Becoming a European Tour Pro

[StefanUrkel]

  On 9/8/2016 at 6:55 PM, phillyk said:

Tour Pro and Golf Pro are different.  There are several of us here that are Golf Professionals.  I think there's only a couple that have played on any tour level.

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I was just kidding. The best threads of laughter are the ones with people thinking they will make the tour. 

[phillyk]

  On 9/8/2016 at 7:16 PM, StefanUrkel said:

I was just kidding. The best threads of laughter are the ones with people thinking they will make the tour. 

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Oh.... I'm so bad at picking sarcastic remarks up. 

Well it still could help to point out to @Connor that you could always go for just being a golf professional which you can play in smaller pro ams and still make some money playing golf.

[Hacker James]

after viewing this thread, it occurred to me that becoming a professional golfer is not unlike becoming a professional gambler. Don't give up your day job. I get comp'd in Vegas, but I have lost much,much,.more than I've won.

[chspeed]

  On 9/8/2016 at 7:16 PM, StefanUrkel said:

I was just kidding. The best threads of laughter are the ones with people thinking they will make the tour. 

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I know, these threads crack me up too. I think we need a stock post whenever someone thinks they'll make the tour. How about:

Dear Future Tour Player:

Thank you for your interest in the (PGA Tour/European Tour/LPGA Tour/Moe's Mexican Grill Tour). We've reviewed your golf swing and your progress, and have to say that your mix of raw talent, perseverance, and ambition is truly impressive.

Unfortunately, at this time, there is a waiting list of approximately thirty-five million golfers that are all better than you (don't worry, none of them are making the tour either). Rest assured, we'll keep your handicap on file, and when it gets to a scratch, we'll move you to approximately number 350,000 on the waiting list. At that point, you'll most likely have peaked and will be too old to join the tour anyway, but we'll happily refer you to a pro shop where you can sell shoes to people who realized earlier that they would never be on tour and have much better paying jobs.

Thanks again for you interest. Hit 'em straight!

---

Too harsh?

 

[Hacker James]

  On 9/8/2016 at 8:06 PM, chspeed said:

I know, these threads crack me up too. I think we need a stock post whenever someone thinks they'll make the tour. How about:

Dear Future Tour Player:

Thank you for your interest in the (PGA Tour/European Tour/LPGA Tour/Moe's Mexican Grill Tour). We've reviewed your golf swing and your progress, and have to say that your mix of raw talent, perseverance, and ambition is truly impressive.

Unfortunately, at this time, there is a waiting list of approximately thirty-five million golfers that are all better than you (don't worry, none of them are making the tour either). Rest assured, we'll keep your handicap on file, and when it gets to a scratch, we'll move you to approximately number 350,000 on the waiting list. At that point, you'll most likely have peaked and will be too old to join the tour anyway, but we'll happily refer you to a pro shop where you can sell shoes to people who realized earlier that they would never be on tour and have much better paying jobs.

Thanks again for you interest. Hit 'em straight!

---

Too harsh?

 

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Or you could always make excuses. I know of a fella on another forum that apparently "blames his putter" for not realizing his dream (whatever that dream may have been). So now he teaches.  "if you can't be an athlete, then be an athletic supporter"  Principal of Ridgemont High School said.

[wedgehammer40k]

Statistics in my opinion is book keeping, it works well in in hindsight. If you want something bad enough you will get it. Most guys that make it it's the mental drive that stands out. Naturally you have to be talented as a starting point - the reason why pros have "talent" IMO is because they started young and that "talent" is just a natural development of their growing ability- when your young the mind absorbs information rapidly, muscles are supple, joints are flexible, there is no fear and there is time and a safe environment to learn - ie no pressures of the daily grind to survive. Most of all it's fun. So many factors go into it after that. To be honest being a touring pro would be quite a challenging life style, lot of sacrifice, hotel rooms, missed cuts, etc. I watched the Australian open one year and was in awe of some of the players who were playing amazing golf shots, and were solid golfers most of which were out playing seasoned pros like Adam Scott. Then you find out one of them is a part-time plumber and makes less than 40K p/a on golf so they are in that tough position of following their dream or working as a plumber for close to 80-100k!  

