoom call with Golfweek on Tuesday, Kelly said, “It’s a tribute to the mission that we’re on at this tournament, which is kind of cool.” “The guys are very into it.” It’s a strong field, as we’ve seen in the past, and all we have to do now is wait for a great champion to emerge.
“Really, the cause is more important than this week’s event.” It’s pretty cool.”
It’s simple to talk about golf. Is it time to start talking about colorectal cancer and being screened for it? That’s not always easy to talk about, though Kelly is doing everything he can to start those discussions. The aim, or cause, is to raise awareness about the importance of early identification of colon cancer—or any disease, for that matter.
“It is the second most common cancer in both men and women in the United States,” Kelly explained. “It makes a significant difference in the outcome of life expectancy if we can get individuals checked and discover this disease early.” So don’t wait till Stage 4 to catch it. You want to capture it in the first or second stage. Because you’ve had cancer, you’ll have to pay attention for the rest of your life, but it’s highly treatable, so if we could just get the word out to everyone to be screened in any way you can, that would be great. Go ahead and have a colonoscopy if you have a family history of colon cancer. But if you’re only at average risk, 45 and higher, there’s no reason not to speak with your doctor or nurse. … “Just do it at home,” says the narrator.
“When diagnosed in early stages, colon cancer is treatable in around 90% of patients,” according to Cologuard’s website, which cites the National Cancer Institute as its source. It’s also worth noting that Cologuard isn’t a substitute for a colonoscopy; rather, it’s a simple at-home test. It can also save lives if detected early.
“Understanding how cancer hides is a critical aspect that I don’t believe is discussed enough,” he said. “We’ve learned so much more about cancer itself, the way it disguises itself, the way it hides until it’s such a mass that you can’t do anything about it, because my wife is going through a different type of cancer—renal cells in her kidneys—because my wife is going through a different type of cancer—renal cells in her kidneys—we’ve learned so much more about cancer itself, the way it disguises itself, the way it hides until it’s such
“When you’re healthy, you should be concerned about your health.” It is insufficient to eat and exercise. Blood testing and Cologuard are both required. Because it’s possible that by the time it manifests itself, it’ll be too late, and you don’t want that to happen.”
Several colon cancer survivors, patients, and carers played alongside some of the pros in Thursday’s pro-am. Scott Cardwell, a Tucson native and colon cancer survivor, was in Kelly’s group.
“He got a positive test merely because he came to the tournament and decided, ‘You know, I’m going to do it,'” Kelly added, referring to the fact that he was screened. “He was here, in wonderful health, and he was running….” I’m not sure if it was half-marathons or marathons, but he’s obviously a very active and healthy man. And then he gets a positive test, which completely transformed his life.”
That is the mission, and that is the goal. Every week, he drives home with his fellow professionals to prove it.
“Every week, they hear it from me.” This isn’t the first time they’ve heard it. Every week, they see the [Cologuard] cap,” he remarked. “Hopefully, more people will notice the hat.”
