Aaron Wise withdraws from Masters, citing mental health

Updated Mar. 31, 2023 6:15 p.m. ET

Associated Press

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Aaron Wise has withdrawn from the Masters, posting on social media that he needs time away to focus on his mental health.

He will not be replaced in the field, which now is 88 players.

“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,” Wise posted on Instagram. “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.”

Wise has not played the Masters since his only trip in 2019, when he qualified by winning the AT&T Byron Nelson the year before.

He won one match but didn't make it out of group play at the Dell Match Play last week. He had missed the cut in four of his previous five tournaments.

Wise qualified for the Masters by making it to the Tour Championship, moving into the 30th spot in the FedEx Cup standings because of the players ahead of him who had joined LIV Golf.

___

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports