Holmes returns from brain surgery Jan 24 08:55 PM US/Eastern SAN DIEGO (AP) - On a window sill in his closet is a chunk of bone that reminds J.B. Holmes why he's lucky to play golf for a living. It's part of his skull that was removed during brain surgery in September. Holmes laughed Tuesday when he talked about this peculiar memento, even though there were a few nervous moments that made him wonder if he would ever get back to the PGA Tour. In more somber moments, he is thankful to be back on tour at the Farmers Insurance Open, his first tournament since he withdrew from the PGA Championship after opening with an 80. He had been dealing with vertigo symptoms since May, and eventually was diagnosed with structural defects in the cerebellum known as Chiari malformations.