What does it take to play on a tour?

[Pinseeker81]

I've often found myself wondering what exactly it takes to get to the level where you could make a reasonable living, playing golf for a living. I'm not talking about beating the big names we all know, but just to be good enough to play.

Is it pretty much all just practice and training? Could, more or less, anyone with a good amount of athletic ability and enough time on their hands get good enough to compete?
How much of it is born golf talent? My first thoughts were "you just have to be good to begin with", but then I see whole families playing at that level. One had three kids all playing pro level. Then you see pros who have sons and/or grandsons who are now playing pro. Surely if it's mostly born aptitude it wouldn't just land all in one family by sheer happenstance?
Which makes me think that, perhaps, if you had enough time and money to blow you could get there? I don't mean by casual play, but for example if you had the money to just not work for a while, and you devoted your 9 to 5 not to your job, but to practice and training.

Like I said, I'm not talking about good enough to make a household name of yourself, but just good enough to make cuts. Last I checked, a dozen last places is still 6 figures.

I realize that at my current level, the thought of ever playing for a living is easily dismissable as laughable fantasy, but still I can't help but wonder what if...... [/daydream]

[Shindig]

The issue with a dozen last place finishes is that you aren't back for next year, unless you want to make Q-School an annual event.

I doubt there are too many people who have played golf with any seriousness who haven't thought about this.

IIRC, if you had gotten through the Dec06 Q-School and played on the PGA Tour in 2007, shooting even par in every round and playing in every tournament that this would get you into, you'd finish under 125 on the money list. By almost $300,000.

Kenny G is a scratch golfer and regularly wins the club championship at Sherwood, where Tiger's December event is held. He plays in a Nationwide Tour event at Empire Lakes some years and regularly shoots high 70s low 80s. And he's a scratch golfer . How good do you have to be to shoot a few rounds in the 60s to make the cut or to win?

So, what does it take? Game for certain. I think Lee Westwood recently remarked that a +5-handicap amateur who was playing in an event in Europe should give him (Lee) strokes on the weekend. So if you get your handicap to +5, consider Monday qualifying.

Remember, the goal of virtually every player on a tour that isn't the big leagues is to get to the big leagues. So "making a living" on the Hooters Tour... if you can do that, you probably want to move on up. Plus the PGA Tour has a pension fund, I think.

Two readings for you:
Calculating the Handicap Indeces of the Pros - from TST itself. Interesting stuff. It isn't just what Tiger's handicap would be, but what the guys making the Tour Championship are looking at and what the guys barely making it are at.

Paper Tiger (book) by Tom Coyne. Coyne starts with a "negotiable" handicap (about ten), hasn't a job (I forget why) and moves to Florida to spend a year to get good enough at golf to attempt Q-School.



Me? If I find myself at +3 and have enough cash in the bank, I'll consider giving it a try.

[Leonardite]

Read "Paper Tiger" by Tom Coyne. He took a year to see how good he could get.

This is the best example that the average joe cannot play even on some of the mini tours out there.

As stated in the book "Scratch is shit."

[Pinseeker81]

Good reading. I'll have to check out the book.
The point isn't really so much would it be possible for ME to do it, but more asking if it's natural aptitude for the game, or some of that, but mostly hard work and determination.

[x-forged]

I think a lot of it has to do with having the muscle memory to repeat different swings and shots very consistently. Obviously a strong mental game and excellent course management as well.

[Leonardite]

I think part of it is in you (determination, focus, strive to be THAT good) and part of it is in your ability to be able to play and practice golf all day everyday. You can have both seperately and it won't do you any good (play all day without focusing on getting better or focus on getting better without the opportunity to practice/play) but if you have the rare chance to bring them together, I think one might have a chance with some luck.

[Lefty731PM]

I've often found myself wondering what exactly it takes to get to the level where you could make a reasonable living, playing golf for a living. I'm not talking about beating the big names we all know, but just to be good enough to play.

Note what scores are missing the cut on a weekly basis on the tours. It's frequently under par.

Greg Norman said that the difference between an 18 marker and a scratch marker is not as great as the difference between a scratch marker and a touring pro. Now....adjust those extremes so you don't see it as an overstatement and you begin to see. If you are regularly shooting in the 60s and winning everything in your area, you might begin to fantasise. As I mentioned in another post recently, I was recently at an amateur tournament here in Australia watching the final group play their final rounds. This is a tournament that Geoff Ogilvy and Jarrod Lyle have won, to name two. To cut a long story short, the winner was at -20 (I think) and is a 17 year old Kiwi who plays off +7. The other 2 in the threesome are also in the top 20 amateurs in the world (U.S. Scratch rankings). I doubt that all three will make a living as golfers. Perhaps none will. I'd love to think they all will, but the odds are against it. It's a tough gig. $300,000 might pay most of your entry fees, hotel, coaching and travel expenses.

