Pro Golfer talked out of quitting golf by peers, earns PGA Tour Champions Card just eight days later

Golf is a tough game, even for the pros who spend more time on the course than most people. This was the case for Charlie Wi at the PGA Tour Champions just a few weeks ago. Things got so rough for him that he even considered hanging up his shoes and quitting the game.

Wi is currently in the second season of the PGA Tour Champions, but he only played 14 tournaments this season - as an alternate. With full-time status being a long shot, Wi decided that it would be better if he were to quit altogether, rather than deal with the stress of being an alternate.

Speaking about his experience in the Beyond the Clubhouse podcast, he also highlighted the various factors that prompted him to consider leaving. He said:

“The reason why I thought about quitting was because I have two kids. My son’s thirteen and my daughter is seventeen and I miss them a lot."

An uncertain schedule and not knowing when he would play next caused a chain reaction of disasters for Charlie Wi. From gearing up to play suddenly, all the way to playing poorly, he reconsidered this stressful career. His friend and fellow golfer Kirk Triplett stayed by his side during these tough times.

“He just told me ‘You’ve just got to hang in there. Either you’re in it 100 percent or you’re out of it 100 percent. There is no in-between.'"

However, his luck changed when the Charles Schwab Cup Championship offered full exemption status for the 2024 season for all 36 golfers who made the finale.

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Charlie Wi earns full-time 2024 PGA Tour Champions Status at Charles Schwab Cup Championship

When Charlie Wi thought it was time to quit, it was his friend Y.E. Yang who came to the rescue. He invited Wi for dinner, where they had a lengthy talk about the need to maintain consistency and the chances of getting a PGA Tour Champions Card for the next season.

“Before I got on the PGA Tour Champions I thought that you have to shoot 5-under every day. But when we had dinner (two weeks ago), Y.E. and his wife who are both into analyzing numbers said ‘If you shoot 2-under every round, you’re going to finish in the top 36 every year and keep your card.’"

This put Wi's mind at rest with a new-found ease in playing golf. Needless to say, it paid off. He earned a spot in the top 25, and also the very last place that advanced him to the playoff. It was his friends that willed him to stay.

“Talking to Y.E., Tom Pernice, Kirk Triplett, they really helped me get off the ledge and told me not to (quit pro golf).”

From considering quitting just a few weeks ago to now earning full-time status on the PGA Tour Champions, Charlie Wi has turned his luck around and showed the importance of perseverance.