You Go Girl Joanna
Mays Landing’s Coe on the mend and confident Joanna Coe loves to compete. So when the 2007 Oakcrest High School graduate felt a pop in her right knee last May, she knew it would be some time before she’d be able to return to life as a professional golfer.
“When I sat down with the surgeons, they said I might be ready by February.” -Joanna Coe
Photo Credit: Scott A. Miller
by Kevin
A Mays Landing native, Coe suffered her first torn ACL in the same knee as a high school senior. The rehabilitation process was a big question mark back then, but knowing what she would have to go through a second time gave her the knowledge necessary to complete the grueling sessions. Coe was never going to give up on her career. “Same pop as high school,” she recalled. “It ended my (high school) soccer career. I didn’t want it to end my golf career. “I didn’t realize my knee was still vulnerable. It was awful; one of the worst days of my life again.” Spending much of her time in Florida, Coe is a member of the Symetra Tour — the minor leagues of the LPGA Tour. She was in the midst of a solid season when she fell awkwardly and reinjured her knee. She had surgery last June and went through weeks of rehabilitation and physical therapy. “I rehabbed longer and it was more painful,” she said when comparing her two injuries. Coe was able to start swinging a club again in August. And although not 100 percent healthy, she played famed Merion Golf Club in September. “I knew what to do, the little tricks. I knew how to control the swelling,” she said. “Rehab was really hard. For the first month it was real upsetting, painful.” Coe returned to Florida in October and began to prepare for the cur-
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Coe WAS a four-time NCAA Division II AllAmerican and the Division II individual national champion as a freshman at Rollins College. rent season. She received a full medical extension from the Symetra Tour, meaning she didn’t have to worry about her playing status or go through Qualifying School. In late February, Coe made her return. She finished T25 at the Gateway Classic, her first event since that dreadful day last spring. “I looked at the game differently,” she said. “I never had that kind of break before. I learned a lot about the golf swing.” Coe has played in three events this season and recently participated in the Curacao Masters, a pro-am event to help promote tourism and golf.
Photo Credit: Associated Press
She’s taking her comeback slowly, not expecting too much of herself but looking for steady improvement and ultimately solid results. “I have to play a little by ear. I need to make sure I’m careful and not exhausting myself,” said Coe, a four-time NCAA Division II All-American and the Division II individual national champion as a freshman at Rollins College. “I’m taking it one week at a time, small goals. “My expectations are low. I don’t want to get too high because I haven’t been out here for a while. I struggled in the first few events, but I’m playing pretty well and feeling pretty good.” Coe likes where she’s at as far as her career is concerned. She appreciates the opportunities the game has provided her and wants nothing more than to compete at a high level. “When I sat down with the surgeons, they said I might be ready by February,” she added. “It was easy to get ready because I wanted to beat that goal. “I’m looking forward to things. I missed it because I love competing and I’m confident.”
Minnick, COURIER-POST, Kevin Minnick at kminnick@courierpostonline.com. Follow him on Twitter @cp_varsity