New England Patriots star Tom Brady, who had been coping with a hernia, had surgery to repair it last week.

And he's already out on the golf course, though he joked with reporters at a tournament in Miami yesterday that he had to take it easy on hard swings.

The Patriots confirmed Brady had an operation, but did not provide details.

Citing an injury, Brady did not play in the NFL Pro Bowl on Feb. 12. He was at the Super Bowl on Feb. 5 in Detroit, where he conducted the opening coin toss.

-- With reports from Journal sportswriter Tom Curran and the Associated Press