Imagine winning the Memorial Tournament in 2022 or finishing runner-up at The Open in 2024, achievements most golfers would proudly consider career highlights. But for Billy Horschel, they’re just steps along the way. Despite eight PGA Tour titles to his name and being ranked 33rd in the world, the 38-year-old believes he still hasn’t scratched the surface of what he’s truly capable of.

Just days before his competitive return, and thirteen weeks after undergoing hip surgery, Billy Horschel opened up about the mental and physical toll of the past few months in a new episode of The Drop on PGA Tour Originals. “It’s been almost 13 weeks now since surgery,” Horschel says in the video, filmed mid-workout, where he’s seen performing med ball throws and barbell split squats. “Strength-wise still feels really good. I still believe even when you’re, I’m 38, turning 39 this year, I still believe I’m nowhere close to reaching my potential. And I believe there’s a lot of really good golf left in store for me,” he added.

It’s a bold claim coming from someone with a résumé like Horschel’s. He’s an eight-time PGA Tour winner, including signature victories at the 2014 BMW Championship and the Tour Championship, with the latter sealing him as the FedExCup Champion that year. He has also claimed a win at the 2022 Memorial Tournament, and his last victory was at the 2024 Corales Puntacana Championship, where he won with a score of 23-under. With that score, most players would feel they are at their peak, but for Horschel, it only reinforced the belief that there’s another level still to reach.

The bold statement also comes on the heels of a difficult decision Horschel had to make back in May, just before the 2025 PGA Championship. What was initially described as a “lower body injury” forced him to withdraw from the Zurich Classic, and it ultimately led to surgery on his right hip. “It’s an unfortunate situation with so many great events left on the calendar, but this is a preventative measure,” Horschel posted on X, disappointed to miss out on three majors, apart from the Masters, this year. This decision came just after his solo fourth-place finish at the Valspar Championship and a tied 27th-place at the RBC Heritage.

Then in July, Horschel shared a video of himself on the driving range, swinging a club for the first time in nearly two months — “First time hitting balls in nearly 2 months. Can only hit up to mid irons and 50% effort. Hit about 60 balls today. Feels great to be swinging again.” Since then, he’s been steadily rebuilding both strength and confidence, focusing on controlled, purposeful training to avoid setbacks.

Now, Horschel will be teeing it up at the BMW PGA Championship this week, after nearly 144 days of being away from competitive golf. A few days ago, he posted an update from the airport teasing fans about his comeback. “I’m doing a thing! @bmwpga,” he posted on X, as he was headed to the Wentworth Club in England. This announcement also came with bittersweet news of Horschel resigning from his DP World Tour membership for the remainder of the season.

Billy Horschel to tee it up at Wentworth despite DP World Tour exit

When Billy Horschel first announced his comeback in August, he also shared that he would be stepping away from the DP World Tour for the remainder of the season. Due to his injury and the inability to meet the tour’s minimum event requirement, he’s temporarily giving up his membership. Horschel had been a member of the DP World Tour for a long time, and even has three titles to his name, two of which are the BMW PGA Championship. And it is because of the exemptions from these wins that Horschel will still be able to tee it up this week, at a tournament that’s close to his heart.

Horschel claimed the Championship twice, in 2021 and 2024, with the latter being particularly dramatic. He secured his victory in a playoff against Rory McIlroy and Thriston Lawrence, becoming the first American golfer to win the event twice. He emphasized the energy and excitement fans bring to the event, noting that playing in front of them has always been a highlight of his career.

“I think I’ve talked about for many years how special this place is. Growing up watching it on TV and then to finally play it six, seven plus years ago for the first time, and then to call myself now a two-time champion is surreal,” he said when he announced his comeback. But he also made clear that this isn’t a goodbye. “I am committed to being a full DP World Tour member in 2026 again,” he said, reaffirming his appreciation for the tour. Thirteen weeks post-op and nearly 140 days since his last competitive round, Billy Horschel returns not with guarantees, but with grit. And as he tees it up at Wentworth this week, the golf world will be watching, not just for a comeback, but for a glimpse of the untapped potential he still believes is there.