GOLF.com: Aaron Wise Opens Up — 'Playing Was Harmful to Me' and the Long Road Back to the PGA Tour

Aaron Wise delivered one of the most candid moments of the 2026 PGA Tour season after completing his third round at the John Deere Classic. Speaking to CBS reporter Amanda Balionis, the former Byron Nelson champion described why he stepped away from professional golf — and what it has taken to find his way back.

A Withdrawal That Shook the Tour

In 2023, Wise withdrew from the Masters just days before the event began, citing his mental health in an Instagram post. At the time, he was ranked inside the world's top 50 and had the game to compete at major championship level. But the internal struggle had become unsustainable. "I wasn't myself. I wasn't enjoying it anymore," he said on Saturday.

The Long Road Back

Following the withdrawal, Wise played sparingly — just four events for the rest of 2023, one PGA Tour event in 2024, and a partial schedule in 2025. This week's John Deere Classic marks his seventh PGA Tour start of 2026 and his first made cut of the season.

"Taking almost two years off was a long time," Wise acknowledged. "It definitely made me appreciate how good I was at golf and how much work it takes to be competitive out here."

Tools, Not Just Talent

What stands out in Wise's return is not just improved form, but a fundamentally different relationship with the game. He credits the people he met during his time away for giving him "tools" to handle the pressure of professional golf — a shift in mindset that now allows him to enjoy the grind rather than be consumed by it.

Heading into Sunday's final round, Wise sits tied for 12th, five strokes off the lead. Should he hold that position, it would be his best finish on Tour since October 2022.

Strokeslab's Take

At Strokeslab, we focus on Strokes Gained data — but performance numbers never exist in a vacuum. Wise's journey is a compelling reminder that sustainable competitive performance requires mental infrastructure as much as technical skill. We'll be watching how his SG metrics evolve as his confidence continues to rebuild.