[IanW]

  On 9/9/2016 at 8:27 AM, wedgehammer40k said:

Statistics in my opinion is book keeping, it works well in in hindsight. If you want something bad enough you will get it. Most guys that make it it's the mental drive that stands out. Naturally you have to be talented as a starting point - the reason why pros have "talent" IMO is because they started young and that "talent" is just a natural development of their growing ability- when your young the mind absorbs information rapidly, muscles are supple, joints are flexible, there is no fear and there is time and a safe environment to learn - ie no pressures of the daily grind to survive. Most of all it's fun. So many factors go into it after that. To be honest being a touring pro would be quite a challenging life style, lot of sacrifice, hotel rooms, missed cuts, etc. I watched the Australian open one year and was in awe of some of the players who were playing amazing golf shots, and were solid golfers most of which were out playing seasoned pros like Adam Scott. Then you find out one of them is a part-time plumber and makes less than 40K p/a on golf so they are in that tough position of following their dream or working as a plumber for close to 80-100k!  

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I agree. Drive is the most important thing. If you want it bad enough you can find a way to do it.

IMO, the word 'talent' is hugely overrated. There are guys on the PGA Tour that I dominated on the golf course as a 14 year old. Problem is I went out drinking with friends and chasing girls while they were on the range and putting green. They wanted it more than me even though I was better than them. They improved at a faster rate than I did. By the time we were 18 they were playing for the national team and I was still chopping it around the course near par. I declined a golf scholarship because I could see the writing on the wall. I was never going to be a tour pro and working as a pro in the golf shop for $40k a year didn't interest me. They took the scholarships and continued to improve. Now I sit at a desk all day and they travel the world living the dream!

Your starting point doesn't matter. Your age doesn't matter. Your ABILITY to dedicate every waking hour to the game matters. Your DESIRE to dedicate every waking hour to the game matters. If you have the option to party with friends or get an extra hour on the range you will choose the extra hour on the range every time without thinking twice about what you are missing out on with your friends.

If that isn't you, then you aren't making the tour. You can, however, play extremely good golf as a competitive amateur while working a full time job that pays the bills. No, you likely won't win the US Amateur but you just might challenge for club champion.

[georgeadey92]

@IanW   I think Talent isn't over-rated. I think the dedication you are talking about comes under the umbrella of talent. Also I there are many people that won't make it not because they don't have the desire its because they aren't great athletes or have natural ability at learning quickly 

[Valleygolfer]

  On 9/9/2016 at 1:51 PM, IanW said:

I agree. Drive is the most important thing. If you want it bad enough you can find a way to do it.

IMO, the word 'talent' is hugely overrated. There are guys on the PGA Tour that I dominated on the golf course as a 14 year old. Problem is I went out drinking with friends and chasing girls while they were on the range and putting green. They wanted it more than me even though I was better than them. They improved at a faster rate than I did. By the time we were 18 they were playing for the national team and I was still chopping it around the course near par. I declined a golf scholarship because I could see the writing on the wall. I was never going to be a tour pro and working as a pro in the golf shop for $40k a year didn't interest me. They took the scholarships and continued to improve. Now I sit at a desk all day and they travel the world living the dream!

Your starting point doesn't matter. Your age doesn't matter. Your ABILITY to dedicate every waking hour to the game matters. Your DESIRE to dedicate every waking hour to the game matters. If you have the option to party with friends or get an extra hour on the range you will choose the extra hour on the range every time without thinking twice about what you are missing out on with your friends.

If that isn't you, then you aren't making the tour. You can, however, play extremely good golf as a competitive amateur while working a full time job that pays the bills. No, you likely won't win the US Amateur but you just might challenge for club champion.

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Some of your dedication points are true but the Dan plan proved that sheer effort and time doesn't mean you are going to get there.

[Grinde6]

  On 9/8/2016 at 8:06 PM, chspeed said:

I know, these threads crack me up too. I think we need a stock post whenever someone thinks they'll make the tour. How about:

Dear Future Tour Player:

Thank you for your interest in the (PGA Tour/European Tour/LPGA Tour/Moe's Mexican Grill Tour). We've reviewed your golf swing and your progress, and have to say that your mix of raw talent, perseverance, and ambition is truly impressive.

