(Blog post by Jarrod Lyle)
I have made the decision, effective immediately, to withdraw from the remaining events in the 2014-15 season. I need to stress that this decision has nothing to do with my recent illness – I am still healthy and cancer-free.
So far in 2015 I have played 8 events, and missed the cut in 7 of them. As the year progressed, it has become increasingly obvious that I am simply not in a position to compete on the PGA Tour. My goal every single week out here – just like the rest of the field – is to play my best and to be competitive. Unfortunately I haven’t been in real contention in any of the 10 events I have played so far this season. At the moment, I am out here making up the numbers each week and giving every other guy one less person to worry about.
During these past few months, I have posted some of my worst scores since becoming a professional in 2004 – something I am definitely not proud of. When I played my comeback event on the PGA Tour in October 2014, I was hoping to pick up where I left off in February 2012 when I had the best finish of my career. Since that time, however, it has been nothing but an uphill battle and I am now mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted.
I made this tough decision after missing the cut in the recent Wells Fargo event in Charlotte, prior to the week at Colonial. In my mind at that time, making the cut at Colonial was not even on the table, so when I realised on Friday afternoon that I was going to be playing golf on the weekend I felt like bursting into tears. I truly felt as though I had won the tournament. This emotion was quickly replaced after round 3 by the same immense disappointment that I’ve felt every other week, when I realised that at the moment I just don’t have what it takes to climb the leaderboard.
Here’s the bottom line – I am not playing good enough golf and I am not competitive with the rest of the guys out there. And I am not happy about it at all. Being on a medical, I am in a position where I am able to take a step back and return again when I feel I’m ready. I have actually already received an invitation to the 2015 Frys.com Open, and I think if I aim for that event to start up again I am giving myself a good amount of time to better prepare myself for this game.
My family and I have had a tough road over the last few years, and now that my health has been given the all clear it is time to turn my attention fully to my career. I want to put that in my past and become the golfer that I’ve always strived to be. I am a golfer, and I have always been a golfer. All I know is golf. So for me to continue playing this year when I am not playing at my best is not fair for my family, my career, or for me. Just like I did whatever it took to fight for my life in the last few years, I am now going to do whatever it takes to fight for my job. I don’t want to play my 20 events on a medical and lose my Tour card, especially when I know now that I did not prepare myself properly for the incredible talent that I am up against. I know there is no guarantee that I will make enough money in the remaining 10 events to have any status out here, but I at least want to put myself in a position to give it my best shot. I want to look back on my season and be proud of my achievements, rather than wishing I never set foot on another golf course ever again.
I plan to return home to Australia in June, where I will take the time to regroup, reassess my game, and start rebuilding once again. I’m hoping that after several months of dedication and hard work, I will return to the Tour in the best physical condition of my life and be in a better position to truly compete with the other athletes out here on Tour.
By: Jarrod Lyle