Legendary golf instructor Jim McLean is on the mend after he said he was pronounced dead twice amid a battle with diverticulitis.
“I’m working on getting back to full health,” McLean, 76, wrote via Instagram on Saturday, June 27. “I’ll be transferring to PT hospital by the end of next week. Thanks to all of you for the positive notes. Jim.”
His note came next to a longer statement that he shared in a graphic detailing his frightening ordeal.
“To all my friends: I’m sorry I have not gotten back to you,” the statement began. “Here is the brief story. I arrived in an ambulance on May 26. I was pronounced dead twice — from diverticulitis — where the colon is punctured. I had my phone off for over 3 weeks — then I answered a few texts.”
Diverticulitis occurs when an irregular, bulging pouch, called a diverticulum, becomes inflamed, leading to severe pain, fever and nausea, according to the Mayo Clinic. While the condition could normally be treated with rest and mild antibiotics, severe cases may require hospitalization. Patients rarely die from diverticulitis, but it can happen if the diverticulum bursts, spilling bacteria into the body.
“From the beginning, my two boys flew down to be with me, also a few close friends. My brother Tom stayed 11 days,” McLean wrote. “Other friends flew in to be at bedside. My wife Amparo, has been with me 24/7. She has been my rock. She sleeps in a chair, in the hospital, next to me.”
Naturally, well-wishers filled McLean’s comments with encouraging words as he continues his recovery.
“You’ve got at least nine lives in you,” fellow instructor Mike Bury wrote. “You just used two of them at once. There’s still a lot of meat left on the bone. Thinking about you and your family. You’re tough as nails, mate!”
Sean Foley, another instructor, added, “You will be back on the range in no time my friend. You will do great 🫡.”
McLean spent two years as a professional golfer before turning to instruction in 1991. Two years later, he founded The Jim McLean Golf School, and he has taught a number of pros over the years, including Lexi Thompson, Keegan Bradley and Gary Woodland. He was inducted into the PGA of America Hall of Fame in 2025.
“[Mentoring] has been the most important thing in my life, I think,” McLean said at his induction. “Working with a lot of juniors, that’s been the most fun thing. We have a great staff and a lot of great young people working for me, and that’s been the most important thing. We built a template for hiring young professionals, and the difference between a good future teacher and a great one is massive. We hire the great ones.”