Unfortunately, at this time, there is a waiting list of approximately thirty-five million golfers that are all better than you (don't worry, none of them are making the tour either). Rest assured, we'll keep your handicap on file, and when it gets to a scratch, we'll move you to approximately number 350,000 on the waiting list. At that point, you'll most likely have peaked and will be too old to join the tour anyway, but we'll happily refer you to a pro shop where you can sell shoes to people who realized earlier that they would never be on tour and have much better paying jobs.

Thanks again for you interest. Hit 'em straight!

---

Too harsh?

 

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Ya, pretty dickish...and there aren't even close to 350,000 scratch golfers...

He is an 18 year old kid, whose to say he cant make it??? 

I was about a 13-15 handicap as a 17-18 year old and probably a 10 or so as late as 23-24 years old.  I am 30 now and I am down to a 1 and with the differentials I have coming off in my next 6 rounds if I can shoot anywhere near par I will be scratch or better...I have been serious about the game only in the last 3-4 years...I say that only to prove that if you put your mind to it and bust your a$$, you just might achieve your goal.  I know scratch is still a ways away from tour pro level, but scratch was my goal because I was told I wouldn't be able to do it.  I hope this kid does the same thing!

[kpaulhus]

  On 9/9/2016 at 2:13 PM, Grinde6 said:

Ya, pretty dickish...and there aren't even close to 350,000 scratch golfers...

He is an 18 year old kid, whose to say he cant make it??? 

I was about a 13-15 handicap as a 17-18 year old and probably a 10 or so as late as 23-24 years old.  I am 30 now and I am down to a 1 and with the differentials I have coming off in my next 6 rounds if I can shoot anywhere near par I will be scratch or better...I have been serious about the game only in the last 3-4 years...I say that only to prove that if you put your mind to it and bust your a$$, you just might achieve your goal.  I know scratch is still a ways away from tour pro level, but scratch was my goal because I was told I wouldn't be able to do it.  I hope this kid does the same thing!

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I never swung a golf club until 18, and I got as low as a 2 index. Im nowhere near even considering being a pro in any way.

Really, it takes money and dedication. If you have plenty of both of those, you might have a chance to make some mini tours. The Ian Poulter types are one in a million.

[Marty2019]

To all you guys who say, "If you want something bad enough, you can get it," I have to say, that is absolutely not true.   It's a competitive world, and there are millions of people who put total effort into achieving their dreams, and a lot of them don't make it because they don't have the one essential ingredient they have to have to make it to the top.   TALENT.   If I am 5 foot 8, 150 pounds, and I want to become an NFL offensive lineman, does anyone really think if I just try hard enough I can make it? 

Seriously, don't say, "If you want something bad enough, you can get it," because it's just not true. 

 

 

[CarlSpackler]

  On 9/8/2016 at 8:06 PM, chspeed said:

I know, these threads crack me up too. I think we need a stock post whenever someone thinks they'll make the tour. How about:

Dear Future Tour Player:

Thank you for your interest in the (PGA Tour/European Tour/LPGA Tour/Moe's Mexican Grill Tour). We've reviewed your golf swing and your progress, and have to say that your mix of raw talent, perseverance, and ambition is truly impressive.

...

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I could easily make the Moe's Mexican Grill Tour. 

It's an eating competition, right?

[phan52]

I was playing with an assistant pro yesterday who hits it 320 off the tee and has an exceptional short game. At one point we were walking down the fairway and he just stated, "this is a hard game". I said, "says the guy who is doing it for a living." He laughed.

To the OP I say, don't give up but have a backup plan. Golf is a hard game.

[chspeed]

  On 9/9/2016 at 2:13 PM, Grinde6 said:

Ya, pretty dickish...and there aren't even close to 350,000 scratch golfers...

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I was just trying to be funny, didn't mean to offend anyone. The numbers were made up :)

  On 9/9/2016 at 2:13 PM, Grinde6 said:

 

He is an 18 year old kid, whose to say he cant make it???

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He's an 18 year old kid with an 18 handicap. I have a better chance of winning the lottery.

