For men after 50, regular medical tests, including PSA (prostate-specific antigen), are a necessity. And that’s what saved the 58-year-old golfer, Ken Tanigawa. But the news of his prostate cancer didn’t come lightly. 

During a recent interview, Tanigawa revealed that during his annual medical tests in June 2025, his PSA levels came in high. And later, he was diagnosed with the unfortunate disease. 

“It hit me like a truck,” he recollected, claiming that he wasn’t ready for the news. “The hard part was we had it in my family, my father had cancer, he passed to cancer. So what I learned unfortunately, way more than you’d ever want to learn about prostate cancer. You have a higher chance of getting it just from heredity in your DNA.”

Tanigawa was left with no option but to undergo a nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy in November. The procedure took away the cancerous portion of the prostate, leaving the nerves intact to maintain bladder control. But the time leading up to the procedure tested the golfer. 

“The last three months leading up to it were difficult to say the least. It’s just all the uncertainty that it brought.” 

He continued, “I think with my father passing to cancer, the issue and severity of what I was facing, I just didn't know what it looked like here in front of me.” 

Yet, Ken Tanigawa forced through the previous season, hoping that golf might take him away from his health troubles. But he admitted, “It was tough.” 

So, how does his recovery period look?

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For Tanigawa, the toughest part of enduring cancer was interacting with his children. Acting as if everything was okay in front of his kids was tough. But he still made it through it all, thanks to his wife. 

“And I feel I couldn’t have without her. But I did, and I’m beyond grateful for it.” 

“It was a hard recovery,” Tanigawa went on. “Six weeks you can’t do anything, can’t lift more than 10 pounds. You’re just sitting around, you can’t start walking more. And it’s not like I’m 28. I’m 58. So, you’re just losing your strength. Unbelievable to be here and certainly blessed to be here.”

Now, Tanigawa has to test his PSA levels every quarter. Nevertheless, his journey highlights the life-saving importance of early testing and resilience.

Meanwhile, his honest and positive outlook reflects on his growth beyond the scorecard.

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Joyita Das