Aaron Wise, who has seen little on the PGA Tour since withdrawing from the 2023 Masters due to his mental health, says it was “a risk” for him to play.
Appearing on CBS Saturday after his third round at the John Deere Classic, Wise was asked by reporter Amanda Balionis how he would plan his weekend and trip. He just finished a round of 4-under 67 at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill., and on Sunday, he will start five strokes back of the leaders.
“Yes, it was long and hard, and like you said, I did a lot of great things in this game, but I was in a place where it was dangerous for me to be out there playing,” Wise said. “It was as if I wasn’t, I wasn’t enjoying that anymore and I turned back and met great people along the way who helped me on my journey.
“And you know, feel free, I feel like I’d enjoy being here a lot more. There’s always going to be pressure and tough things that come with being a professional golfer, but now I feel like I have the tools to handle that and a better attitude overall.”
The 2016 NCAA champion, Wise won the 2018 Byron Nelson event in just his 26th PGA Tour start, and later that year, he was voted PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. He is ranked 33rd in the world, but in 2023, he withdrew from the Masters a few days before the start of the majors, posting the following note on his Instagram account, along with the words: “This is painful, but necessary. See you soon”:
“Golf is as much a game of mind as it is a game of physical skill, and that mindset has been a struggle lately. I don’t take the importance of playing at Augusta for granted, but I know I need to take some time to focus on my mental health to get back to competing at a level I’m proud of.”
Through 2023, Wise played four more tournaments, then played one PGA Tour event in 2024 and seven PGA Tour events and five Korn Ferry Tour events last year. This week is his seventh PGA Tour start of the season, and his first cut in 2026.
“It was hard to come back,” Wise told CBS. “Taking two years off was a long time, and it made me realize how good I am at the game of golf and how much work it takes to be good here. And I’m slowly getting back to that and being able to deal with the pressure of not even winning here in tournaments, but putting in long days at home that it takes me to be really good and come out here and I’m going to do it here. …
“I haven’t played much. It’s been a lot of work at home trying to prepare the game to be here, to feel like I’m sharp enough to compete here. And I feel like I’m turning those leaves little by little. You know, I thought the process was going to be a lot faster than it was. It’s been a lot longer than I thought, but it’s been a lot of fun, something I’ve enjoyed and where I’m back doing the work I was doing. coming out.”
On Sunday at the John Deere Classic, Wise will begin a tie for 12th. If that happens, it would be his highest finish on the PGA Tour since a sixth-place finish in October 2022 at the CJ Cup.
“I remember it like it was yesterday that he turned into a champion,” said commentator Frank Nobilo on CBS. “He was 20. Two years later, he won Byron Nelson. And he looked like he had this unbridled talent.
“It’s a great story. I’m glad it’s been told.”
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