How good do you need to be to play on PGA tour?

[Trav]

Sometimes you'd win the US Open.

While I agree with the original poster's overall point that even pro-level players can improve steadily, I suspect he meant one Tour event, not one major, per year.

You're right about par possibly winning a US Open, but - (1) in the last 20 years, that has happened only 4 times (in last 30 years, only 5 times, etc.); and (2) the problem with this "mathematical" analysis is - if you are shooting par when everyone else is shooting under par, it's not very likely you still shoot par when no one else can do so - in other words, a par golfer's skills are relative to the rest of the group, and as they do worse, so will he, on average. Personally I prefer to pretend to think I can play with the pros on a hole or two by never putting it to the test.

[andywap]

While I agree with the original poster's overall point that even pro-level players can improve steadily, I suspect he meant one Tour event, not one major, per year.

If a golf course is par 72 and the winning score is 62, what is the par of that golf course? 72, it doesn't change!

[Leftygolfer]

If a golf course is par 72 and the winning score is 62, what is the par of that golf course?

The course rating does. If the winning score is even par for the best in the world, a scratch player would have a hard time breaking 80.

The course rating would be 78 or 79 with a slope of 155.

[out_in_30]

what separates everyone in all areas of the game is usually 110 yards and in..... and putting. i mean just looking at the PGA versus the nationwide, the putting is noticeably worse on nationwide. Be able to hit it 300yards off the tee and have an amazing shortgame and putt solid in tournament settings and the PGA tour tournaments are the granddaddy of all tournaments so you have to do all that on those courses where good shots are a dime a dozen.. need to be very strong between the ears too...thats what it takes. they play golf on a different level.

[Dartguy]

I've been reading lots of threads on turning pro and mini tour play and I just have a few thoughts.

Yeah, I've thought about that before. What if I could just shoot par for 4 rounds at the US Open?

Unfortunately, If someone shot par every time they teed it up, they would never qualify for a major.

[shankapotamus]

As someone else said, It's your bad days that matter. It's not how good your good shots are, it's how good your misses are.

[CG031]

I love how Tom Coyne put it in Paper Tiger. "You have to be WAY better than 'The Best Player You Know.' Scratch is SHIT."

[LongballGer]

One of my good friends here in a town is on the PGA tour. He's not very long from the tee at maybe 260-275(for being in his 40's) but he's unbelievably consistent.

I call bs on that.

If he could get up and down every time from 150 yards he'd shoot like 59 every time he plays.

[CG031]

I'm sorry, but LMFAO, I have to agree with LongballGer. That is one of the funniest things I've heard on this forum to be honest...and there's been some good ones since I've been here.

From 150 and in? Come on now. I could understand putting it to 4-5 ft every time consistently from 80 yards and in or something, but 150 and in, really? He'd be up there competiting with Tiger every Sunday if that was true.

[thebignasty]

ahhahahahah 4-5 feet? its like throwing darts for him then from 150 out?...thats hard to believe since the best tour average from 125-150 out is over 20 feet.

[enduro]

I think it was a figure of speech. It wasn't meant to be taken literally. He's just saying this guy goes up and down a lot. 150 is pretty good range to be going up and down like that though.

[Happy Dragon]

I hear all different kinds of stuff when ask that question.

Don't listen to anyone here because at a +2, you have a better perspective than anyone else except maybe the guy who chimed in as a +4. Maybe you ought to try your luck qualifying for the US or British Amateur to see how your game stacks up against the best amateurs in the world. Just a thought.

[normdamarine]

Well, my handicap is roughly around a +1.3 now and let me tell you... There is not a chance in hell that I could make it on tour...I shoot below or around par every round but that is on my track. It is a good course with alot of hazards but it is not anywhere near what those guys play... I am happy winning my club championship...lol

[misty_mountainhop]

Good, but not as good as you think. Poulter went pro as a 4hcp...that's one better than I am and I was 4 earlier in the year. He may be a bit unusual (and not as good as he thinks!) but you'd have to agree he's done alright so far.

As for being able to crush a ball 300+ from the tee, I give you Corey Pavin. Tough as nails; a real competitor.

You have to have the good base game but the bit between the ears is as much, if not more important. You have to be smart and if you don't have a base game like Woods, Mickleson, McIlroy, Kim etc, you need to be very smart.

The poster who said put 75-80% of practice in the short/recovery game has it right. Most amateurs spend way too much time practicing the longer game when it's the short game that should get by far the lion's share.

To the OP; as a +2 I would say your game suggests you have the raw tools but you won't find out by just thinking about it .

[iacas]

Good, but not as good as you think. Poulter went pro as a 4hcp...that's one better than I am and I was 4 earlier in the year.

He "turned pro" but he worked in a pro shop. I don't know how it is in the UK, but in the U.S. if you can break about 155 for two rounds of golf you can pass your PAT and be a "pro."

Poulter was selling sweaters while working on his game. He didn't play on the European Tour as a 4 index, even, let alone the PGA Tour.

[denver_nuggs_15]

I'm not sure about what handicap you'd need, but you'd have to be out of this world good. For instance, I played varsity basketball in high school. Now, I go to a lower level D1 school who qualified for the NCAA last year. I watched some of the practices and shot around with these guys. They're all better than anyone I've ever been on the court with. And none of these guys are going pro. Translate that to golf, imagine the best player you've ever seen (who's not already on Tour) and take at least 4 shots off his game. Their great shots are a little better and their misses are much better...and they can easily recover from their misses. And it always helps to be able to putt. They're great at everything.

Edit: Many have said that putting separates guys on the Nationwide from guys on the PGA Tour. I agree. Another thing is distance control. Guys on Tour are almost always pin high. I know someone who caddied for Bill Britton, a former pro. He said he hit a shot 105 on the range. Then one 104. Then 103. Then 102. All the way back to mid 90s. Then back to 105. That's nuts IMO. Another interesting thing that Britton said (this is hear-say mind you): he doesn't worry about half yards, but many guys on tour do.

[deronsizemore]

To put it as simple as possible... you must be EXTREMELY good.

Attend a PGA Tour tournament in person and you will begin to get an idea. Watching them on TV does not do much in the way of showing you just how good they really are.

[TN94z]

I went to a PGA event here one year and walked the course with Davis Love III. The one thing that sticks out in my mind is the completely different "sound" of their shots. Not only are they very long and precise and consistent, but the sound of the drivers and irons were nothing like any I had heard before. That alone told me they were on a different level!