Hunter Mahan, a six-time winner on the PGA Tour, has recently re-entered the golf world through online content creation and is contemplating a return to professional competition on the PGA Tour Champions. After stepping away from the tour in 2021, citing burnout from the demanding schedule, Mahan has spent the last few years focusing on family life and coaching high school golf.
Mahan began posting golf-related videos on Instagram in June, documenting his return to the game, offering instructional tips, and sharing other golf content. His online presence has grown rapidly, attracting over 55,000 followers. He recalled that the initiative to start posting came after his wife noticed his renewed interest in playing.
"My wife just took some videos, and she said, 'You should start playing a little bit more, I can tell you're interested,'" Mahan said in an interview. "So, I went out to the course the next day and hit record on that first video, and just sort of talked about it, and I wasn't sure how it looks or how it feels, but this is kind of what I'm thinking about doing. The response from all the people, my fans I guess, if you want to call them that, was so positive. It was sort of overwhelming, and we were sort of surprised by it."
While enjoying his new role in golf content creation, Mahan also indicated that competing on the PGA Tour Champions is a possibility. He will become eligible for the senior circuit when he turns 50, an event that is a little over five years away. The competitive spirit appears to be rekindling as he considers this potential comeback.
"I am exploring all things right now, and trying to figure all that out, and trying to figure out what can my place be in golf today," Mahan stated. "I've got over five years until the senior tour and see if I want to do that, the Champions Tour, and that could be a lot of fun because I've got so many friends that I played golf with that we're all going to turn 50 around the same time, so that could be a lot of fun."
Mahan, who reached a career-high ranking of fifth in the Official World Golf Ranking in 2012, would likely have immediate eligibility for the PGA Tour Champions upon turning 50 due to his six PGA Tour victories. His first PGA Tour win was at the 2007 Travelers Championship, and his last was at The Barclays seven years later. He is currently exploring various opportunities to engage with the golf community in a non-professional capacity.