Profile / Editor / 27 June 2007 / Leave a Comment

There are many people who wouldn't have even walked again after being diagnosed with rheumatoid polyarthritis in both feet.

But Jose Maria Olazabal has not only overcome the potentially crippling condition but has fought back to regain his place as one of the best and most respected figures in the world of golf.

The Spaniard was faced with the very real prospect that he would never play the game again after he was diagnosed with arthritis shortly after the first of his two US Masters triumphs in 1994.

There were times when Olazabal was unable to get out of bed during the 18 months he spent receiving specialist treatment for the condition but such is his remarkable determination that he was back on the professional circuit in 1997 and lifting his second Masters crown just two years later.

Olazabal has always possessed the ability to amaze, right from the point when he finished second on the European Order of Merit at the age of just 20 and made his Ryder Cup debut alongside Severiano Ballesteros the following year.

The Spanish duo were one of the keys to Europe's triumph at Muirfield Village in 1987 and went on to form the most successful partnership in the history of the competition, winning 11 matches, halving two and losing just twice.

Now 41, Olazabal has amassed 23 European Tour titles and also won six times in America to currently stand at number 35 in the world rankings.

While he has not tasted victory since the Mallorca Open in September 2005, his desire to win remains as strong as ever and he will be hoping his previous success in the French Open will spur him on to end his barren run this week, where he is trading at 25 to win and 6.2 to finish in the top five.

Olazabal has largely based himself on the US PGA Tour in 2007 and, while he has not repeated his feats of last year when he finished second twice and third once, the signs are that a good performance could be just around the corner.

After opening with a first round 76, 'Olly' produced three storming rounds to finish joint third and just three strokes behind Phil Mickelson at the Tournament Players' Championship last month while he remains one of the finest exponents of the short game in the world.

He may have struggled with a driver in his hands over the years but that is not the case with shorter clubs and he stands ninth in the 2007 PS PGA Tour table for putts per round averaging 28.34.

Olazabal's lack of accuracy off the tee helps to explain his lack of success at the traditionally tight US Open and USPGA Championships in contrast to his record at the US Masters and The Open where the fairways are more generous.

But he has still made the last eight cuts in all Majors and could be an interesting selection at 90 to win The Open Championship at Carnoustie next month in a tournament where he has twice finished third, most recently at St Andrews two years ago.