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Once Compared to Tiger Woods, PGA Tour Pro Opens Up After 11 Seasons and 300 Events Without a Win

ByAvishek Sarkar·

May 26, 2026, 11:40 PM CUT

Jun 11, 2014; Pinehurst, NC, USA; Silhouettes of golfers on the driving range during a practice round for the U.S. Open golf tournament at Pinehurst No. 2 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

PGA Tour golfer Patrick Rodgers was once compared to Tiger Woods in college. After 300 winless starts, the Stanford standout is finally breaking his silence on the emotional toll of professional struggle.

The 33-year-old has been playing on the PGA Tour for 11 seasons and has no wins to show for his efforts. Rodgers reveals that his professional record obscures a deeper personal battle with the weight of expectations.

“I was one of the most accomplished college players of all time. Yet 11 seasons and over 300 PGA Tour events later, I still have zero wins. That's the story most people know, but it's not the whole story,” said Rodgers.

Rodgers attended Stanford University. Playing college golf for three years, the amateur racked up 11 wins, which equaled Woods’ record.

In 2014, Rodgers received the Ben Hogan Award and stood at the top of the World Amateur Golf Ranking for an impressive 16 weeks.

However, the transition to the big stage was not ideal for Rodgers.

“The struggle cut deeper than I ever imagined. Four runner-up finishes, two playoff losses, and many weeks spent trying to recover from each one. Every missed cut somehow felt like the worst one. Every bogey on the last hole left a pit in my stomach. Watching my peers achieve the success I desperately chased chipped away at my ego and my belief,” said Rodgers.

The close calls in the final rounds stung Rodgers deeply. He once stated that the weight of expectations acted as a “monkey on his back.”

The amateur phenom’s best chances came in playoff losses to Charles Howell III at the 2018 RSM Classic and Akshay Bhatia at the Barracuda Championship in 2023.

“And yet, I'm incredibly blessed. I play a game for a living. What I want to create for me and my wife is a lot deeper than any golf accomplishment,” concluded Rodgers.

Tiger Woods' early professional transition stands in stark contrast to Rodgers' journey.

Woods’ Transition From Amateur To Pro Golf

“Hello World,” said Tiger Woods, and the world listened, as the 20-year-old made headlines even before his first PGA start and won The Masters in 1997 to become the tournament’s youngest winner at 21.

A few months later, Woods sat at the top of the Official World Golf Ranking and recorded the fastest rise to the top spot.

Besides all that, Woods was also part of mega-deals with Nike, Inc. and Titleist, which were some of the most lucrative deals in the sport at that time.

In 1999, the Cypress-born golfer secured a staggering eight titles during the season, and there was no looking back. He was en route to becoming arguably the greatest golfer of all time.

Read more at Club Golf!

Trending slideshow: Top 10 Rivals Tiger Woods Faced In His Career

Aditi Singh Top 10 Rivals Tiger Woods Faced In His Career
Tiger Woods didn’t just collect trophies; throughout his career, he’s been part of multiple rivalries. While some fizzled out because of unforeseen circumstances, others, like his rivalry with Phil Mickelson, went beyond the competition on the field. So, here’s a look at Wood’s competition that gave golf its drama and Tiger his edge. Associated Press/ Larry Ignelzi
Back in 1994, at the U.S. Amateur, Tiger was 18 and staring at a five-hole deficit with just 12 to play. Trip Kuehne had him on the ropes. Or so it seemed. Then came one of Tiger’s first great comebacks. He stormed back and closed it out on the 17th. @usga/Instagram
At the 2001 WGC NEC Invitational, he and Tiger went blow for blow through seven extra playoff holes. Furyk even holed out from a bunker to stay alive. But Tiger had the final word, dropping a birdie to seal it. That duel showed Furyk could stand toe-to-toe with golf’s fiercest competitor. Charlie Riedel/AP
The 2005 Masters wasn’t just about Tiger’s chip-in on 16. Chris DiMarco nearly stole the show. He fired a gutsy 68 in the final round to tie Tiger and force a playoff. DiMarco didn’t crack under Augusta pressure, but Tiger being Tiger, he still found a way to win. Amy Sancetta/Associated Press
Tiger had never lost a major when leading after 54 holes. Then came Y.E. Yang at the 2009 PGA Championship. Calm, steady, fearless Yang flipped the script and closed with a birdie on 18 to shock the world. He’ll forever be remembered as the man who did the impossible: beating Tiger on Sunday at a major. Imago/Icon SMI
The 2008 U.S. Open was part golf, part gladiator match. Tiger was hobbling on one leg, but Rocco Mediate didn’t blink. He pushed Tiger through a full 18-hole playoff and into sudden death before finally falling. Tiger’s win was heroic, but Rocco’s grit and smile made it one of the most beloved duels in golf history. John G. Mabanglo/European Pressphoto Agency
In 2000, Tiger was untouchable until Bob May showed up at Valhalla. Nobody expected much from May, but he went shot-for-shot with Woods, carding a Sunday 66 that forced a playoff. The roars were deafening, Tiger chased in putts, and May refused to back down. Tiger eventually won, but that duel became an instant legend. AP Photo/Scott Audette
In the late ’90s, David Duval looked like the man to take on Tiger. Cool Oakleys, ice-cold swing, and 13 wins in four years. He even reached world No. 1. For a while in 2000, it felt like golf had its own rivalry. But Duval’s fall was sudden, with back and wrist problems starting that same year, and a snowboarding accident in 2002. The showdown everyone wanted never lasted long. Brant Sanderlin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Imago
“The Big Easy” wasn’t always so easy on Tiger. In 2002, Ernie Els finally held off Woods at Doral, after finishing runner-up to him six times. He had the game, the calm, and the stature to be Tiger’s equal. Their battles helped define the “Big 5” era, when golf’s giants kept pushing each other higher. Speed Media/Icon Sportswire
In 2004, Vijay Singh did what felt unthinkable: he knocked Tiger off the top of the world rankings. Beating him at the Deutsche Bank Championship was the exclamation point on a nine-win season. For a brief moment, Vijay had the upper hand. But after one-upping one another for a while, Tiger came roaring back to reclaim the No. 1 spot in June 2005 and held that rank until October 2010. Imago/Icon SMI
Tiger and Phil were golf’s marquee names, but their rivalry never fully delivered. Tiger dominated early in the late 90s and early 2000s. Meanwhile, Phil’s 2004 Masters win and fiery personality kept the tension alive. Off-course barbs and Ryder Cup frostiness made their battles just as intriguing as their play. USGA

Written by

Avishek Sarkar

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav