PGA Tour's Billy Mayfair Says He Has Autism Spectrum Disorder

Longtime golfer Billy Mayfair told Sports Illustrated's Stephanie Apstein he's been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

In an article published Wednesday, the 54-year-old PGA Tour veteran—and the only person to defeat Tiger Woods in a PGA Tour playoff—said he received his diagnosis in 2019 and told Apstein he's finally ready to go public with it. According to Apstein, autism spectrum disorder resembles Asperger's syndrome, allowing Mayfair to function at high levels, though he can have trouble processing information. 

"My brain gets going so quick that what I'm thinking and what comes out of my mouth could be two different things," Mayfair explained. "And that's why people sometimes misunderstand where I'm coming from."

After years of cultivating a reputation on the Tour that Mayfair described as "obstinate and defiant," he said the diagnosis filled him with a sense of relief. 

The tipping point to seek a medical opinion followed his disqualification from the Invesco QQQ Championship in 2019.

Mayfair twice found himself challenged by a rules official during second-round play—once over how long it took him to find his shot and again after officials believed he caused his ball to move before a shot. His wife, Tami, watched Mayfair struggle to explain himself and urged him to visit a doctor. 

Since then, Mayfair has learned how to better communicate in similar situations on the course rather than the Tour dictating his actions. 

"I would not have let the Tour—and not just the Tour but TV—take advantage of me," Mayfair said. "They bullied me and they took advantage of the situation. I would have argued with them. I would have stood up for myself. I would have said, 'No, I did everything correctly.'"

The Tour subsequently told SI it remains "confident" it properly upheld the rules in 2019.

Mayfair said his diagnosis has helped him to understand many things about himself that he never understood before, including being upset by changes in routine, not understanding jokes and his tendency to ace untimed tests while failing timed exams.

Being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder has also allowed Mayfair to work with Champions Tour officials on certain accommodations. For instance, Mayfair suggested officials approach him before a tee shot regarding slow play rather than when he's well into playing the hole. Interruptions in his thought process after a tee shot are likely to cause him to play slower, Mayfair explained.

Mayfair said he and Tami hope to begin charity work supporting athletes with autism and their families, too. But in the meantime, he told Apstein he wants to help set an example for others with a similar diagnosis. 

"Look at what I've done in my career," Mayfair said. "Not only am I a very good athlete, I'm also a good husband. I have a great wife. I'm happily married. I have a wonderful son. I have lived, and I am living, the dream life. And just because I have this disability doesn't mean that I can't have that."