C.T. Pan had surgery on his left wrist in May 2025 and has not played in a competitive tournament since then. On Thursday, 453 days after his last round, he announced that he is ready to return to golf.

Pan, 34, shared the news on his Instagram account.

C. T. Pan described what the recovery looked like up close. "The road to recovery after surgery has been a long grind," he wrote. "Over the past month, I've been trying to ramp my training back up to tournament level. It's been a constant tug-of-war, full of trial and error, and endless back-and-forth discussions with my doctors."

The golfer from Miaoli, Chinese Taipei, has won one PGA Tour event, the 2019 RBC Heritage. His last tournament was the 2025 Texas Children's Houston Open, where he missed the cut. A few weeks later, he had surgery on his left wrist.

He also spoke about the mental challenges of his recovery. He said there were times when he felt he was making progress, only for his body to struggle again.

The uncertainty brought anxiety and self-doubt, but he now sees those difficult moments as an important part of the journey. They made every improvement feel more meaningful and rewarding. 

Pan will begin his comeback on the Korn Ferry Tour instead of the PGA Tour. Under Tour rules, he must first play a few events on the second-level tour. His first tournament is expected to be The Blue Championship from July 6 to 12. Pan said his main goal is to get back into tournament form and see how his body performs under pressure.

Extended layoffs of this length are rare on the PGA Tour; most players who return struggle to regain form.

When Pan returns to the PGA Tour, he will have 19 tournaments left under his Major Medical Extension.

To earn back his full PGA Tour status, he must collect enough FedEx Cup points to match the player who finished 125th in the previous season.

If he reaches the points total of the player who finished 150th, he will earn conditional status.

PGA Tour Pro C. T. Pan's Last Start: Houston Open, Missed Cut

Pan's last tournament before his surgery was the 2025 Texas Children's Houston Open, which was played from March 27 to 30 at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston.

He missed the cut and did not play the weekend rounds. It turned out to be his final event before spending 453 days away from competition.

PGA Tour golfer Min Woo Lee won the tournament, holding off world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Gary Woodland to claim the title.

Lee finished at 20-under par, posting rounds of 66-64-63-67 to earn $1,710,000. Over Pan's previous four trips to the Houston Open, he averaged a score of 4-over with an average finish of 58th. 

Pan closed his Instagram post with a message for those who kept him going. "I can't even begin to tell you how hungry I am to officially make my way back to the PGA Tour," he wrote.

"I want to say a massive thank you to my sponsors, my team, my friends, and my family. During the quiet lows and the toughest days of rehab, your warmth, encouragement, and patience kept me going."

His comeback will begin on the Korn Ferry Tour.

What do you think about C.T. Pan's return to competitive golf? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Koushik Biswas