Wise Withdraws from Masters... "Need to Recover Mental Health"

Expressed on Social Media
2018 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year
Struggled with 4 Missed Cuts in 7 Tournaments This Year

Aaron Wise (USA), the 2018 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, has withdrawn from the Masters, known as the "Tournament of Champions," citing "mentally difficult days."

Aaron Wise [Photo by AP Yonhap News]

On the 2nd, Wise announced via social media, "Regrettably, I have decided not to participate in the Masters." He added, "Golf is a sport where both mental and physical health are crucial. Although it pains me, I need to focus on recovering my mental health for a while to compete again at a high level." He revealed that the reason for withdrawing was due to a mental illness but did not provide specific details about the condition.

Wise first competed in the Masters in 2019 but did not qualify for the next three years. At the end of last year, he secured a spot for this year's tournament by ranking within the top 50 in the world. Previously, he won the 2018 AT&T Byron Nelson and was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year that same year. The following year, he participated in all four major tournaments, including the Masters. However, this year, he has struggled, missing the cut four times in seven tournaments since January. Except for the Sentry Tournament of Champions, which has no cut, and the Dell Technologies Match Play, where he was eliminated in the group stage, he only made the cut once at the Honda Classic in five other tournaments.

Meanwhile, since the Masters does not have an alternate player system, Wise's withdrawal reduced the number of participants by one.