My grandfather, Herb Friedman, loved the game of golf and started teaching me to play when I was 5. He would find ways to sneak me out on the course at his club, teaching me both the game’s essential fundamentals and etiquette. At the age of 13, I developed a stress fracture in my right shoulder and went to see Dr. David Altchek. Dr. Altchek advised me that continuing to play golf would not further complicate the injury. I started playing golf competitively at a national level in high school, traveling to numerous events across the country.
Playing golf at Yale was an amazing opportunity. The experience of traveling and competing with my teammates built a great sense of comradery, and strong bonds that cannot be replaced. After spending 8 months traveling the United States and Europe pursing professional golf, I decided to explore other interests while remaining a competitive amateur golfer.
While playing pickup basketball with my friends, I tore my ACL, MCL (partial-tear), and medial meniscus. At this point, I had developed a great relationship with Dr. Altchek, so it was an easy decision to see him again. Dr. Altchek immediately brought me in for an MRI and decided to let my MCL heal for about a month before performing surgery to repair my ACL and medial meniscus.
During my rehab I spent two days a week with my PT, Rob DiGiacomo. Rob was a fantastic resource and extremely invested in my rehabilitation process. He helped me quickly regain my leg strength, taught me how to rehab on my own and was impressed with the overall speed of my recovery. After just 4 months I made it back to competition at the USGA Four-Ball (a national two-man golf event in San Francisco) and continued to play throughout the summer, placing 2nd in New York State Amateur and qualifying for the US Amateur.
Sam Bernstein’s Notable Accomplishments:
• Ranked 43rd in the Nation in High School
• 20th in recruiting class
• AJGA All-American
• Scholastic All-American
• 2X Ivy League Player of the Year
• Yale Top Athlete Award (1st golfer)
Golf
Physical Therapy/Rehabilitation
Stress Fracture
All by Physician