Former Ryder Cup participant Chris Wooden has opened up about his struggles with continual anxiousness as he bids to get his profession again on observe.
Wooden completed fifth within the 2008 Open as an newbie and was third the next 12 months at Turnberry, the place a bogey on the 72nd gap left him a shot exterior the play-off between Stewart Cink and Tom Watson.
A 3rd DP World Tour title within the 2016 BMW PGA Championship secured Wooden’s place on Europe’s Ryder Cup crew and he received one level from two matches at Hazeltine, dropping his singles to Dustin Johnson on the 18th.
The 36-year-old from Bristol has suffered from accidents and a lack of type in recent times and performed simply two Problem Tour occasions in 2023 earlier than taking a full 12 months out.
STRUGGLING FOR A FEW YEARS
“I used to be recognized with continual anxiousness and burnout,” the world #1,535 mentioned forward of contesting back-to-back occasions in Thailand, a part of the Asian Tour’s Worldwide Collection.
“I’ve been by means of a very garbage time over the previous couple of years the place my golf has actually impacted me mentally.
“I’ve truly been like that since 2019 nevertheless it took perhaps 4 years earlier than I did something about it. It took actually bottoming out to cease. I took a complete 12 months off and this 12 months has been about making an attempt to get a card in my hand once more.
“It’s nonetheless very, very onerous, however I’m nonetheless doing it as a result of I wish to and since I really feel like I’ve acquired a lot extra to supply. I do know the standard of pictures I’ve acquired and I can hit, in order that’s why I’m nonetheless in it.
“Ten years in the past, in the event you had mentioned to me you’ll be on this place mentally, I used to be so unaware of what these phrases meant, and it takes going by means of one thing like this, or somebody very near you going by means of it, earlier than you possibly can respect what these struggles are literally like.
“It’s onerous as a result of I nonetheless imagine I’ve even acquired a Ryder Cup in me, I actually imagine that, and I wouldn’t nonetheless be placing myself in positions the place I really feel anxious and uncovered except I felt prefer it’s going to be price it.”
