From Wentworth glory to wrestling with injury and anxiety, Chris Wood opens up on his road back to the DP World Tour.
By the time Chris Wood hoisted the trophy at Wentworth in 2016, he wasn’t just celebrating a win—he was fulfilling a dream shared by just about every player on the DP World Tour. The BMW PGA Championship isn’t just another event; it’s the event. And for Wood, that moment cemented a feeling he’d long known: he belonged at the top.
“If you ask most players, Wentworth is probably the No.1 outside the Majors. To have that trophy at home… yeah, that feels amazing.”
But even as he stood atop the leaderboard, Wood says his game had already begun to falter. His swing started to lose the sharpness he’d worked so hard to build, and over the months that followed, that form slipped further from his grasp. Eventually, injuries and a deteriorating relationship with the game would sideline him for years.
The whispers started long before the comeback. For a BMW PGA champion and Ryder Cup player to vanish from leaderboards, the inevitable question followed him like a shadow.
“That’s probably the thing I’ve found hardest—people asking, ‘Have you retired?’ Or, ‘What are you doing these days?’ It winds me up. I never stopped being a golfer. I just couldn’t play.”
The frustration, he admits, came from a place of pride and pain. But over time, Wood realised those awkward conversations weren’t meant to offend—they were signs people still cared.
“I need to respond better. People are genuinely interested, and I should be grateful. My wife tells me I come across rude sometimes—I don’t mean to. I’ve just been in a difficult place.”
Ironically, it was during this forced absence that Wood rediscovered his love for the game—not by playing, but by watching. The hunger came creeping back through TV broadcasts and major moments.
“It’s weird. I couldn’t face playing, but I found myself watching more. And part of me would think, ‘I can still hit that shot.’ That hunger came back.”
Yet when he finally returned to tournaments, a new challenge emerged: the locker room was full of strangers.
“I flew to Qatar last year and didn’t recognise a single player. This is my third event back and I’m still playing with guys I’ve never met.”
Wood’s Ryder Cup experience in 2016 was, in his words, a disappointment—mainly because Team Europe came up short. Despite strong form, he played fewer matches than he’d hoped.
“I felt like I was playing well enough, but after we went 4-0 down on Friday morning, Clarke turned to experience. I didn’t get the chance to find rhythm with my own ball.”
He was sent out in the singles against Dustin Johnson and lost narrowly—something he partly attributes to not playing a fourball to that point. Still, a handwritten letter from captain Darren Clarke arrived a month later.
“It said he was proud of me. I’d have rather played more matches than received a letter, but it was a classy gesture and it sits proudly at home.”
Wood isn’t just fighting to rediscover form—he’s fighting for starts. With no full Tour card, he’s reliant on invites, which adds another layer of pressure.
“The result in Turkey was a boost, but it’s just a fifth of the job. My goal is to get my card back. But if the invites dry up, I’m stuck.”
“Even if I get a call on a Monday night, I’ll be ready. I’m working hard in practice and managing my anxiety better. Each week I feel more equipped.”
His strength isn’t brute force—Wood has never been the guy to bomb it 320 yards. But he knows how to plot his way around a course. Golfing IQ, he says, still matters.
“Everyone’s obsessed with distance, but there are more ways to win. My strengths aren’t the same as a 21-year-old’s, but I’ve got tools they don’t.”
These days, staying physically able is a full-time job. Twice-daily back routines and ice-cold swims in ponds near tournaments are just part of the deal.
“I’ve learned to manage it well over 15 years. People don’t see what it takes just to get moving in the morning.”
Mentally, he’s made peace with the struggle—and wants others who are suffering to know they’re not alone.
“Unless you’ve been there, you don’t understand. But if you’re struggling and you can talk to someone—even just one friend—that’s a huge step. That takes real bravery.”
There’s no delusion here—Wood knows what he’s up against. But there’s also no surrender. He’s tasted the best of it, and he’s not done yet.
“I need a little help now—invites, opportunities—but I’m OK with that. I just hope people remember what I’ve done in the game and give me a shot.”
Chris Wood hasn’t retired. He’s just getting started again.
