Cassie Porter's LPGA Tour journey: ‘A misdiagnosis cost me 18 months of golf ’

Tennis was my first love. My dad is a tennis professional and taught at a local school. Golf was his hobby. He and my mom played every weekend at Peregian Springs Golf Club, which is near the eastern coast of Australia north of Brisbane. I rode in the cart, did some coloring. They put me in clinics when I was 6. I didn’t enjoy it. I preferred tennis and swimming.

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But golf was such a part of our family routine—my two older brothers also play—so I decided to learn. I took private lessons and developed this unexpected, strange love. I got good quickly, even better than I was at tennis. I won some junior competitions and was hooked.

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When I was 12, I played every sport I could. My parents asked if I loved golf enough to only play golf. I said “Yes, I’m going to be No. 1 in the world.” I did online homeschooling so I could cater my schedule to practice and competition.

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Socially, that was a little tricky. Seeing pictures of my friends who went to school together, it was clear they were together all the time while I was playing golf. I didn’t go to prom. But I had friends in golf, and through the Australian national program, I traveled the world. We went to Dubai, Japan and all over as a team. I loved that.

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Kate McShane

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In 2020, the month before COVID hit, I was 17 and swamped with schoolwork. I decided to take a month off to finish my exams so that I could graduate early. I went from working out and practicing every day to doing nothing but sitting at my computer. I woke up one morning and couldn’t get out of bed. Searing pain in my hip and back radiated down my left side.

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A scan showed a stress fracture in my lower spine. For the next 18 months I was in rehab. I wore a back brace for several months, wondering if I’d ever play golf again. I followed my doctor’s recovery plan but wasn’t getting better. Stress fractures shouldn’t take that long to heal. I lost my patience, as did my parents. We sought another opinion.

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The next doctor told me the problem was sciatica: pressure on the sciatic nerve. It’s the longest nerve in the body, going from the bottom of the spine to the toes. After three weeks of treatment, I was pain-free. Picking up a club again, I didn’t know what kind of player I’d be, how long it’d take to be as good as I was, but somehow, the swing didn’t feel foreign. I practiced for a month and then won my first three tournaments back.

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I don’t carry anger towards the doctors who misdiagnosed me. The experience taught me how to advocate for myself in medical situations. I also learned the depths of my love for golf. I felt physically ill thinking about not being able to play again. The normal path would’ve been to continue climbing in the amateur ranks, but after that, I had clarity. I wanted to be a pro golfer, so why wait? I was 19. My parents supported me. They know I have no patience.

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I played mini-tours in Australia. In 2022, I tried LPGA Q School. I booked everything for my mom and myself. When we got to Plantation in Fort Lauderdale, I learned there are many courses called Plantation in Florida. We sped three hours to the proper course. On the way, I tried to no avail to get a refund on the weeklong rental I’d booked in the wrong town.

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I earned Epson Tour status, but after that experience, I wondered if I was ready to play in the States. Would I be homesick? I missed traveling with a team and having a manager handling all the details. I was naive about what places could be unsafe. A man, probably homeless, once tried to break into my Airbnb in the middle of the night. I was alone and too terrified to do anything. He couldn’t get in and left. After that, family and friends took turns traveling with me.

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My friend Stephanie Na was on the bag when I won my first Epson event. When I got on the LPGA Tour in 2025, I was fan-girling. I couldn’t believe I was playing against these women I’d watched on TV and didn’t really believe I deserved to be there. I finished fourth in China, my second event, which basically locked my card for the next year, but I missed a lot of cuts after. Something had to change. I moved to Las Vegas, which made traveling easier. My boyfriend, who’s a caddie on tour, lives in Vegas, too. I parted with my coach, Dan Morrison, who I’d worked with since I was 13 and who had been caddieing for me. It was so difficult; he’s like a family member.

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I started working with a new coach, Holton Freeman. We made swing changes during tournament weeks and really picked my game apart. We added more shot shapes, which completely changed the creativity of how I look at golf courses.

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This year, I’m starting to see the rewards for that work. I’ve had three top-10 finishes. I’m so grateful to be here, but I’m hungry for more. At first, I was in disbelief that I’d made it to the LPGA Tour. Now all I think about is making the 2028 Olympic team.

Editor’s Note: Porter, 24, is playing in this week’s NW Arkansas Championship. She is ranked 48th on the LPGA’s Race to the CME Globe (top 60 make the CME Group Tour Championship) and 78th in the Rolex Women’s Rankings.