Former PGA Tour pro Steve Wheatcroft has opened up about his battles 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.
Wheatcroft’s first professional win came at the Web.com Tour’s Melwood Prince George’s County Open in 2011
(Image credit: Getty Images)
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…
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