Sports fans still don’t know how many athletes are on the verge of ending their careers, but then at the last minute, someone appears to stand in their way of making that decision, and things go in a different direction. People’s destinies are different, including athletes, but big names in the world of golf have also been on the verge of quitting the sport.
PGA Tour rookie Max Greyserman revealed in an interview with Golf’s Supbar podcast that he was close to ending his career. Although he was promising as a junior and looked like a golfer who would do great things, his injury two years ago made him think about saying goodbye to golf. Fortunately, the surgery had saved his career, and the American remained a part of the sport. Not only that, but he is 37th on the OWGR list, with a good foundation to progress even further.
“So I’m 37th [in the Official World Golf Ranking] right now, and that’s a great spot to be, and it looks like I’ll be going to Augusta, and it’s just crazy to think about from where I was a year ago, or even two years ago when I had wrist surgery in 2022 and I didn’t really know if I was going to keep playing pro,” Greyserman said.
“And now I’m just living the dream and probably going to Augusta, so it’s just crazy where life can take you.”
In the moments when he had a mental crisis, analyzing what he could do if he ended his golf career, the 29-year-old thought about various options. However, thinking about it is not easy, especially when you have dedicated your entire life to golf and your career. One of the options was to talk to a friend who lived in New York working in finance. Such an option seemed interesting to him, but luckily he never went down that path.
The PGA Tour rookie did not want to let go of this sport so easily, wanting to fight for his place under the sky. Greyserman decided to be stronger than all obstacles, not to give up, and dedicate himself to this sport even more. The Korn Ferry Tour was obviously the moment that further strengthened his opinion.
Max had an impressive season behind him, but he has no intention of stopping there. The American golfer was never satisfied with small things, as he wants to improve constantly.
“I just decided that my story wasn’t finished in golf, and just kind of woke up one day and said ‘back to work, get this wrist thing over with and then right back to work,’” Greyserman said. “And as soon as I got back on the Korn Ferry Tour the following year after surgery I was off and running, I never looked back, finished 9th and then this rookie year. So very thankful.”
Listening to his statements, it’s hard not to get the impression that maybe the injury was the right thing for him. Why? In the continuation of the interview, Greyserman pointed out that the wrist surgery created a completely different perspective on life, showing him what life would look like if he were not a professional golfer. Although the young golfer admits that he thought he was OK with it, he realized that things were a little different.
Being a professional athlete brings with it various challenges, pressures, and mental doubts. In moments when things don’t go as you imagine, it’s clear that doubts are created and the desire for the passion that drove you is lost. Greyserman played this sport as a kid, hoping one day to find himself next to big names like Tiger Woods. One moment in his life changed his view of this sport, creating new perspectives for him.
Tiger Woods© Golf.com / X / Fair Use
Did Max do the right thing by continuing his career? Looking at this season’s performances, we have no doubts about that. In some tournaments, he could have done more, but with age and experience, we have no doubt that he could progress even more on the OWGR list.
It’s strange how certain experiences shape your life and take it in a different direction. The 29-year-old did the right thing by continuing his career and building a story on the most prestigious golf tour in the world. We hope that the PGA Tour rookie can amaze the golf public next season, and with great performances, create additional interest in his life story.
This is the period of the year when there is not much happening in the world of golf, but soon we will enjoy the great moves of golfers, with the hope that some new talents will appear that will delight us.
Tennis World USA