Former PGA Tour Rookie Of The Year Set For Long-Awaited Return After Mental Health Break

Former PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, Aaron Wise is preparing for his latest return to pro golf after a heavily disrupted couple of years away from the game.

Wise decided to withdraw from The Masters in 2023 to focus on his mental health after bravely admitting he had been struggling with that aspect of his life for a while.

The South-African born American had enjoyed a rapid ascent in professional golf, leaving his amateur days behind in 2016 and moving up from the PGA Tour Canada to the Korn Ferry Tour and subsequently the PGA Tour in consecutive seasons.

After winning the AT&T Byron Nelson and coming 24th in the FedEx Cup during 2018, Wise was named Rookie of the Year. At the end of the 2021-22 campaign, he finished 13th in the FedEx Cup after posting four top-10 results - one of which was a runner-up finish at The Memorial Tournament.

But following a solid start to the 2022-23 season, Wise's form began to tail off somewhat. And ahead of what would have been his second trip to The Masters, Wise announced he was temporarily walking away from pro golf to take care of himself.

A message posted to his Instagram story at the time read: “Regretfully I am withdrawing from the Masters today. Golf is just as much a mental game as it is one of physical skill, and the mental piece of it has been a struggle for me recently.

"I don’t take the significance of playing at Augusta lightly, but I know that I need to take some time away to focus on my mental health so I can get back to competing at a level I am proud of. This hurts but it’s needed. See you all soon.”

Wise attempted to make a fast return at the Byron Nelson in May but played just three further events - including the PGA Championship and US Open - before taking a prolonged break.

The University of Oregon alumni was out of action for almost a year until he made a fleeting appearance at the PGA Tour's Puerto Rico Open - at which he missed the cut after shooting 76-70.

First reported by Golf Channel's Brentley Romine, Wise is preparing to make his latest comeback - following just one professional start in a little over 20 months - at this week's 118 Visa Argentina Open on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Wise - who still has 26 starts on his PGA Tour major medical extension - is likely aiming to ease back into life as a touring pro by heading onto the Korn Ferry Tour first up, with the PGA Tour's Cognizant Classic taking place in Florida this week.

Wise is set to tee off at 6:10am ET on Thursday alongside America's Cole Hammer and Sweden's Pontus Nyholm at the Jockey Club in Buenos Aires.