Runner's Knee, Early Extension, and Me

+ Weekly Favorites

Author

Sean Melia
January 10, 2025

Hey Everyone,

Are we having fun in this sub-zero weather yet?

If you’re looking to escape the cold, there is still time to sign up for a trip to Hilton Head with The Golf Trip guys from April 10-13. Come play 54 holes of golf, meet some new people, and scrape the rust off your golf game! Details here.

This week, I wrote two pieces about the debut of TGL.

I also made a video diving into my five favorite new-to-me courses I played in 2024. I have made it a goal to post 2 videos a month. Would appreciate it if you subscribed!

News and Notes:

Michael Thornbjornsen withdraws from Sony Open in Hawaii: In my 2025 predictions, I picked Michael Thorbjornsen to win on the PGA Tour. For the second time in three events since October, Thorbjornsen had to withdraw. In October, he played one round in the Black Desert Championship before left knee pain forced him out. He finished T8 in the RSM Championship. Of course, the LIV Golf rumors were sparked at the announcement of the withdrawal. There was no reason given for this withdrawal this week.

Molly Smith and Isabel Brozena competing in Florida: At the halfway point of the South Atlantic Amateur Golf Championship (The SALLY) Smith carded rounds of 84-83 (T64) and Brozena shot 74-76 (T7) on a tough layout. One player is currently under par. Live Scoring.

Granite Links adding hotel: It looks like Granite Links is going to add a “boutique hotel and spa” to accommodate weddings. They also plan to make some changes to… the clubhouse! Here’s the full story about the changes that they’ll make to the course facilities. Quincy Sun.

Rowley CC expansion: It looks like the nine-hole course will add more holes to the property along with some ambitious development. It’s unclear if they will add nine more holes or 18 holes. Here’s the story from North Shore Golf Magazine.

If you have any results or stories that you think would be great for the newsletter. Send them to [email protected]. I’d love to highlight some high school and college golf this fall season. So if you’re connected to a program, send along results or highlights.

Runner’s Knee, Early Extension, and Me

I hit my lowest GHIN index for 2024 in early July. I was playing to a 1.9; I played some solid golf throughout the spring and early summer after a winter of grinding with my guy Luke Cantelo.

In mid-July, I did something I have been doing regularly for the last twenty years: I tied up my running shoes and headed out towards the Charles River for a run. It’s an activity I hated as a kid but learned to love in college.

Little did I know, it would be the last real run I would go on in 2024. As I tried to pass a few people on the Longfellow Bridge, they wandered into my path. In my effort to elude them, I tweaked my knee. A sharp, stabbing pain right in the kneecap. I walked it off and managed to run home. I tried to run again a few days later, assuming the tweak was just a one-off event. Incredibly, after a half mile, a man ran out onto the running path and stopped me because he couldn’t find his dog.

Same sharp pain in my knee.

Shit.

I walked home.

Not good.

Like any normal person, I did some Googling. I self-diagnosed it as runner’s knee. The pain made sense. I had zero pain doing any other activity and could still squat, lunge, jump, twist, turn, and, most importantly, swing a golf club.

Slowly, my handicap crept upward, though; I finished the year at a 3.7. I started hitting some horrific-looking shots within days of the injury.

Fast forward to my visit with a physical therapist in December. Yes, I waited until December.

After some tests, the PT gave the same diagnosis: runner’s knee.

Runner’s knee, in my case, is caused by weak quads and glutes.

You know what else is caused by weak quads and glutes?

Early extension.

Early extension is basically when your hips move toward the golf ball during the swing. It’s not great because it causes players to miss to the right or hit a wicked hook. Early extension puts a premium on timing in the golf swing.

After I tweaked my knee, my timing was way off.

My physical therapy is all focused on strengthening my quads and glutes because they are so weak that they’re basically dragging my kneecap all over the pace, hence the pain when I run. They’re also so weak (and immobile) that when I swing a golf club my body can’t counteract the force, so it has to travel toward the ball

I’m 41. So these are the things that will no doubt creep into my life. It’s become a game of whack-a-mole. Focus on hitting one mole, and something else will pop up somewhere else.

Last winter, I was dealing with golfer’s elbow. Now I have runner’s knee.

So now, the 2025 season has begun in earnest. I have started my winter golf work and am also on the path to running again. 🤞 

Over the next few months, I will document my golf lessons (and maybe some running rehab) here and on my social channels. A little accountability goes a long way.

If you would like to support my work, you can upgrade your subscription.

When I’m not golfing…

I’m reading…

  • Started the monstrous 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. I always like a big undertaking in the winter. Nice to finish a tough, long book early in the year.

I’m listening to…

  • I’ve kind of been digging these YouTube DJ sets. Once you watch one the algorithm will inundate you with all sorts of options.

I’m eating…

I’m watching…

  • Still enjoying Bad Sisters and Landman.

Bay State Archives

Reply

or to participate.