The Unthinkable Comeback

Dayton Price isn’t supposed to be able to shoot 63. He isn’t supposed to be the front-runner for Western Conference Player of the Year. He wasn’t supposed to be able to play golf at all. Hell, Dayton Price isn’t supposed to be alive. But last week, Price posted 63 for Wilfrid Laurier University and won his third collegiate tournament of the season. 

A social media post from the Wilfrid Laurier University golf team shows Price carefully putting on the protective skin over his legs—a simple act that tells a powerful story of resilience, perseverance, and unimaginable tragedy.

On March 15, 2022, Price and the University of the Southwest men’s and women’s golf teams were traveling to a tournament when a 38-year-old man—later found to have methamphetamine in his system—crossed the median and collided head-on with the team van.

The crash claimed the lives of the team’s coach and six of Price’s teammates. The driver of the truck and his 13-year-old son were also killed. Only Price and his teammate, Hayden Underhill, survived, both suffering devastating injuries. They were airlifted to University Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas.

Price sustained third- and fourth-degree burns covering 44% of his body and spent nearly three months in the hospital. In November, he will undergo his 28th and 29th surgeries since the crash. “What’s 30 if you’ve gone through 29?” Price said on a recent podcast. His words are a reflection of both grit and humor forged in pain.

Doctors initially believed they would need to amputate both of Price’s legs. His family refused to give up, and through an experimental surgery, his legs were saved.

Even when doctors told him he had little chance of ever playing competitive golf again, Price never let go of his dream. “I had wonderful care. They were amazing, but seeing the families of the victims motivated me. There was absolutely no way I wasn’t going to play competitive golf again,” he said.

After three months in the hospital, Price returned to Mississauga in Canada to continue his recovery—and to return to golf. His first round back was at Whistle Bear with family and a friend. Barely able to walk and wrapped in bandages, Price stood on the 12th hole and hit a 120-yard drive from the forward tees.

He was back.

He drained a long putt for what he now calls “the best birdie of my life.” It wasn’t just a birdie—it was a declaration of survival.

A trip to the Canadian Open in June, courtesy of Golf Canada, added even more fuel to his fire. “When I watched Rory win, I knew I wanted to be out there,” Price said.

His progress was slow and often interrupted by additional surgeries and hospital visits. But as soon as doctors cleared him—or sometimes even before—he was back on the course.

“I play for a lot of families,” he told me, referring to the loved ones of the teammates he lost that day. He couldn’t quit. He was playing for something bigger than himself.

Last summer, Price competed in amateur tournaments across Canada and a few mini-tour events. In an Americas Tour Monday qualifier, he shot a 68—just two strokes short of advancing. It was a milestone moment in his comeback.

Now in his first season at Wilfrid Laurier, Price has continued to defy every expectation. His 63 last week, the lowest score in school history, marked his third win of the season. With a strong performance at the upcoming conference championship, he’ll likely be named Player of the Year.

As for what’s next, Price plans to test his game in professional events this summer while maintaining his amateur status. His sights are set firmly on a pro golf career. For him, it’s not a question of if—it’s when.

Three years ago, Dayton Price nearly lost his life in a horrific tragedy that claimed seven others. After enduring pain he describes as “indescribable,” today he stands on the verge of a dream once thought impossible.

We are all Dayton Price fans.

Listen to our pod with Dayton from earlier this week at the links below. 

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Apple: https://apple.co/47udmgT

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Spotify: https://bit.ly/4hcCkVk

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