'I didn't think I'd live to this age' - Howard's inspiring journey to The Open

'I didn't think I'd live to this age' - Howard's inspiring journey to The OpenImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Howard qualified for The Open by finishing joint second at the final qualifying event at Dundonald Links in ScotlandByMatt GaultBBC Sport NI senior journalistPublished12 minutes agoCommentsOf the 156 players competing at this week's Open Championship, David Howard's journey to Royal Birkdale is among the most remarkable and inspiring. For a long time, teeing it up at a major alongside the world's best golfers was nothing more than a pipe dream for the trained mechanic from county Cork. When Howard was seven years old, he was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, the genetic condition that causes sticky mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive system. By his own estimate, Howard was in hospital "a few times a year" with infections. "I remember when I first got access to a phone when I was 12, 13, I googled 'cystic fibrosis life expectancy' and it was saying mid-20s," the 27-year-old told BBC Sport NI's Stephen Watson. "When I was 12 or 13 I didn't even think I'd live to this age - to be here now, healthy as ever and playing with all these top players, it doesn't even make sense to me."Last Chance Qualifier Dean seals final Open spotPublished23 hours agoThe Open Championship tee-times: Rounds one and twoPublished22 hours agoCould England cause the Open final round to move?Published34 minutes agoWhile Howard says that access to new medication in 2018 has been "life-changing", the Covid pandemic proved to be a particularly dark chapter in his life."Covid was very tough. I ended up cocooning because I was afraid of getting sick, afraid of nearly dying I suppose," he explained. "I ended up going into a psychosis, a manic episode, and ended up in the hospital for a couple of weeks. "At that time, you couldn't have visitors in...