DP World Tour player Mike Lorenzo-Vera has candidly opened up on the mental health issues that have forced him to take a break from golf. The Frenchman, 39, may not be considered a star attraction in the sport, but has spent 19 years on the European circuit and has seven professional wins to his name.
However, his career took a harrowing turn two years ago, when he found himself unable to sleep during a tournament week in the UAE.
Initially, Lorenzo-Vera ignored the warnings, putting his struggles down to a temporary stint of insomnia.
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However, as his full-time schedule continued, his sleeping issues escalated. “At the same time I started to fall asleep, I started to scream and feel like I was drowning,” he told Bunkered.
“I spoke to (DP World Tour doctor) Andrew Murray in Dubai in January and he said, ‘Are you sure you want to talk about it before you play?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I don’t give a sh**.’ I started to speak about problems I had and, straight away, I got out of there and shot five-under really easily. I made a pretty good tournament the week after as well.”
That proved a false dawn however, and his problems resurfaced this summer when he was travelling home from Barracuda and received news a friend had died. “At the same moment, we were very concerned about my daughter’s health. It was two really complicated weeks,” he added.
“I kept accumulating things. My wife lost someone from the family. I was just like, ‘F*** it!’ I was just screaming every night and couldn’t sleep and feeling like I was dying. I was having panic attacks at dinners. I thought, what am I going to do if I can’t play golf and provide for the family?”
The latter sentence is significant. The situation left Lorenzo-Vera facing a dilemma that the greats of the game need not worry about. The obvious necessity to take a break was countered by the pressures of wanting to retain his DP World Tour card to ease the financial burden upon his family.
Eventually though, doctor advice left him with little option. Admitting he has since been prescribed as part of a six-month treatment plan, Lorenzo-Vera is full of praise for the medical experts who continue to look after his wellbeing.
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“They have a 24-hour emergency line,” he added. “You can call doctor Andrew Murray any time. They are very reactive and honestly I was so impressed by the reactivity. I sent one text and the guy called me straight away. Then, boom, I had a meeting with the psychologist a day after.”
Lorenzo-Vera also said he had posted about his issues on social media in a bid to help fellow players open up on their own struggles. He’s yet to put a timeframe on his return, but insists it won’t be rushed.
Lorenzo-Menza has previously competed in three of the four majors, his best effort being tied-16th at the 2019 US PGA Championship. He has a career high ranking of No.64 in the world.
