For Brendan Valdes, Thursday’s opening round of the Biltmore Championship Asheville will represent something much bigger than another start on the PGA Tour.
Nine months after receiving a stunning cancer diagnosis and only a few months after being declared cancer-free, the 23-year-old is preparing to return to competitive golf at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove in Asheville, North Carolina.
Valdes received a sponsor exemption into the inaugural tournament, which will be played Sept. 17-20. The former Auburn standout enters the week without knowing exactly what his game will look like after such a lengthy absence, but simply reaching this point represents a significant milestone…