An Opportunity for the PGA Tour to Lead on Mental Health and Recovery
As the owner and founder of Donlan Counseling Services, a person in recovery, and an avid golfer who loves the game, I believe professional golf is at an important crossroads. Recent events within the sport have highlighted the psychological demands placed on players at the highest level. What follows is a practical, confidential framework the PGA Tour could implement to better support player mental health and substance use recovery.
With players returning from the LIV Tour and fulfilling the financial terms required to rejoin the PGA Tour, there is a real opportunity here. Those funds could do more than simply balance the books. They could save lives.
Last year’s tragedy involving Grayson Murray shook many of us. It was heartbreaking on a human level, not just as fans of the game. Many people have tried to understand what might have been going through his mind. Most can only speculate. I can tell you from personal experience that it is torment. I remember what it feels like to be trapped inside your own head, exhausted by the fight, and convinced that the people around you would be better off without you. That kind of pain is real. And without support, it can become fatal.
Golf can look polished and controlled from the outside, but the reality is that professional athletes carry enormous pressure. Constant travel. Performance expectations. Public scrutiny. Isolation. For some, that pressure compounds existing struggles with mental health or substance use. For others, it can quietly create them.
We have also seen powerful examples of recovery and resilience. Chris Kirk has spoken openly about his journey. Billy Horschel has stood by his wife through hers. Anthony Kim’s story reminds us that stepping away to do the work is not failure. It is courage. These stories show that healing is possible. They also remind us how critical access to real, professional support truly is.
Mental health and addiction struggles are not new to the game of golf. They have shown up across generations in different forms. The difference today is that we understand more than we used to. We know early intervention matters. Structured support changes outcomes. Silence and stigma make things worse.
My belief is simple. A portion of the funds coming from returning players could be allocated to create a comprehensive, confidential mental health and substance use support program for players and their immediate families. This could include access to an Employee Assistance Program-style structure, vetted mental health professionals across tour stops, rapid referral pathways for higher levels of care when needed, and ongoing recovery support resources.
Confidentiality would have to be absolute. The clinicians involved would need to understand high-performance environments and the unique rhythm of tour life. This is not about optics. It is about infrastructure. It is about prevention.
As someone who works in this field every day, I know that early support changes the trajectory of lives. As someone in recovery, I know that asking for help can feel nearly impossible without the right system around you. And as someone who loves this game, I believe protecting the people who play it should be as important as protecting the integrity of the competition itself.
This is not written as criticism. It is written as an invitation to lead. The PGA Tour has the platform and the resources to set a new standard in professional sports for how we support athletes and their families.
Support systems save careers. More importantly, they save lives.
It is time to build one.
About the Author
Dr. Matthew Donlan is the founder of Donlan Counseling Services. He specializes in substance use and co-occurring mental health treatment. He resides and practices on Cape Cod, MA. He is an avid golfer and longtime follower of the professional game.