Golf News: - Posted 22nd April 1998

Harold Swash released from hospital

Augusta, Georgia - Harold Swash, Britain's Putting Guru, has just been released from hospital after a life-saving operation following his collapse at Augusta National before the Masters.

Harold, 65, is a world expert on putting technology and has worked with European Tour members for many years and has helped new players joining the Tour at the MacGregeor week, the annual European Tour Training School.

He collapsed in the medical centre at Augusta after being taken ill by the putting green on the Monday morning of the Masters week. Surgeon Howard Hudson was in the Medical Centre at the time and instantly diagnosed an aortic aneurysm. Within minutes Harold was in the University Hospital Augusta where he underwent emergency surgery for 10½ hours.

The operation, carried out by Dr Robert Johnson, was a success and by the end of the week Harold was watching the Masters on television. It is the second major championship he has watched from a hospital bed in the last 10 months. The previous occasion was the Open championship when he was recovering from a quadruple heart by-pass.

Harold paid tribute to the hospital and said "All the medical staff at the hospital and Augusta National were wonderful. The speed and efficiency of the whole system was incredible. They were calling me the miracle man but it was Dr Robert Johnson and his team who worked the miracle."

Harold's wife. Alma, has flown to America and will stay with him until he is able to fly home to Southport next month.