  On 9/9/2016 at 2:13 PM, Grinde6 said:

I was about a 13-15 handicap as a 17-18 year old and probably a 10 or so as late as 23-24 years old.  I am 30 now and I am down to a 1 and with the differentials I have coming off in my next 6 rounds if I can shoot anywhere near par I will be scratch or better...I have been serious about the game only in the last 3-4 years...I say that only to prove that if you put your mind to it and bust your a$$, you just might achieve your goal.  I know scratch is still a ways away from tour pro level, but scratch was my goal because I was told I wouldn't be able to do it.  I hope this kid does the same thing!

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This is kinda what I was saying. No offense at all, but you are too old to make it to any tour, and as you said, scratch is a ways from tour pro level.

[natureboy]

Maybe a better short-term goal is to see if you can improve enough to make it onto your college team. If not in or going to college, how about training to pass the PGA player ability test? If you really love golf  and you're not thinking of PGA pro millions that might be a more concrete short-term goal to see where it takes you. If you are in college, building some professional skills as a backup is wise. Padraig Harrington studied to be a CPA as a backup.

[SG11118]

Ian Poulter is another one who got better later in life.  It can happen, but a lot has to go right.  Most importantly, is you need to have funding.  You can get to a certain level while working, but eventually golf is going to need to be your job, and you are going to need to have a large nest-egg built up to fund paying for tournaments and expenses while not working.  To me, age isn't the thing that is going to stop you from getting to tour play, it is probably money.  Kids do have a huge advantage over you in that they are getting better and playing in competitions through school and possibly even college without having to support themselves.  They get to play in competitions (with built in increases in the level of competition) without having to worry about putting food on the table or a roof over their heads.  These competitions teach them to play under pressure and to really compete on lots of different golf courses.  If you are really practicing daily and taking lessons, I'd set a plan in place that was more in the 4 year range.  I'd think about setting a first year goal to work like heck to get better.  If you can go from a 18 HC to something like a 3 HC in that year, I'd think there might be a chance.  I'd then probably set another year goal to do the same thing and see if I could get to something like a +1 the next year, and start exposing yourself to some tournaments.  There is a big difference between playing casually well, and playing tournament well.  The third year I'd probably want to get to the +3 range and start mixing in more competitions including more higher level competitions.  During year 4, you really need to get to the point where you can play good under pressure, and under tournament pressure.  You need to enter a lot of premier amateur competitions and play well in them if you expect to be ready. 

A lot will need to go right for you, but there is a chance if you really work at it.  Just make sure you have a back-up plan, and that you don't put so much pressure on yourself that you hate golf the rest of your life.

[natureboy]

  On 9/9/2016 at 8:50 PM, SG11118 said:

I'd set a plan in place that was more in the 4 year range.  I'd think about setting a first year goal to work like heck to get better.  If you can go from a 18 HC to something like a 3 HC in that year, I'd think there might be a chance.  I'd then probably set another year goal to do the same thing and see if I could get to something like a +1 the next year, and start exposing yourself to some tournaments.  There is a big difference between playing casually well, and playing tournament well.  The third year I'd probably want to get to the +3 range and start mixing in more competitions including more higher level competitions.  During year 4, you really need to get to the point where you can play good under pressure, and under tournament pressure.  You need to enter a lot of premier amateur competitions and play well in them if you expect to be ready. 

A lot will need to go right for you, but there is a chance if you really work at it.  Just make sure you have a back-up plan, and that you don't put so much pressure on yourself that you hate golf the rest of your life.

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I agree about tournament vs. casual play.

I think your schedule is a bit too ambitous. It's faster than Greg Norman and he was number one for quite a while at his peak (extremely high talent level).

Scratch in the vicinity of 2-3 years of near full-time effort might be more realistic. Plus 3 a few more (2-3?) years after that. Another late starter Nelson broke par very quickly, but still took several more years to break into the pros age ~25-30.

Basically it's a long-term commitment, @Connor and you'll need a job to pay the bills in the meantime too. One that allows you time to practice a lot (bartending?). I'd say take it in stages that allow you to assess your rate of progress and decide if you want to continue working those lower paying / golf flexible jobs or switch to something with more of a career track.