Davis Love III Undergoes Successful Open Heart Surgery

The 21-time PGA Tour winner and two-time Ryder Cup captain returned home on Saturday after doctors dealt with an issue they had been monitoring for a decade

Davis Love III waves to the crowd during the Payne Stewart Award Ceremony prior to the 2024 Tour Championship
(Image credit: Getty Images)

World Golf Hall of Famer, Davis Love III has returned home following successful open heart surgery, the PGA Tour has confirmed.

60-year-old Love III said doctors had been monitoring "a valve issue" over the past decade before it was eventually decided well in advance that going under the knife was the best course of action.

The two-time Ryder Cup captain and one-time Presidents Cup captain attended the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida for the treatment this week before returning home to St Simons Island, Georgia early on Saturday.

CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz revealed the news during the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open on Saturday, sharing that he had spoken to Love III not long before going on air.

According to Nantz, the 21-time PGA Tour winner plans to be back driving in March and playing golf in April.

Davis Love III won the 2016 Ryder Cup as USA captain

Davis Love III won the 2016 Ryder Cup as USA captain

(Image credit: Getty Images)

In a statement, Love III said: “The procedure was successful and I’m now at home recovering. I went in healthy and came out healthier.

"I’m extremely grateful for all the well wishes, prayers, and messages I have received. I have been blessed with great care at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. Dr. John R. Cangemi, Dr. David J. Cangemi, Dr. Peter M. Pollak guided me to this surgery with Dr. John Haney.

"I’m grateful for them and their teams’ expertise and care, and I am motivated to prove them right and get back to playing golf by this summer!”

Winner of the 1997 PGA Championship, Love III has made 791 PGA Tour appearances in his career but only 52 PGA Tour Champions starts since turning 50 in April 2014 - and just four of those have arrived since 2023.

In recent years, he has been Team USA Ryder Cup vice-captain (2023) and winning captain (2016), avenging the defeat from his first attempt at Medinah in 2012, as well as a successful Presidents Cup captain (2022).

Love III spent several months as an analyst for CBS in 2020 but left the role in order to "focus on my family, play a few tournaments, and bring some stability back in a difficult year." His family home had been completely destroyed by a fire in March 2020, with everyone escaping unharmed.

Jonny Leighfield
Staff Writer

Jonny Leighfield is our Staff News Writer who joined Golf Monthly just in time for the 2023 Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. He graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2017 and spent almost five years as the sole sports reporter at his local newspaper. During his time with Golf Monthly, Jonny has interviewed several stars of the game, including Robert MacIntyre, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, and Joaquin Niemann. An improving golfer himself, Jonny enjoys learning as much about the game as he can and recently reached his Handicap goal of 18 for the first time. He attended both the 150th and 151st Open Championships and dreams of attending The Masters one day.