Scott Verplank has been a professional golfer since 1986, winning five PGA Tour events and making two Ryder Cup appearances.
In 2001, the American reached as high as 11th in the World Golf Rankings and was also the first golfer to hit a hole-in-one during the Ryder Cup.
Type 1 diagnosis
Verplank was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was nine, lapsing into a coma after feeling sick and missing school for a week.
He had to medicate without the technology that is available now and reportedly started medicating using pork-based insulin
Nowadays, Verplank uses an insulin pump when walking around the course and attributes his success to regular checking of his blood sugar levels
In a 2006 interview with Diabetes Health magazine, Verplank said: “Testing is my best remedy to stay on top of my control, and then I adjust my insulin and food to my results while I’m out on the golf course.”
Dealing with adrenaline has always been an issue, which can raise blood sugar levels, and Verplank often injected insulin on the second hole to compensate for an adrenaline rise when teeing off.
Golfing recognition
In 2002, Verplank was awarded with the Ben Hogan Award to an individual who has excelled in golf despite a physical handicap or serious illness.
Alongside his wife, Kim, Verplank has also set up the Verplank Foundation which aims to provide the financial ability for young children with type 1 diabetes to pursue a college education.