[hurley9192]

you have to be a plus 5 or better on 130 slope or better course to even sniff a chance. the +4 guys at our club don't even have a shot and they've tried.

[BASHERBAKER69]

Look at Ian Poulter- he was a club pro and came up the hard way to make it as a touring pro....Id say that you need all round consistency and solidness to make it and a bit of luck to complement ability.

[Backspin]

A combo of everything. Skill, luck, opportunity...you name it. My nephew is a +4 and he plays once a week and lives in a Northern climate, so his rounds are limited by weather, not too mention finances. How good would he be if he had a chance to play 2-3 times a week all year long? How good would he be with a coach?

You have to have it all to be a touring pro. Skills, course access, luck, perseverance...all of it.

[SubPar]

As in any pro sport the field is narrowed down to the best of the best of the best. They have to be exceptionally skilled physical players and have the mental toughness to perform under a great deal of pressure. They have to be able to perform well enough to make a living while playing tough tracks, different courses every week, in different time zones, with thousands of people milling around, TV cameras, and while living on the road in hotel rooms.

Most people don't play as much golf as I do and most people don't walk courses day after day as I have. I can tell you if I walk 18 holes three days in a row, I am stiff and sore and it hurts my game. Many pros play a practice round on Tuesday, a Pro Am on Wednesday; then, possibly four days in competition. After they finish on Sunday they may fly to another city and by Tuesday they are back on the course again. Simply the physical and mental grind of that would crush most people.

Craig Perks could probably beat anyone most of us know, any day of the week, on any course. He won the Players Championship a few years ago. His exemptions ran out last year and he retired from the tour due to lack of ability to make cuts. Can you name the people who Tiger beat in his three national Junior and Amateur titles? How many of those players, as good as they were, made it on the tour?

SubPar

[Backspin]

It depends on what you mean by 'making it on tour'. Making it and staying on it are two different things. Perks won a big event and made alot of money. I would say he 'made it'.

The better you are, the easier it becomes. You have private jets, your choice of caddies, more money & personal asssistants to handle tedious affairs.

The top guys paid their dues, obviously, and the rewards are also advantages.

[Dent]

i just read the article and that is simply amazing. Tiger has around a +8 handicap!!!!? Thats insane! I never really knew they were that good.

[Shindig]

i just read the article and that is simply amazing. Tiger has around a +8 handicap!!!!? Thats insane! I never really knew they were that good.

I think it's even better if you just count rounds as his home club in Florida.

[Backspin]

i just read the article and that is simply amazing. Tiger has around a +8 handicap!!!!? Thats insane! I never really knew they were that good.

I think Tiger has +10 on his home course. Remember, you should shoot 3 shots

higher than your handicap. That means Tiger shoots 65 on his home course...

[Shindig]

I think Tiger has +10 on his home course. Remember, you should shoot 3 shots

Actually, I suspect the CR is probably a bit above 72. But your point is still valid.

[Ben]

I guess I'll chime in here since you titled this "a tour" and not "the tour" (PGA). I've been playing since I was 11, now 32. And have been playing mini-tours and PGA section events for about 2 years now.

I wouldn't consider myself a natural talent, but I also wouldn't say that I've really worked terribly hard at my game either. (probably why I'm not winning these events... yet). That being said, I do work at a club, and play(ed), every day last summer. Just having the club in my hand that often gives me a leg up on the average weekend golfer. However, when I am recovered from my injury I plan on putting work in that I've never put in before. It's time to get serious. I was reading an article in GolfWorld about Anthony Kim just today and where eluded to just that. You must practice and work hard to really make it, not just kinda get by, on tour.

On top of a good work ethic, I think a huge key to playing golf and making a paycheck is truly believing in oneself. Actually knowing you belong out there and can compete. Playing in as many tournaments as possible and continuing to build confidence. I started to get this feeling as I started my '08 season, going 2 for 2 on making a check in events. I honestly believe that I will make it, and can't wait until I can start playing again.

Good sponsors help too. Although I'm trying to make it without that help, for some reason...

[Pinseeker81]

Actually, I suspect the CR is probably a bit above 72. But your point is still valid.

It's 77.5 rating 142 slope.