'Mindful' Ep. 3: Patrick Rodgers opens up about failure, resilience, redefining success on PGA TOUR

Editor's note: Patrick Rodgers is one of the most accomplished college players of all time. The Stanford prodigy tied Tiger Woods’ collegiate record. Despite his early success, the 33-year-old has been winless on the PGA TOUR. To watch Rodgers' full story, tune into Episode 3 of "Mindful" on PGA TOUR YouTube beginning May 26. The following is a letter that Rodgers wrote to himself and served as inspiration for his "Mindful" episode.

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.

The struggle cut deeper than I ever imagined.

Fighting for my card in 2014. … The 8-footer for par to keep it in 2021. … Four runner-up finishes, two playoff losses, and weeks spent trying to recover from each one. Every missed cut somehow felt like the worst one. Every bogey on the last left a pit in my stomach. Watching peers achieve the success I desperately chased chipped away at my ego and my belief.

Hundreds of what-ifs.

Thousands of hours of effort with seemingly nothing to show for it.

And yet, I’m incredibly blessed. I play a game for a living. I’ve earned far more than I deserve. But none of that erases the internal battles, the weight of expectation, the fear of falling behind, the quiet pressure of survival. Golf can be beautiful … and brutally honest.

So I had to redefine winning.

When the outcomes I dreamed of didn’t arrive, I had to create a new scoreboard. I started asking harder questions:

• Where did my confidence crack?
• When did I fold under pressure?
• What risks was I afraid to take?

That process — uncomfortable, humbling, honest — became its own form of victory.

And life shifted, too. Two beautiful kids and a supportive wife taught me there’s more to being a “winner” than making birdies. I walk through our front door and feel like I’ve already won something bigger than golf can offer.

Through failure, I learned to love the process.

Daily systems. Reps without applause. Quiet growth.

That’s what grounds me.

Maybe the struggle is the point.

When the wins didn’t come in bunches, I had to ask myself why they mattered so much. And I realized: A trophy isn’t the end game. What I’m really chasing is discipline, teamwork and self-actualization. You can have all of those without holding anything on Sunday afternoon.

Now, entering Year 12 on the PGA TOUR, I feel more confident than ever, not because I expect my experience to be free from adversity. I know there will be weeks when nothing works. But I feel bulletproof from everything I’ve walked through. Struggle shapes you. Failure teaches you. And resilience becomes its own quiet superpower.

I’m still here. I’m still going.

And maybe that’s the biggest win of all.