David Fix started playing golf during the COVID-19 pandemic, when shutdowns kept him from playing music with bands around Pittsburgh.
So, when a hamstring tear in March 2025 forced him away from the golf course, it hit him hard.
“For me, to lose golf going into the summer was devastating,” says David, 43, of Pittsburgh.
Fortunately, David wasn’t away from the course for too long.
He underwent hamstring repair surgery in April with UPMC orthopaedic sports medicine surgeon Jonathan Hughes, MD. He followed that with weekly physical therapy with Trent Vandevort, DPT, at UPMC Rehabilitation Institute — UPMC Rooney Sports Complex in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood.
Now at 100%, David is back on the golf course and thankful for his UPMC care team.
Pain ‘Like Lightning’
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, David owns Don Farr Moving and Storage, which his father founded more than 40 years ago. He studied music in college and still plays bass in shows with artists in and around western Pennsylvania.
On Saturday, March 12, David was loading his equipment into his car for two concerts he planned to play that day when his dog — an 8-pound Pomeranian he and his wife had recently rescued — escaped out the front door.
“I dropped my stuff, and I go chasing him,” David says. “We just got this dog, and if he would have died, I would have died. I chased him, and I dropped like a linebacker hit me. I made a turn, and it just didn’t work. So, I fell.
“Luckily, he saw me, he came back, and licked my face, and thought it was funny.”
David felt some pain but didn’t think too much of it. He took a pain reliever, used ice packs, and went on to play both of his concerts.
“I just said, ‘Let’s keep moving. Let’s keep going,’” he says. “I’ve done that before, where I’ve broken a body part and just kept about my business because I’m pretty stubborn. I’m pretty committed to the things I do.”
The pain lingered for the next couple of days. On Wednesday, he had a work meeting at the golf course. On his first swing of the day, he felt severe pain.
“When I took that first swing, that pain I had through my body (was) literally like lightning,” David says. “I was trying to stay on my feet and keep my composure because it was a business meeting.
“When I saw the ninth or 10th hole was at the top of a hill, I just looked at my co-worker and said, ‘There is no way I’m getting up there.’”
David ultimately cut his round short and returned home.
Fast, Efficient Care
David and his wife, Rachel, went to the UPMC East emergency department the next morning. His team there saw him quickly and referred him to UPMC Sports Medicine at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
The team there evaluated him and took x-ray imaging. They also scheduled him for a computed tomography (CT) scan, which took place that weekend.
The CT scan revealed that David had a severe left hamstring tear. David saw the results in his MyUPMC app.
“I was already doing my own research, and I’m like, ‘Oh, no, I think I tore the bad thing — the thing you shouldn’t tear,’” he says.
The following week, David met with Dr. Hughes, who told him he’d need surgery to repair the tear.
David says Dr. Hughes’ confidence made an immediate impression.
“That was the one thing for me when I got to meet with him,” David says. “It’s scary, right, when everyone goes in for surgery? But with him, it was like, ‘Next week, we’re going to grab lunch, and we’re going to fix your hamstring.’”
David also appreciated the help from physician assistant Kara Golya, PA-C.
“Those two working together seemed to have a really good rapport,” he says. “She was knowledgeable enough to answer all the questions you would have, but with Dr. Hughes, he was just so confident that, ‘If he’s not worried about it, what’s the point in me even worrying about it myself?’’
David also appreciated how quickly his care progressed, from his initial emergency department visit to all of his scans to his visit with Dr. Hughes. He even met with the preoperative team to get fitted for a brace on the same day as his appointment with Dr. Hughes.
“Everything happened very quickly, which was great,” David says.
Starting Recovery
Dr. Hughes performed David’s surgery on April 9, less than a month after his initial injury. In addition to repairing the torn hamstring, he also repaired a portion of David’s bone that pulled away when the hamstring tendon tore — known as an avulsion fracture.
As part of his recovery, David needed to wear a brace and use crutches for six to eight weeks. He wore the brace 24 hours a day for the first six weeks. It kept his leg straight, which made everyday tasks like going to the bathroom and putting on socks difficult.
“What was really nice about UPMC is they gave you that (guide for), ‘Hey, here’s your first four weeks. Here’s what you’re going to be able to do. Here’s what you’re not going to be able to do. Here’s your next two weeks. Here’s your next two,’” David says. “It gave you challenges and goals, and it also gave you restrictions.”
Though he couldn’t golf, David continued playing concerts around the Pittsburgh area. His first came just nine days after surgery, and he sat on a stool the entire time.
“I don’t like to sit still,” he explains. “I don’t like to be injured. I don’t like to be hurt. I know there’s a lot of people that rely on me. Even after getting surgery, I was back at work probably two or three days later because I was just like, ‘People need to see me.’”
Focused on returning to golf, David began physical therapy with Trent. The two developed a strong rapport, with David explaining his goals and Trent designing a rehab plan to get him there.
David attacked his rehab with vigor, doing as many exercises as he could to strengthen his leg.
“For me, instead of PT being ‘physical training,’ I called it ‘permission training,’” he says. “I would go there every week with the hopes that whenever I left, Trent would be able to say, ‘Hey, you’re OK to be able to do this.’ Every week, I came in so determined because I wanted permission to be able to do things.”
David also asked Trent to keep Rachel informed of his progress to help ensure he was following proper recovery protocols and that she was aware of his progress.
A few weeks into therapy, Trent allowed David to pick up a golf club and take a few swings during his appointment. By mid-July, David could play a nine-hole “golf experiment” with Rachel.
“We played nine holes, and it was great,” he says.
By the end of the summer, David was all clear to play golf again.
Back on the Course
In early September 2025, David’s company helped to sponsor a local charity golf tournament. He played in the tournament in a foursome that included Rachel, a co-worker, and Trent.
“It was great for my wife to finally meet him at the end of the summer,” he says.
With David back at full strength, he and Rachel scheduled a vacation to Arizona in November. They planned to play three rounds of golf, including one at TPC Scottsdale — the site of the well-known Waste Management Open.
David is thankful to the team at UPMC, who helped him reach his goals.
“It’s wonderful (to be back), and that’s why that trip to Arizona for us is so important,” he says. “I kind of forced my wife into golf a couple of years ago, after I got involved. I said, ‘We’re going to grow old together, and we’re going to need something to keep us busy besides going out to eat.
“To go on these trips and be able to have these experiences — how cool is that? As I grow older, I look forward to be able to grow old with my wife, have her be my partner.”