Nebraska man faces cancer; tough U.S. Open course up next

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By KEN HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star

John Atkinson has done everything he can to prepare for  the Torrey Pines South golf course.

A friend, Terry Beutler,  gathered 50 other friends to give Atkinson the experience of playing in front of a gallery.

NBC Sports, Golf Digest, Omaha TV stations and a few national newspapers have been by for interviews and witnessed his golf game in person.

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John Atkinson attempts a par putt during a round of golf this spring at Indian Creek Golf Course near Omaha. Atkinson, a lung cancer survivor, won a Golf Digest contest that earned the Lincoln native an opportunity to play a round of golf with Matt Lauer, Tony Romo and Justin Timberlake this summer. (Courtesy photo)

John Atkinson attempts a par putt during a round of golf this spring at Indian Creek Golf Course near Omaha. Atkinson, a lung cancer survivor, won a Golf Digest contest that earned the Lincoln native an opportunity to play a round of golf with Matt Lauer, Tony Romo and Justin Timberlake this summer. (Courtesy photo)

Atkinson, a 39-year-old sales rep for Bard  Peripheral Vascular, has been working out with Players Club teaching pro Bob Scott.

He’s ready.

Atkinson isn’t just playing the course near San Diego. He’s playing the U.S . Open course, with the less-than-subtle U.S. Open conditions.

You know, the course conditions of jungle rough, greens so hard and fast you’d think you’re putting off your car roof and trying to make the ball stop on the hood.

An essay nominating Atkinson was chosen from 56,378 entries in  a Golf Digest contest to have an amateur golfer try to break 100 on  the U.S. Open course on June 6. Atkinson advanced through an elimination process in Internet voting. He received 48,000 of the 117,000 votes cast for five finalists. 

Here’s Beutler’s essay nominating Atkinson:

Can I break 100? No. Do I want the chance? Yes, but not for me. You see, my best friend since sixth grade was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer last April. He has never smoked, and it’s just one of those life things. He is a wonderful father, husband, friend and son. Last summer he had a double treatment of chemo and walked 18 holes the next day and shot a 76. He’s a 5-handicap. The statistics aren’t on his side, but, like John says, they have never done a study of John Atkinson.”

Atkinson didn’t know about Beutler’s essay.

He wrote one himself in December.

“I was between doctor visits, and I have a lot of those since I was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer over a year ago, and started looking at Golf Digest,” said Atkinson, who was born in Lincoln and now lives in Omaha.

He clarified that he has an 8-handicap, shot an 82 after the chemo and added, “Golfing is living.  I’ve enjoyed golfing through my chemotherapy. Golf gives me a great pride, inspiration and strength as I continue teeing it up with friends. Nothing’s better than taking your buddies while on chemotherapy.”

The entire “life thing” has been a positive family experience for the Atkinsons.

“My wife, Lori, children (Macheala, 10; Andrea, 8; and Christopher, 5) have gotten involved and played a big part in this entire thing,” Atkinson said. “They are why I still live today. They are why I feel inspired to go and try to break 100 at Torrey Pines.”

NBC Sports will air the round featuring Atkinson, NBC’s Matt Lauer, Dallas Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo and Grammy Award winner Justin Timberlake on June 15, the day of the final round of the Open.

“This is a great chance for me and it’s a great chance to raise awareness of lung cancer and to raise some money for lung cancer research,” he said.

Atkinson was never a smoker. He was a three-sport athlete at Omaha Westside. He was active at Nebraska Wesleyan and Nebraska when he was in college. He kept in shape and doesn’t hang around smokers, but he has lung cancer nonetheless.

He was never given a prognosis and was never told what caused the cancer.

Stage IV is the deadliest form of lung cancer, it is inoperable and carries a stigma, too, Atkinson said. “Because it mostly happens to smokers, it’s hard to raise money for research, but I have it and I didn’t smoke, never have,  and I was healthy all my life,” he added.

About 60 percent of those diagnosed with Atkinson’s form of cancer die within a year. He passed that milestone two months ago. About 85 percent die within 16 to 18 months of diagnosis.

“I could give up, but I won’t,” he said. “I owe it to my family. I want to enjoy my friends as much as I can. I want to do something for cancer research.”

A lot of friends and interested people have sent letters, e-mails and notes of support.

One friend set up a round of golf at the new Dismal River Course. “Wow. A 7,000-yard course that is so beautiful and so, so hard,” Atkinson said. “Other friends have called and asked what they can do. People want to help. People do care. We all get so busy in our lives, with so much to do, you don’t expect the kind of support I’ve had outside my group of close friends. But I feel like I have hundreds of friends now.”

There is a fundraiser tied to Atkinson’s round at Torrey Pines. “Some people are donating for each stroke I have under 100, some for each stroke over 100, some just donating because they didn’t know funds were needed,” Atkinson said.

Donations can be sent to the Lung Cancer Alliance (www.lungcanceralliance.org).

Reach Ken Hambleton at 473-7313 or khambleton@journalstar.com.