When it's time to call it a career

[mvmac]

Interesting article about Charlie Wi who last year decided to retire after being a tour pro for a couple decades and earning almost $10 million on the PGA Tour.

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/charlie-wi-when-its-time-to-call-it-a-career-in-pro-golf

Quote

A routine four-footer did it, the kind of putt Charlie Wi had sized up thousands of times and regularly converted without much fuss in his 20-plus years in professional golf. But he missed it this time, and as the ball broke away from the hole, something broke inside him.

“That did it for me,” he said, recalling the exact moment when he discovered he had no more appetite for tournament golf. “I can’t explain it. I just had had it. And I knew it.”

“You’re only one swing away from either starting to play good or starting to play bad,” Bill Haas once told me.

Wi would concur. “People don’t know this, but you’re always constantly under stress,” he said. “You’re stressed when you’re not playing well. And when you’re playing well, you’re stressed that you have to keep playing well. It’s unrelenting.”

Read more  

 

[TN94z]

It seems like a huge thing for professional athletes is being able to make the decision to retire themselves and not have an injury or performance rating make that decision for them. I could never pretend to understand the stress levels that come with always having to be at the top of your game constantly just to have a chance to be at the top. Even though it is a game, it is their job and there is more to life than work. Money is not an issue, so I do not blame him at all.

[dennyjones]

It's called retirement.   I'm enjoying mine.  Then again, I'm not a professional golfer or athlete but there comes a time when you say, "it's time".

Edited April 27, 2017 by dennyjones

[Patch]

Sounds like he retired for all the right reasons. I wish him well. 

I know the day I retired, I just woke up that morning, got dressed, and was eating breakfast with my wife. During our breakfast, I just decided I no longer wanted to work 60 hours a week. My wife said "no problem". 

[boogielicious]

16 hours ago, mvmac said:

Interesting article about Charlie Wi who last year decided to retire after being a tour pro for a couple decades and earning almost $10 million on the PGA Tour.

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/charlie-wi-when-its-time-to-call-it-a-career-in-pro-golf

 

I guess he came out of retirement for this tournament. T3

http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html

 

[mvmac]

7 hours ago, boogielicious said:

I guess he came out of retirement for this tournament. T3

http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html

 

It would be ironic that after he made his peace with golf/retiring that he comes back for one event, wins it and gets a 2 year exemption lol

[boogielicious]

15 hours ago, mvmac said:

It would be ironic that after he made his peace with golf/retiring that he comes back for one event, wins it and gets a 2 year exemption lol

Still T3 today!

http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html

[Shindig]

When I retire, I plan to play a lot more golf.  What does Charlie Wi plan to do in retirement?

 

Oh, I actually live not too far from the Charlie Wi academy.  I don't think I meet his definition of youngster though. 

[jamo]

On 4/28/2017 at 4:06 PM, mvmac said:

It would be ironic that after he made his peace with golf/retiring that he comes back for one event, wins it and gets a 2 year exemption lol

There would be a really appealing symmetry to that. Wi might be pulling his hair out though haha.

[Buckeyebowman]

He could take a lesson from Sam Snead, who battled the yips for years and still found a way to stay out there.

[mvmac]

4 hours ago, Buckeyebowman said:

He could take a lesson from Sam Snead, who battled the yips for years and still found a way to stay out there.

I think the point of the article was that he lost the desire to be out there. Almost like he missed that 4 ft putt "on purpose" so he could be done.

[Papa Steve 55]

So when pro golfers retire, do they go get a job?

[iacas]

6 hours ago, Papa Steve 55 said:

So when pro golfers retire, do they go get a job?

Some do.

Some live off their pensions.

[MuniGrit]

8 hours ago, Papa Steve 55 said:

So when pro golfers retire, do they go get a job?

A lot of them teach or stay involved somehow. Some enjoy retirement and some pick up other hobbies or jobs out of golf.

[dennyjones]

4 hours ago, iacas said:

Some live off their pensions.

Pros get a golf pension?

[Buckeyebowman]

Basically a "self pension" from investing their winnings.

[David L Yskes]

after reading the article, i think it shows the difference in being someone who is just grinding away for years on tour, and someone who is constantly in the top 50 or 25 on the money list..   

Plus the stress of having to play good day in and day out....   which i have always figured the guys who are out there grinding are always playing stressed out, vs the guys who are established ( sponsors and wins ) and do not have to worry about if they are going to have a paycheck at the end of the week.  

[iacas]

2 hours ago, Buckeyebowman said:

Basically a "self pension" from investing their winnings.

No. They get a pension.

http://www.golftoday.co.uk/news/yeartodate/news01/pensions.html

Quote

According to tour projections obtained by Golfweek, a 26-year-old player who begins his career in 2001 and plays 17 seasons could stockpile an account of nearly $43 million, just by averaging 75th on the money list. He could reach that amount without ever winning. 

For better players, the future gets even brighter.

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/golden-retirements-pga-tour-pros-get-a-gift-that-keeps-giving

etc.