Former PGA Tour pro Steve Wheatcroft has opened up about his battle with alcoholism.
The 46-year-old, who turned professional in 2001 before walking away from the game in 2019, documented the story of his struggles following his retirement in an essay that he originally shared on his X account.
The thing about hanging on by a thread is that it’s always just that close to snapping. I should’ve spent time building that thread up, but instead I assumed everything would work itself out. Until the day came that it didn’t..... No more silence.My Story in bio. PLZ SHARE pic.twitter.com/FqcjpunKfRSeptember 1, 2024
Wheatcroft made 170 PGA Tour appearances after joining the circuit in 2007, while he claimed two Web.com Tour (now the Korn Ferry Tour) wins, but, as he explained in his essay, it was in 2022, after he took up a second career as a financial adviser, that his troubles came to the surface.
He wrote: “I started working as a financial advisor and threw myself into the job the same way I played golf. Head down, time to grind.
“The first year was great, winning awards and making some money. Second year went down, and third year down further. I had a case that was supposed to go through in 2022 that was going to pay us a large, much needed commission. My family needed that money. It started out as a normal day. I got the text at 7:15 a.m. that the client wanted to hold off a year or two.”
Wheatcroft explained it was that setback that led him to seek an escape through alcohol. He continued: “I walked over and poured a vodka with a splash of OJ, sat down and turned on Sportscenter. 7:15am!! Screw the world, I needed to relax. And it did relax me. Almost as much as the next one did.
“That drink is where part of me died. That drink is where I gave up on life. That drink introduced me to a new best friend.
“I lived drunk. Never sloppy, and you’d never have known. But I knew. I basically had a buzz for 2 years.
Wheatcroft also explained that ending his professional golf career had led to some friends losing contact, which exacerbated the situation.
He wrote: “Friends that used to call and text weekly all of the sudden disappear because your golf career no longer brings them that connection to the tour that they wanted. Friends, right? One more reason to drink.”
Wheatcroft added that eventually, his spiral into alcohol abuse led to his health suffering, but with the support of his family, he checked into a treatment centre, which saved his life.
“After several trips to the hospital for various things (usually liver related), I couldn’t keep going the way I was,” he explained. “Thanks to the support of my wife and family, I checked myself into a treatment center and was in there for almost 40 days. It saved my life. Without it, I would’ve been dead in a few years. It took me three days to understand that I was never going to drink again.”
The Pennsylvanian also wrote he was "sure" he had depression, and explained that the notion that golfers need to bottle up their emotions is particularly unhelpful.
He wrote: “Golfers are taught to be mentally strong from day one. ‘No weakness, don’t show emotion. Get over the bad times. You can’t bring your issues to the golf course with you.’ Yeah that’s a great idea.....let’s let s*** build up so we feel the stress in our bodies daily and the only way to let it out is to have some sort of a breakdown.”
Finally, he appealed to those facing similar problems to seek help from others, including himself. “Talk to a friend, talk to a therapist, talk to another golfer, talk to your caddy, just f****** talk," he added.
“I encourage you to reach out if my story resonates with you in any way. Any contact is Confidential. I get it. Please call, text, or message me whenever.”
Wheatcroft’s honest assessment of his problems comes just over three months after PGA Tour pro Grayson Murray, who also struggled with alcoholism and depression, took his own life.
