When COVID-19 started causing postponements and cancellations in the sports world, Symetra Tour golfer Sarah Hoffman wasn't sure how to proceed at first.
"Once we got another postponement until July I was like OK I can't keep sitting around and waiting," Hoffman said. "I need to go back to Michigan."
Hoffman is a graduate of the Grand Valley State's College of Nursing and has had a temp position with the orthopedic trauma unit at the University of Michigan Hospital where she works in the off season and she rejoined them in late April.
Due to the pandemic Hoffman is seeing a patient population that she is not used to.
"You just kind of don't always know what to expect," Hoffman said. "Luckily our nurse educators have been really good about educating us and keeping us up to date on emails and stuff, the doctors have been great about letting us ask questions and being super understanding that we are not used to taking care of those kinds of patients."
The Symetra Tour is currently scheduled to resume in July and Hoffman wants to get back out and play competitively but her position as a nurse has given her a unique perspective about making sure it is safe to return.
"Talking to my co-workers about what it was like in the second week of April, nurses were definitely scared and not knowing where things were going to go," Hoffman said. "I think it has just allowed me to see that maybe golf isn't quite as important as some other things going on right now."
Hoffman says she didn't touch a golf club from the second week of March until last Saturday. She is now back practicing on days she isn't at the hospital and trying to keep her game sharp which can be difficult without tournaments.
"Obviously you can always compete against yourself and that is what is awesome about golf," Hoffman said. "You can see how you are driving the ball one day and want to do better the next and I always want to make whatever putt I have so keeping that competitive fire yourself and continuing to work on drills that have measurable outcomes and trying to get better in those drills."
Hoffman made the cut at the season's first event before the pause and is excited to return to golf at some point. In the meantime she will continue to help at the hospital.
