Tour pro announces immediate break from golf: "Been struggling a lot mentally and emotionally"

Austrian professional golfer Matthias Schwab has announced he is taking a break from the sport to prioritise his mental health. 

The 31-year-old was once inside the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking but has tumbled to 1,177th. 

Schwab said the downturn in form, which has lasted several years, has begun to increasingly affect his life away from the course.

He will be taking an indefinite break from the sport with no timetable for his return. 

"Hi everyone, for some time now I have been struggling a lot mentally and emotionally," Schwab wrote on Instagram. 

"The past few years have been difficult on the golf course, and these struggles have increasingly begun to affect my life away from the game as well.

"After a lot of reflection, I have decided to take time away from professional golf to focus on life off the golf course. 

"For the foreseeable future, I won't be competing in any tournaments and will instead focus on personal matters and priorities outside of golf.

"I'm incredibly lucky and thankful to have a family, team, partners, and fans around me to support me on this path. 

"I don't know what the timeline for a return will look like, but I will take things one step at a time and see where this road leads.

"Thank you for all the support and understanding."

Scottie Scheffler's putting coach, Phil Kenyon, was among those to wish Schwab well. 

"All the best Matthias," Kenyon wrote. "Enjoy the break, I'm sure you have a lot of golf in you still. 

"But if you decide not to, there is life after golf. Find your peace. Good luck."

Tour pros Adrian Meronk and Christiaan Bezuidenhout also posted messages of support. 

Schwab turned professional in 2017 but is yet to step into the winner's circle. 

His best season on the DP World Tour arrived in 2019 when he finished 19th in the Race to Dubai standings. 

Schwab also played in 60 PGA Tour events between 2021 and 2023. 

This season, Schwab has primarily teed up on the developmental HotelPlanner Tour. 

From 11 starts, Schwab has missed eight cuts - with his best finish a share of 43rd in the Jonsson Workwear Durban Open. 

Schwab also made his first appearance in seven months on the DP World Tour in May, teeing it up at his national open, but missed the cut. 

Schwab admitted in an interview with the HotelPlanner Tour earlier this month that he was struggling to find his passion for the game. 

"It's been a tough year, so far, or even really tough two, three, four years," he said. 

"But my game actually feels decent, I play well in practice, but the scores don't show it at all.

"I'm trying to have fun playing golf and not see it as a job or an obligation."

Schwab is not the first pro to take a break from the sport this season to prioritise his mental health. 

In May, England's Marco Penge said he was taking a break from the PGA Tour. 

He revealed before the PGA Championship that he was dealing with a recurring issue in his ear, neck and nervous system since suffering a viral infection last November. 

MRI scans ruled out anything serious, but the issue coincided with the birth of his second child and moving to the United States permanently. 

His son, Romeo, spent 21 days in the NICU. 

Penge hoped to return to action at last week's U.S. Open, but decided against teeing it up at Shinnecock Hills.