Forgotten Tour star who played in Ryder Cup claims first win in nearly a decade

Former European Ryder Cup member Chris Wood claimed his first win in nearly a decade at the Rolear Algarve Classic in Portugal. 

The 38-year-old Englishman won the BMW PGA Championship, the DP World Tour's flagship event, nine years ago but has been on a steady decline ever since. 

Wood, who was once comfortably inside the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking and represented Europe at the 2016 Ryder Cup, revealed in May he has been "riddled with anxiety" for years.

It led to Wood taking a break from the game after he lost his card in 2022, but he returned to the sport a year later with hopes of returning to Europe's biggest circuit. 

The three-time DP World Tour winner dominated MENA Tour qualifying school last month and he now has his first win years. 

He claimed a one-shot victory at the Rolear Algarve Classic at the Amendoeira Golf Resort in Portugal, dropping just one stroke in the 54-hole event. 

Wood held off a strong challenge from Scotland's Aidan O'Hagan. "It was a great start," he said. 

"I hit a lovely pitch into the first to a foot, another good pitch for about eight feet on the second, held a nice putt from 20 feet on the third. I felt very in control today, so yeah, I'm really pleased.

"I'm so into what I'm doing and me and Lloydy [Wood's caddie], what we’re doing out there. 

"He [O'Hagan] could have shot 63, I could have shot 67, I'd have shaken his hand. I'd have been pleased with how I did today. It's worked out that I've managed to come out on top."

Wood also earned $18,000 for the win. 

He told bunkered last month that the fire has "never really gone away" but it has just been a tough road. 

When he finally returned to the course with his coach he started out by just using an iron and a putter, playing nine holes. 

"I'm someone who has got quite a bit of fight in me, I never give in so I kept going until I lost my card in 2022," Wood previously told the DP World Tour's official website.  

"But about six weeks before the end of the season, I sat down with DP World Tour doctor Tim Swan and just opened up and revealed I'd been struggling. 

"From there the Tour medical team have been great, they put me in touch with the right people but then I played in South Africa on the HotelPlanner Tour in January 2023 and I just broke down while speaking to my parents on the phone and they just both said 'come home'."

Going forward, Wood says he wants to win for his children. 

"My daughter wants a trophy party so she can wear a party dress," he said. "My children have not seen me win a tournament, so that's a huge motivator for me."

He added: "I feel like my potential is a lot bigger mentally than it was even when I was playing well. 

"I feel like the stuff I'm doing now is so much further down the road that more avenues have opened up mentally to be able to go about things in a different way or more consistent way or in a way that challenges myself a bit more.

"I'm practising in ways I've never practised before and that's what gives me belief that I can return to be a better golfer than I was before.

"I want to get my card back, that's my goal. I think that's probably pretty obvious."