Tadd Fujikawa turns pro

[Shindig]

(I didn't see this mentioned in another thread yet, but it felt like big news to me when I read it at work earlier today)

So, Tadd Fujikawa is turning pro in a few weeks. Here's the story at ESPN. Any thoughts on how this will turn out?

On one hand, he's already shown he can play with the big boys, making the cut against the men once. On the other hand, a certain other teenager from Hawaii played quite well on the women's tour (and I think made the cut against the men once).

The differences, I believe, are that Tadd seems to want this for himself, whereas how much "the other" wants it for herself seems to be hotly debated. Tadd also seems to need some of the money now, so that he can continue on his quest to make the PGA Tour.

In any case, I wish him the best of luck. He was a joy to watch at the Sony and will certainly liven up the events he's in, at least for a while (longer if he does well).

And it does make me wonder a bit about when Jamie Lovemark's announcement is going to happen. He's been playing superbly in professional events, although is retaining amateur status. For the record, I think that if one can afford to do so, the best thing someone of his age can do is to stay amateur and gain that experience before trekking out to play the big leagues for money.

[dkm978]

As long as his parents don't Michelle Wie him it looks as if he has a lot of potential.

[Spectrums]

As long as his parents don't Michelle Wie him it looks as if he has a lot of potential.

Exactly what I was going to say...

[Shindig]

As long as his parents don't Michelle Wie him it looks as if he has a lot of potential.

Exactly. But it doesn't look like they're going to do that, fortunately.

[iacas]

As long as his parents don't Michelle Wie him it looks as if he has a lot of potential.

Potential is all he has, and it's quite small at this point. He had to eagle the last hole to make the cut, mind you, and Michelle Wie at 14 missed the cut by only one stroke.

He had no expectations when he played the Sony this year. Now as a pro, he'll have huge expectations, both for himself and placed on him by others. I think he should have waited. I wish him the best, but this ain't tennis: you don't plan to retire from golf by the age of 28. So what's the rush?

[Silvertree]

I think he should have waited.

I agree 100%.

I wish him the best, but this ain't tennis: you don't plan to retire from golf by the age of 28. So what's the rush?

Come on, we have to cash on the possibility of a big endorsement deal RIGHT NOW!!! We can't wait for things that aren't needed like maturity, a chance to be a kid, and the like.

[Jeremy517]

He might have made the cut, but we're talking about a tournament on his home course, where half of the top players didn't play. It is a nice story, but he should at least wait until he's out of high school, and depending on how much he has progressed during that time, until he's played a little in college.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

I think it's a huge mistake.

On the other hand, I thought it was a mistake when Cristie Kerr turned pro, skipping college, several years ago.

I'd be astonished if Fujikawa makes any significant money for at least two or three years unless he's able to sign some big endorsement contracts and I have no way of judging how likely this is. And there is the distinct possibility he'll be a complete failure as a tournament player.

In any event, I wish him well.

[shortgame85]

Well over a century ago, our western culture, first in Europe and later, in the United States, as a result of the relative prosperity people enjoyed from the profits of the Industrial Revolution, began to formulate the radical idea that children did not have to produce an income but could, instead, profit, themselves, from a period of physical, intellectual and emotional growth which came to be known as childhood. Like the idea that one should marry for love, the generally accepted concept which we call childhood is relatively new. The idea of childhood became almost universally accepted, in part, because it afforded immature humans the opportunity to develop in several fundamental ways. Is childhood essential for survival? No. Our species survived and thrived for several millenia without the consideration that our very young needed time to develop an emotional or intellectual sense of maturity. Are we better off by allowing our young a period of growth? Probably. As the parent of three children, ages 10, 8 and 4, I am appalled at the parent that would allow their child to become a professional golfer at age 16. I am sure the young Mr. Fujikawa will enjoy the new bling, playstations, etc., that he will obtain as a result of his new prosperity. I do wonder whether he is or will be emotionally equipped to deal with the extraordinary demands of an adult career at the tender age of 16, with which many pro's twice or three times his age struggle regularily. I also wonder that, once embarked on this path, whether he will ever really be able to enjoy the vestiges of a normal childhood, again. Rehab clinics and psychiatrist couches around the world are littered with the emotional remains of children either pushed by, or allowed by, ambitious or compliant parents to enter the difficult, complex and demanding world of adulthood too soon. I think that the odds are not in his favor, which is even more reason I shall be cheering him on to succeed on and off the golf course.

[waynem80]

I wish, I could of been PGA Pro by the age of 16, Wow... "what a freak of nature"

wayne

[Shindig]

I wish, I could of been PGA Pro by the age of 16, Wow... "what a freak of nature"

He's a golf pro, not a PGA Pro. PGA Pros are a subset of golf pros.

Just the same, I wish I could've done that at 16.

[CG031]

I wonder if he'll win some events...He's crazy small too, like 5'3" or something? That's crazy.

[Jeepthrills]

I would assume someone out there put a bug in his ear about how much he is worth now in endorsements. He would have been worth even more 5 months ago. His game is probably not ready, but he seems like a good kid. I hope he does well. I also hope he gets a good financial planner, because he may have to live off of his endorsement money for a while.

He will likely get sponsors exemptions on the PGA, Nationwide and Japan Tour. Hopefully he can play reasonably well and get some status on one of the tours next year. If he doesn't do it quickly he will go from the cute Amateur who made the cut at the Sony to the greedy little kid that jumped at the money and spent years floundering. Look at Ty Tryon. By all accounts he had way more game than Tad and other than his first time through Q School he has never really shown much.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

Look at Ty Tryon. By all accounts he had way more game than Tad and other than his first time through Q School he has never really shown much.

The name sounds familiar, but not familiar enough for me to remember anything at all about him . . . maybe (figuratively speaking) he's dropped off the face of the earth?

[Jeepthrills]

The name sounds familiar, but not familiar enough for me to remember anything at all about him . . . maybe (figuratively speaking) he's dropped off the face of the earth?

He was a phenom that made the cut and actually contended in a PGA Tour event at 16. He turned pro shortly after that and did really well his first time through Q School. He made the Tour at 17 and did not play well. He travelled with an entourage that included advisors, therapists, swing gurus and hangers on. He lost his card after one year and has kicked arround the lower tours while battling burn out and injuries. He is 22 now and has dumped or been dumped by most of the people that were with him at the time. He is working hard to get back to the tour now.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

Jeep, tx for the background. Sounds like he did just about drop off the face of the earth.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

He was a phenom that made the cut and actually contended in a PGA Tour event at 16. He turned pro shortly after that and did really well his first time through Q School. He made the Tour at 17 and did not play well. He travelled with an entourage that included advisors, therapists, swing gurus and hangers on. He lost his card after one year and has kicked arround the lower tours while battling burn out and injuries. He is 22 now and has dumped or been dumped by most of the people that were with him at the time. He is working hard to get back to the tour now.

Oh, boy. Now I'm sorry I asked about Ty Tryon - - - I did a little research and found out that in '03 Tryon played in 21 PGA Tour events, making only 4 cuts and winning $125,875 (#195 on the money list).

Since then things have gone downhill for Ty, at least as a professional golfer. In '07 so far, he's on the Gateway Tour (don't ask . . . ) and has played in 19 events making only 3 cuts and winning a measly $8,620. Ty's is a very sad story . . . . and I don't wish anything similar on Fujikawa . . . . but it's a distinct possibility.

[Jeepthrills]

The one advantage Tad does seem to have is the people arround him. He seems very family oriented and his ego doesn't look to be too huge. Hopefully he pockets some money from endorsements and continues to improve.