D Wednesday, September 30, 2009 METRO No, it isnt a handicap Baseball player loses his leg but discovers he has golf down to a tee Stroke of genius: Manuel de los Santos tees off during a warm-up game Pictures: Getty A second shot: Manuel was going to be a baseball player but now loves golf By Fred Attewill Fairway to success: Manuel on crutches He MAY have lost a leg in a car accident but Manuel de los Santos never lost his natural bal- ance. Now the former baseball hopeful is set to achieve his dream of teeing off at the home of golf as one of europes top disabled players. The 25-year-old is playing along able-bodied amateurs and professionals at St Andrews in a four-day tournament starting tomorrow. Mr de los Santos had his left leg amputated aged 18 when he was knocked over by a car but he refuses to wear a prosthetic limb. Instead he has relied on his balance and perfect swing to achieve a handicap of just three. And the Dominican Republic-born golfer pre- fers to use crutches than ride a buggy between shots. Im an athlete. I walk, he said. He will join stars of the game including Padraig Harrington and ernie els during the tournament which also takes in two other Scottish courses, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. My dream has come true, he said. Mr de los Santos only took up golf after moving to France with his Spanish wife elena following his acci- dent in 2003. One evening she brought home the film The Legend Of Bagger Vance about a golfer over- coming adversity and he noticed the golf swing was similar to the baseball swing. He was in- stantly hooked. I hit four balls and I immedi- ately felt good. I felt well balanced. I said thats what I can do! Lets go! In 2005 he joined the French Handigolf association and with a tough training schedule after six months won the Span- ish Open. I decided to devote myself 100 per cent to golf, he said. I felt ready to consider a new life and start a new struggle to get results. index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html