Mini Tour Play

[tonyy]

That's what I figured. It'll still be a challenge I bet. Best of luck to you man.

Also, you're on some sort of tour correct? How is the pay out for these, are they good enough to support you while you're out there?

[Ben]

That's what I figured. It'll still be a challenge I bet. Best of luck to you man.

I play part-time on the two tours I mention in this thread.

The Pepsi Tou r and Golden State Tour . Both play throughout Southern California. There is not much in the way of full-time support out there for me, yet. I still keep a full-time position at a private club as a support net. I've been in the process of cutting back at the course job, and stepping up playing events more often. We'll see how it works out. I have a feeling things will. Thanks for the well wishes. I can use them! GS Tour Money List Pepsi Tour Money List. Ooops, looks like their site is all out of whack again.

[worst_shot_ever]

Just read through this thread. Great read. Best of luck to you, Ben, and the other mini-tour players, too. Some day, god willing, I will be low enough to play in a tournament, but it may have to be a seniors event by the time I get there!

[949 Golf]

Ben, good job in the tournament. Once you get a few of those tournament blow up jitters out of the way you'll be fine. I played the Hooters Tour, Gateway Tour, and Pepsi Tour for about 3 years and I learned that you have to have a few of those blow up rounds in order to have the good ones. Once you calm down and just let things happen it will come a lot easier to you. Good luck and keep rocking!!!!

There's golf, then there's tournament golf — it's a completely different world

[chingali]

There's golf, then there's tournament golf — it's a completely different world

Never a truer sentence spoken. It's amazing the crap that creeps in to your head while standing over the ball when you've been on the road for three weeks racked up expenses of $4k and last cashed a cheque for $800 about a month ago! Living on toasted cheese sandwiches and water to save money probably doesn't help much either.

[Ben]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the well wishes.

My mental game is right where it should be. I don't get mad, have a pretty even keeled temper. I'm not putting unecesary pressure on myself. I'm at the stage where I just need that one break-through round to get me in the right frame of mind. Once I shoot something super low at a club other than mine in one of these events, I'll be there. I've really stepped up my participation lately, played in an event the last three Mondays, and have one next Monday. That's helping me too. I play with guys that'll shoot 3 under, 5 under, 6 under, and it's nothing I can't do. Stay out of trouble, make putts.

[Ben]

Had a second place finish in The Pepsi Tour's event at Wood Ranch CC yesterday. The course is a bit of a beast at 6972yards rated to 75.2/146. No holes run parallel and the rough is definitely punishing. The greens were rolling nice though. I made five putts outside of 15feet. But, it was the three from 3-feet that cost me a playoff for first. Overall, a good experience, I was focused and ready to play, and performed quite well. $400 cash in my pocket at the end of the day.

[Dent]

That guy is making a decent living for being #1 on the money list.

[CG031]

Ben, are you trying to make the PGA Tour?

[Ben]

That guy is making a decent living for being #1 on the money list.

I played with JT yesterday. It was my goal to beat him, and I did. He actually played in two PGA events this year, missed the cut in both though. I was looking forward to watching him get around the course, but he had a bad day. Didn't pick up too much.

[CPGA_LeftyNation]

I play Great Lakes, a Canadian Tour event, and will be playing the Hooters tour this season hopefully.

It's great to play with these guys, some of them will make the bigs and you can one day say that you've played with them. Good to see what we're up against.

Good luck.

[Ben]

The season is starting. The season is starting. The Season Is Starting!

Jan 18th at Ojai Valley Inn for a PGA Sectional event The 19th at Seacliff CC for a Golden State Tour event The 26th at Twin Oaks for another GS Tour event The 30th also at Twin Oaks for Buick Invitational Qualifying I am very excited about this season. See if I can keep from breaking any bones this time around so I can see how a full year goes.

I play Great Lakes, a Canadian Tour event, and will be playing the Hooters tour this season hopefully.

Nice. I hope your season goes well!

[BritBoy]

The season is starting. The season is starting. The Season Is Starting!

So how did they go?

[Ben]

Bleh, Not so great. Thanks for asking though! Didn't play all too bad, but, not good enough to get in the money. I'd had a real slump on my short game. Went 2 for 11 in attempts over those two days. That's just pathetic. I've been working very hard my shortgame everyday since Monday. Got two events next week. I'm expecting to do much better. Also getting some confidence reading Ray Floyd's book The Elements of Scoring . Really good stuff in there.

[bogeyhitter25]

That's so awesome how you play in some mini-tours. That's my dream, haha. I'll go to school to get my degree in engineering, and then try for a couple years to see if I can make it somewhere with golf. If that fails (which there is a good chance that it will), than I'll have the engineer job to fall back on haha.

[Ben]

That's so awesome how you play in some mini-tours. That's my dream, haha. I'll go to school to get my degree in engineering, and then try for a couple years to see if I can make it somewhere with golf. If that fails (which there is a good chance that it will), than I'll have the engineer job to fall back on haha.

Thanks. That's good thinking on your part though. I'm working without a net over here. This has

got to work. It will.

[MiniMoe]

I have a few friends that play on the Adam's Pro Golf Tour. They have not make many cuts as they seem to play good for 32 out of 36 holes. Those four holes cost them cut's all the time. I would love to play this year, but money is too tight, and I can't seem to find anyone to sponsor me. I tired to two years ago to play on the US Pro Golf Tour, but like many others, I lost a lot of money without being able to play. Paying for everything up front is a bad way to go... never again for me. It's pay as I play.

Anyway.. good luck this year and just remember this is a simple game... if you hit every green in regulation and have 33 putts you will be 3 under.

[jorruss]

In my experience with playing pro events in Florida I realized just how many good players there are, all trying to get to the same place. If you are a good player and can shoot in the 60s that's a start, but to play pro golf even on the mini tours in FL you have to go low EVERY DAY. Its not enough to shoot even par over 36 holes, you have to light it up. In one tournament I play every year around town I have seen 64-65 get into a playoff.

I heard someone say recently that if you were playing on the 2008 PGA Tour and shot even par every day, you would have made $4 million last year. That may not sound all that hard for an aspiring pro, but if you take the majors out of the equation that number would be much lower. Also consider that on the PGA Tour they play courses at 7200 to 7600 yards, grow the rough and bake the greens to 10+ on the stimp, most guys would have a hell of a time even shooting par.