PGA
Traden looks forward to helping others by ken macleod
T
ens of thousands are eagerly anticipating the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills. None more so than Traden Karch. The senior at Broken Arrow High School loves it anytime he can visit with the pros, particularly Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and others, who helped him so much in his recovery from a tragic auto accident six years ago that shattered his skull and left him with brain damage and in a coma. Karch, 19, will be a standard bearer during this event, just as he was in 2018 at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis. He was the PGA of America’s guest of honor at the 2016 championship at Baltusrol. Nurses, doctors and EMTs were skeptical Karch would survive the night of his accident. He was suffering massive seizures at the scene when emergency personnel arrived and was told he stopped breathing three times on the seven-minute ambulance ride to the hospital. The surgery to piece his shattered skull back together took six hours. No one knew if he would survive or, if so, to what extent he would be able to recover. The driver who rushed him to the hospital was Billy Wilkinson, now a 22-year veteran on the Broken Arrow Fire Department. Imagine his surprise and delight recently when, in his second job as clinicals director in Tulsa Tech’s EMT program, he realized Traden was now one of his students. “I’m tickled to death that Traden is pursuing this field,” Wilkinson said. Traden now 19 and fin“My first day to ishing up high school at meet him was not Broken Arrow. 62
The Broken Arrow Fire Department first responders who helped save Traden, from left, Michael Whinery, Noel Golden, Billy Wilkinson, Trent Harris and Travis England. a good day for him. In my 22 years he is a spot on the golf team, though not a golf right at the top of those that suffered a hor- scholarship initially. As mentioned, he is rible tragedy yet survived. Now he’s gone studying at Tulsa Tech to earn his Emerfrom we weren’t sure he would survive to gency Medical Technician certification and an amazing recovery. He’s got a lot of inner plans to study nursing in college with the strength. A lot of people would not have goal of helping others like Wilkinson and his crew who helped save his life. made it.” “I just want to be there for the parents of Buoyed by the prayers of thousands, someone who Traden survived, had an experibut lost most With Rory McIlroy at the ence like mine of his child2016 PGA Championship. and tell them hood memories. it’s going to be The injuries to okay,” Traden his brain were said. mostly to the Traden will not areas that affect be the only walkspeech, memory ing miracle at the and language PGA Championarts and his reship. Another covery in those special guest of areas has been the PGA will the most diffibe young golfer cult. But while Jhett Skaggs of he didn’t rememLexington, Okla., ber his childwho has had two hood whatsoever, he somehow never forgot how to swing heart replacements in his 13 years. Whether due to the accident or just golf, a golf club. McIlroy was among the pros particularly Traden says his biggest hurdle these days is touched by Traden’s story and narrated a concentrating for all 18 holes and not losing focus and hitting an unwise shot or two. Golf Channel video that told his story. “Physically I’m perfectly fine,” he said. “The PGA helped me out tremendously,” Traden said. “Everything they did helped “Just a normal 19-year-old teenager. What me to have a normal life as a 13-to-14-year- I struggle with is the mental game. I always lose focus for a few holes, then snap old boy.” Traden will attend Rogers State Univer- out of it. But golf is just a hard game, I will sity in Claremore in the fall and will have say that.”
GOLF OKL AHOMA • 2022 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
W W W.GOLFOKL AHOMA.ORG
