The Mental Golf Show 270: Steve Wheatcroft - The Unseen Struggles of Being a PGA Tour Player
Dec 23, 2025
Steve Wheatcroft, a former professional golfer with 19 years on the Korn Ferry and PGA Tours, shares his journey from the greens to mental health advocacy. He candidly discusses the void after retirement and the identity struggles of no longer being 'the golfer.' Steve emphasizes the importance of quality practice, the pressures of tour life, and the weight of early success. He opens up about his battles with alcoholism and depression, ultimately finding purpose in storytelling and founding the Mulligan Foundation to support golfers' mental health.
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Silence After Retirement Reveals Identity Loss
- Steve Wheatcroft realized retirement's hardest part isn't goodbye but the silence when people stop identifying you by your sport.
- Losing that persona revealed how much he'd tied self-worth to being "Steve the golfer" and led to deep struggle.
Self-Worth Shouldn't Be Your Job Title
- Steve tied his self-worth to his job as a golfer and lost core identity when that role disappeared.
- He warns that tying worth to work is "the worst thing" you can do because your job will end.
Practice Less, Practice With Purpose
- Practice purposefully: limit focused work to short, specific sessions rather than mindless hours on the range.
- When you lack mental energy, skip practice or do a few counted balls and go rest to preserve freshness.