For professionals thinking about retirement, exit interviews tell the story

Golfers don’t always retire. At least not clearly and publicly. Because they don’t need teams to sign them to contracts, because tournament status has so many shades of gray, because the physical demands of the sport are less than, say, football, professional golf careers can simply continue.

Sometimes we get to say goodbye to our great golf stars, if decades later than in other sports; think Arnold Palmer in his US Open final at 64 or Jack Nicklaus at his last Masters at 65. But the next players that make up the fields of the world’s biggest tournaments? They may eventually play a reduced schedule, or in another tournament, or set their sights on the senior tour, perhaps a little less each year until the time finally comes.

And so I found it unexpectedly exciting to listen to the post-round interviews of several PGA Tour Champions players after last week SAS Championshipfinal event of the regular season, as they considered the end of their respective careers. The average NFL career is just over three years; the longest run 15 or so. But most of the guys on the senior tour have been professional players their entire adult lives. There is something you feel bigger about the last review. And it comes with a mixture of gratitude, sadness, peace, longing, acceptance, resistance.

Scott Dunlap was wistful about the passage of time, but seemed extremely grateful for a second phase of his career that exceeded all expectations – even if it still feels a little surreal.

“You know, when it’s time, it’s time. It’s been a much better run than I ever thought it would be,” he said. “And looking forward to the next thing, which isn’t going to be the gallows … I mean, you know, you’re old. I saw it when I came out here, the guys who were near the bottom, and that’s what happened to me.”

It’s hardly been all sunshine and roses — “you know, it’s always fun to compete, but it’s never been fun not playing well,” he said — but the big picture?

“Well, I feel like I robbed a bank. This post-50s thing has been amazing,” Dunlap added. “Was I good on the PGA Tour, not a great career, had to go to qualifying school to make it.

“But my time out here has been a blessing … to make a lot more money playing golf after 50? I can’t think of any other sport where this opportunity takes advantage of someone. I couldn’t be happier. Now it’s time to go have fun.”

Mark Walker expressed gratitude, too, but seemed less comfortable with the idea that this could be her.

“What now? I’m not sure,” he said. “I don’t know what that’s going to look like moving forward. It could be done, golf could be over. I’m not sure yet, but we’ll see.”

Here Walker appeared to be referring to the PGA Tour Champions’ recent decision to eliminate Q-School – effectively closing access to those who didn’t otherwise qualify.

“Just because they’re limiting the places, there’s nowhere for him to play. It’s just getting harder and harder to start here, too,” he said. He’s still clearly a very confident competitor – but the realities of the game have caught up with him.

“I didn’t give up,” he said. “I’ve been really struggling with my game, I’ve been trying to keep fighting, working on it. For 75 percent of the year I haven’t had my game. It started to come around at the end, but a little too late. A little too late in the year.”

What would he miss if this is the end?

“It’s been great,” he said. “I’m just going to miss the competition, I miss the guys here. The competition, mostly. That’s what gets you up in the morning, waking up and knowing you have a place to compete and test your game.”

Brandt Jobe there’s still competitive golf in his future — but even he’s coming to terms with a more limited schedule.

“You know what, take some time and reflect a little bit, see next year what tournaments I’m going to play. Obviously I still have the desire to do it, so we’ll see. I don’t know where it’s going to take me or how many opportunities,” he said.

“I remember coming out here saying if you give me five years, that would be great, and I got 10. If next year’s 10 tournaments, 12 tournaments, whatever it is, embrace it.”

And then there is Kirk Triplettwho said with a warm smile that he is doing everything he can to withstand that final day that is coming.

“I talked to a couple of guys that I always try to learn from, the guys that came before, and one guy that they say, ‘don’t stop playing until you’re eligible because you’re going to be missed.’

“So if I had something to do, like if you need an assistant or you know somebody, right, maybe it would be easier,” he said, turning to the interviewer with a laugh. “But right now I’m a PGA Tour Champions professional. And when’s the next tour?”

For Triplett, however, there is good news: the next tournament is this week. He grabbed the final Schwab Cup playoff spot, finishing 72nd on the money list, just a few hundred dollars ahead of Jobe.

Another beginning. At a point in his career where everyone starts to feel a little more precious.

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