As is often the case, things can change in a heartbeat in this game. For Justin Harding, it started with what seemed like a “simple” knee scan, and two days later became one of the hardest battles he’s had to fight in his career.

“The biggest frustration came from the suddenness of everything. One day I was asking to have a little scan done to see if there was a niggle in my knee, and two days later I’m told I need to stop playing immediately. That took a long time to get over,” he says.

Harding has been through an agonising journey of injury, rehab, injury and the loss of his DP World Tour card, to fighting his way back and regaining his playing privileges through the brutal route of Qualifying School.

Having completely redesigned his swing, Harding says the injury is now behind him. “I’m confident in my movement and the way I’m trying to shape shots. I’m still doing rehab and physical training, but fortunately it’s something I don’t have to think about any more.”

It all began with a limp in September 2022. The “simple” scan revealed a hip stress fracture. But even this wasn’t too much of a concern for Harding.

“It was meant to be four months out and then I would be coming back with a full DP World Tour card,” he says.

But it was that comeback which compounded everything.

“I think where it hit its peak was when I returned. I didn’t play well and found out I had double-fractured it. That was a low point because it meant another seven to eight months out of the game and having to come back with a medical exemption, which made everything so much more difficult.”

The loss of income, the loss of competition and basically the loss of a job on the DP World Tour are all factors that compound the frustration of injury. Harding admits it took him to the toughest place he’s been in his career, as he found himself literally restarting his career.

“There were tough times. It was some of the hardest golf I’ve had to play. It felt like a restart, and a restart at professional level is really hard. But I just had to get through it. You find little forks in the road and avenues you pursue that help you. And you know you need to be in a position to attack the next time you get the opportunity.”

When he speaks about what kept him driven to fight through it, Harding puts it down to his sheer competitive nature.

“You look at the obvious, which is financial, and that’s a no-brainer. But the fact is I love the game, and the challenge it presents is what pushed me.”

There were other elements of his life that helped him.

“We had a baby and I dove straight into family and looking after them while trying to get through my recovery. My wife and family have been massively supportive. My mom and dad will always have my back. There are always people who care, which is refreshing and makes it that much easier.”

And it’s as if the challenges prepared him perfectly for the battle of Qualifying School towards the end of last year.

“I was playing well going into Q-School and had an understanding of the nuances of my swing. Then I shot 80 in the final round of a tournament before Q-School. I believe if I hadn't shot that 80, I probably wouldn’t have made it through. It was an absolute breeze, until it wasn’t. I was in the top three for pretty much the whole event, then we had a long delay and when we came back I played my next three holes poorly. I lost two shots, and it was like the momentum had shifted. But I still managed to get my card.”

Now he’s ready to attack this next phase of his career with the same approach.

“I’ve been lucky enough to play really well and put myself in situations to have great success, and I’ve just got to do that again. My main goal this year is to win. I’ve developed the tools for success. It’s a matter of giving yourself an opportunity and then taking it. It’s as simple as that.”

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