Mini Tour "Pro"

[ErikIngram]

Hello, I was just wondering if anyone has any experience playing on Mini Tours? First off, I am a 24 year old and I'm going to be laid off within the next couple weeks. I hope that everything happens for a reason.I have played golf at a high level for a number of years. I had many golf scholarships after graduating high school but turned them down due to financial reasons. I am currently a 0 or 1 handicap. I have only played 4 rounds this year (70, 68, 72, 69 ). I am very interested in going down to Florida to play on a mini tour while I am laid off. I know that the mini tours like that aren't made for making it rich, I want to use it as a proving grounds to myself that I can play at a high competition level. My main question is, do you need to take a playability test or anything to be considered a pro, or is it just as simple as declaring yourself a pro. If Florida goes well, I am going to come back home and try to raise the funds to compete on the SwingThought tour next summer. Realistically, hoping to be able to play my first PGA Tour event in 4-5 years. Please and thank you for any help you can provide!

[Mac62]

Welcome to TST!  When you have a little free time on your hands, read through this thread: http://thesandtrap.com/t/7771/mini-tour-play

Ben was a mini-tour player who was trying to qualify for the PGA Tour and he did an outstanding job of telling his story along the way.  Very interesting (and entertaining!) thread, especially for somebody contemplating making a run at it similar to Ben's.

[mvmac]

My main question is, do you need to take a playability test or anything to be considered a pro, or is it just as simple as declaring yourself a pro. If Florida goes well, I am going to come back home and try to raise the funds to compete on the SwingThought tour next summer. Realistically, hoping to be able to play my first PGA Tour event in 4-5 years. Please and thank you for any help you can provide!

No playability test, you declare yourself a professional golfer on the registration form when you sign up for an event. That allows you accept the purse money.

Also check this out.

[David in FL]

What they said, Welcome to the site! Good luck, it's a tough row to hoe. Please keep us up to date on your progress, much as Ben did. :beer: Here's a link to one of the mini tours down in Central FL. Dig around their site and you'll get some insight to courses, fees, purses, eligibility, and scoring averages. http://www.ogatour.org/gettingstarted.htm

[ErikIngram]

Okay thank you for all the information. I will definitely keep you guys posted.im not sure when I will be able to make the trip down for my first experience, due to a layoff that doesn't have a specific start date and my sisters wedding on the 19th. Most likely it will be late September or early October. David in FL I am looking into the Minor League Tour. My grandparents own a house in west palm and said that I could stay there. It would keep my travel costs down and as far as I know, west palm is the central location for that tour. If you have heard any positives or negatives about it, please don't be afraid to share! Either way, I'm confident in my game, and excited to see where this leads. Everyone has a desire to get on the big stage, but few will make it. I might as well give it a shot while I'm young, that way I can't regret it later on in life

[rkim291968]

Best wishes to @ErikIngram , and please keep us posted with this thread.

... and yet another link you may find interesting ... http://thesandtrap.com/t/80287/petes-programme-single-digit-to-tour-player.

[kpaulhus]

Best of luck to you. I had some friends in Jacksonville that just regained their amateur status. They competed in the local Florida mini tours and as +2 and +3 handicaps I dont think they made much more than $20K a year (hence why they have normal jobs now)

[14ledo81]

Definitely keep us posted.

[ErikIngram]

Will do! I'm still currently working and haven't been laid off yet. My best guess is that it will be the end of September/beginning of October