Sometimes, all it takes to shift an athletes’ trajectory is one seemingly tiny change.
Over the years, golfers have made changes to their game beyond the clubs in their bags. Six-time PGA Tour winner Viktor Hovland parted ways with swing coach Joe Mayo after the 2022-23 season even after raking in $30 million in earnings. Now, the two have joined forces once again after Hovland had a disappointing start to the year.
Justin Thomas also made a significant change to his team when he limited how much he relied on his coach—and father—to address the issues in his game. In April, Thomas also split with caddie Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay, who had carried Phil Mickelson’s bag for 25 years prior to pairing with Thomas in September 2021.
The trend of golfers making sudden changes continued in 2022 when Rickie Fowler reunited with his old coach, Butch Harmon, during a season that was not going his way. With Butch’s help to undo some poor habits, Fowler quickly recorded two top-10 finishes in their first month back together. Fowler’s case proves that making sudden changes is something that players should seriously consider in times of need.
So, what do these adjustments and their impacts say about golf and its direction? The sport is more of a team game than one might expect.
At the end of the day, the golfers are the ones who swing the club and ultimately control their own destiny. Their caddies can give recommendations during tournaments and their swing coaches can give them suggestions, but their career outcomes are essentially up to the athletes. That isn’t any different than other sports.
The difference between golf and other sports, however, is the importance of a psychological coach, someone who helps players navigate the mental aspects of the game. Sure, teams of other sports have them on staff, but because golf success relies so much on one’s ability to think clearly and manage emotions, some players are expanding their coaching staff beyond their swing. 2023 U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark is one of the first to utilize one to perform at the highest level.
As detailed in Netflix’s Full Swing, American sports psychologist Julie Elion was a huge part of Clark’s win at Los Angeles Country Club. He entered the Open with 120-1 odds of hoisting the trophy on Sunday, but was able to hold off Rory McIlroy miraculously. Most of the crowd was rooting for McIlroy, who still seeks a fifth major after a long drought, creating a challenging environment for Clark that didn’t necessarily test his ability to play golf, but rather pushed his ability to perform in big moments.
Clark has openly said that he talks with Elion almost every day. She helped him recover from a time when he literally told himself that he didn’t want to pick up a club again. He genuinely lacked the confidence a top golfer needs to perform on Tour every weekend. His caddie, John Ellis, recalled how Clark told himself he wasn’t good enough and that he continued to make his situation worse. Elion’s addition to Team Clark was exactly the change he needed.
Elion also works with fellow Tour golfers Max Homa and Justin Thomas, who have both had their share of struggles and success throughout their careers. Thomas, who has won two PGA Championships, failed to place in the top 70 of the FedEx Cup standings last season. Now, he’s at No. 16 in the standings, ensuring himself a spot in the Tour playoffs. Homa, on the other hand, is still seeking his first major victory. He’s consistently one of the best golfers on Tour, but has just two top-10 finishes at major tournaments to show for it.
The direction that players under Elion’s guidance seems to be trending upward, as all three players sit comfortably in the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings. Golfers’ reliance on coaches like Elion signal that golf is headed in a direction where it might not be the individual sport that it’s been known as.
And while top athletes often look like they can handle the pressure, sometimes that extra mental help is all it takes to seize the moment.