Between digestive enzymes, modulators and vitamins David Howard takes around 30 tablets every day to look after his health.
This week he returns to Baltray, looking to defend his East of Ireland title. He loves playing in this part of the world, as evidenced by his 66 in the final round at nearby Seapoint last month, that almost landed him a comeback victory in the Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship.
Five years on from one of the lowest points of his life, he is playing his best golf, and representing Ireland while the Fota Island golfer is one of the form players in a Walker Cup year.
More importantly, he is in control of his health, as he also represents Cystic Fibrosis Ireland with pride during Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month.
“That’s really important to me,” said Howard.
“My main reason for taking it on is the younger kids coming through. CF is a tough thing, you can’t really walk away from it, you can’t go for a coffee and have a chat. It’s with you every day.
“So if I can show a bit of positivity around it, show what’s possible, that’s worth doing. I get younger people, kids with CF, messaging me on Instagram. For them to be able to look at someone a bit older with CF doing what I’m doing, hopefully it gives them a lift.
“Shows them they’re not much different to anyone else.”
Howard turned 27 last Sunday, he was first diagnosed with CF 20 years ago, the result of a prolonged battle as his mother, Eithna, searched for answers she could not find.
“With newborn screening it doesn’t really happen like that anymore,” said Howard.
“I was untreated and unmedicated for the first seven years, which wasn’t ideal. My mom knew something wasn’t quite right with me.
“She was the one who pushed and pushed to get answers. She brought me to specialists, doctors, the whole lot. Some of them said it might be asthma, some said other things, she was told a few times it’d be fine, but she kept going. Eventually we got the answer.
“I had great support from family and friends, which made a big difference. But then around 13, 14, you do the dreaded Googling of CF. That’s not a nice thing for a kid to read. You’re getting the worst-case scenarios.
“It was a pretty dark few years. I went off the rails a bit, drinking and that kind of stuff, at a young age. But my family pulled me back and got me sorted.
“I wasn’t great at most sports, limited to a few things, but I had pitch and putt and golf the whole way through. Then from about 18 or 19 it became more serious.”
Howard learned pitch and putt from his father, John. Meanwhile, his brothers, Michael and Jack, who is a PGA Professional, were also avid golfers.
Competing in that environment, and against two older brothers, meant Howard found an all-round game that would stand to him on the Irish amateur circuit.
He began to make progress and when he won the Muskerry Junior Scratch Cup in 2019, beating his father in the final, he realised there was the potential to go further. However, the Covid-19 pandemic put a halt to his progress away from the game.
“I went a bit anal with cocooning and staying safe,” said Howard.
“It was also the time when Orkambi, the new breakthrough drug came out in 2020, so with a mix of cocooning and different medications, I ended up getting into a bit of manic episode, it was psychosis.
“It wasn’t fun, especially for all of my family having to go through it. We had a few tough months. I was in hospital for a couple of weeks, more mentally than to do with CF.
“It was tough because I couldn’t have any visitors because of Covid. It went on for a year or two in the end, between going through all of that and getting back from being manic.
“There is still no definite answer for what it was caused by but I’d say cocooning and keeping to myself.
“There was talks that I mightn’t get back to myself, which was a tough thing to hear.”
He recovered from the most difficult period of his life and when he returned to the golf course, with the help of family, his coach Kevin Morris, and the tight-knit club in Fota Island, he was able to find his love for golf again.
Howard also credits much of his journey back, to his girlfriend Gabbi, and also his medical team in Cork University Hospital, and in particular Professor Barry Plant.
Meanwhile, his progress in the game over the last couple of years has been staggering and it culminated with his first championship in Co Louth.
He finished just one shot ahead of Robert Abernethy to secure the biggest win of his career, as everything finally fell into place.
“It’s a big one in the calendar, I love Baltray,” said Howard.
“I’ve actually only played it twice, last year was my second time. Second last group on the Sunday, won it on the last.
“I had family and friends up there with me, which made it. So yeah, looking forward to going back.”
Howard has been busy, he is just back from England where he competed at the Brabazon Trophy last week but earlier this year he did his own fundraising for Cystic Fibrosis.
Every birdie he slotted during his 65km for 65 Roses challenge in March were worth €2 to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland. Howard completed 65km on the golf course too and raised €3,445 in the process.
He has been an ambassador for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland since 2024 and he was delighted to give back.
“It was great to raise some money over the four weeks,” said Howard.
“It was incredible, everyone was very generous. My parents have always done fundraising since I was diagnosed, it was nice to be able to do my bit.”
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