Steps to get into the PGA

[stealth95]

I have done some searching on this site, so hopefully this isn't a repost, but I imagine it might be?

Basically,

How does one get into the PGA? Exact steps? Different routes?

[Shindig]

How does one get into the PGA? Exact steps? Different routes?

Do you mean the PGA or the PGA Tour? Very different organizations, but a large number of people use the expression "the PGA" to mean the tour.

[sean_miller]

I have done some searching on this site, so hopefully this isn't a repost, but I imagine it might be?

Lower your handicap by about 40 and they'll call you.

[stealth95]

The PGA tour. obviously I am not talking about myself... I am just curious as to what the players need to go through

[Shindig]

I am just curious as to what the players need to go through

Well, the thing that confuses a lot of people is that there isn't a draft, like there is for NFL or NBA. In short, if you're one of the best, and can demonstrate this, you can get in. It doesn't matter if you played college ball or not. Jim Thorpe, for example, played college football, not college golf. Ty Tyron had a card despite not going to college. Larry Nelson didn't even touch a golf club until he was 21, long after he left college.

The most straight-forward way to join is via Q-School, the annual qualifying tournament. Depending on your existing status - whether you've made a cut on the TOUR, or ranked in the world, or whatever - you could have up to 4 stages to get through (pre-qualifying through finals). At each stage, it's a tournament of 72 holes, except the final, which is 108. The top X many scores at each stage progress to the next one, which may also have people exempt into it. There are other ways, however. Tiger Woods turned professional in 1996 and was already a known quantity: but that didn't get him a tour card. Some tournaments knew he would be a draw, though, and invited him to play. Most tournament sponsors can give an exemption to a few players who aren't already qualified for the tournament, and if that player is a professional, he or she can claim a paycheck if they make the cut. If Tiger had made enough money to equal or better that year's 125, he'd get a tour card for the next year. As it was, he won twice and reached the top-30 on the money list and even qualified for the TOUR championship. This idea of playing your way on isn't reserved for your first time, either. Steve Stricker started 2006 with no tour status, but had a few exemptions by past champion, could attempt to Monday qualify (any "Open" tournament has qualifying spots, which are usually given by a 18-hole tournament the Monday before), and got sponsors exemptions. Since he finished in the top-125 that year, he had a card for the next year. He won comeback player of the year, too... which he also won the next year. Phil Mickelson and Scott Verplank won tournaments as amateurs. Winning any tournament on the TOUR exempts (gets a tour card for) you for at least two years. Danny Lee did this on the European Tour last year. I think Pablo Martin did that a year or two before (but turned down the exemption to remain a college player). Daniel Summerhays did this last year on the Nationwide Tour, and Jamie Lovemark almost did so a week or two before that, losing in a playoff.

obviously I am not talking about myself...

There's always the

Paper Tiger dream.