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Chris Wood is hopeful of making a remarkable Ryder Cup return after opening up on struggles with chronic anxiety.
The Englishman, who appeared for Team Europe in 2016, has suffered from injuries and a lack of form in recent years.
But things are beginning to look up again for the 36-year-old, who is set to tee it up in his second consecutive Asian Tour event this week.
“I was diagnosed with chronic anxiety and burnout,” Wood said ahead of this week’s tournament in Thailand.
“I’ve been through a really rubbish time over the last few years where my golf has really impacted me mentally.
“I’ve actually been like that since 2019, but it took maybe four years before I did anything about it. It took literally bottoming out to stop.
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“I took a whole year off and this year has been about trying to get a card in my hand again.”
Wood enjoyed a promising start to life on tour, finishing in a tie for fifth and third in consecutive Opens in 2008 and 2009.
His third DP World Tour win came at the BMW PGA Championship in 2016, and the flagship title earned him a place on Darren Clarke’s team at Hazeltine.
But Wood’s struggles limited him to just two Challenge Tour starts in 2023 before a full year out saw him plummet to 1,535th in the world rankings.
Now back in action, the world No.1535 is harbouring hopes of a sensational return to the Ryder Cup.
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“It’s still very, very hard, but I’m still doing it because I want to and because I feel like I’ve got so much more to offer,” he said.
“I know the quality of shots I’ve got, and I can hit, so that’s why I’m still in it.
“Ten years ago, if you had said to me you will be in this position mentally, I was so unaware of what those words meant, and it takes going through something like this, or someone very close to you going through it, before you can appreciate what those struggles are actually like.
“It’s hard because I still believe I’ve even got a Ryder Cup in me, I truly believe that, and I wouldn’t still be putting myself in positions where I feel anxious and exposed unless I felt like it’s going to be worth it.”
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