PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The Players Championship draws some of the finest golfers globally, with the focus squarely on the game itself. However, amidst the sporting fervor, one player seizes the spotlight to advocate for mental health awareness.
Professional Golfer Billy Horschel shared a personal journey, emphasizing the importance of mental well-being. "My wife is seven and a half years sober now," he disclosed. "She had to deal with depression and anxiety to overcome her alcohol issue to live a sober life now. She still deals with the anxiety and certain aspects of that."
Horschel, along with his family, prioritizes mental and physical health. "In the sport that I play, you have your highs and lows," he remarked, acknowledging the emotional toll of competitive golf. "And there's times when you're not playing well and it wears on you, and I think the ability to open up and be able to work with someone, I work with a sports psychologist."
The golfer revealed his longstanding relationship with his psychologist, spanning seven years.
"Just being able to call him and it's nice because a lot of my stuff, if I can just get it off my chest and out of my mind, I feel better already," Horschel said, highlighting the therapeutic value of sharing.
Even as golf fades into his rear-view mirror, Horschel vows to persist in his mission to raise mental health awareness.
"The ultimate goal at the end of the day would possibly be able to open an addiction and mental health rehab facility here in the area," he disclosed. "That's something that's my wife's dream, and I'd love to see that dream come into fruition at some point in time."
Horschel underscored mental health awareness as a core focus of the Horschel Family Foundation.