The career of 1998 U.S. Amateur champion Hank
Kuehne is in jeopardy after undergoing major surgery on his left arm and elbow earlier this week, his father says.
Kuehne, 25, faces four to six months of recovery and rehabilitation before he can hit balls again, Ernie Kuehne said in an interview with The Dallas Morning News.
Hank Kuehne continues to recover in Salt Lake City, where Dr. Lanny Paulos performed the surgery Tuesday. Hank Kuehne will remain there with his mother, Pam, until next week and has declined to comment.
Paulos moved Kuehne's left biceps tendon, which was irritating a nerve, then cut the ulnar nerve and moved it from the bottom side of the left elbow to the forearm side.
"It's a career-threatening injury. It's a major setback," Ernie Kuehne said.
Hank Kuehne has been ineffective on the course recently. After undergoing unrelated bone spur-removal surgery in June, he missed the cut in two tournaments and lost any chance to gain PGA Tour or Buy.com Tour privileges for 2001.
Kuehne, a four-time All-American at Southern Methodist University, never has earned PGA Tour or Buy.com privileges since turning pro in June 1999.
