How does one earn a PGA tour card?

[mac000]

Topic says it all pretty much. Also, for a Progressional Golf Management major in college upon graduating does he/she earn a tour card?

[ronaldroettger]

As in a card to play on tour?

[lhsgolfer2]

As far as PGA tour goes, top 125 on the money list get their cards, if you win a tournament you're exempt for so long depending on the tournament, top 30 at qualifying school get their cards, and there are other ways.

 

PGM majors have nothing to do with the tour, they will get the Class A PGA of America card that says that they are a member of the Professoinal Golfers Associatoin of America, but the PGA of America and the PGA Tour are two different animals.

 

 

mike

[mac000]

As far as PGA tour goes, top 125 on the money list get their cards, if you win a tournament you're exempt for so long depending on the tournament, top 30 at qualifying school get their cards, and there are other ways.

 

PGM majors have nothing to do with the tour, they will get the Class A PGA of America card that says that they are a member of the Professoinal Golfers Associatoin of America, but the PGA of America and the PGA Tour are two different animals.

 

 

mike

 

 

so if someone is PGA pro of america and they would like to play on tour they would have to go to a qualifying school just like someone who is not a PGA pro of america?

[wholeinwon]

I believe if you take your PAT (playing ability test) which enables you to become a Head Pro, Assistant Pro, etc with the PGA of America, you have to "play out" in order to go to Q-School, correct me if I'm wrong here guys...

 

 

I don't think your understand this right.

 

Professional with the PGA of America, would be the Head Pro at your home course.

 

PGA Tour professional are the guys you see on TV every week. They all had to go to Q-school, finish tops on the Nationwide Tour, win tournaments to gain exempt status, etc. in order to be on the PGA Tour.

[scores]

I read the application for tour school and you have to have played in some tournaments and posted competive scores. Like going to a US open qualifier, state opens mini tour and then you send them a check.

 

The senior tour forget that it's communism nobody gets a card unless you have a name from the regular tour. You can go to tour school to try and Monday qualify. I have no aspirations but know people that are good enough and have just got themselves in a financial situations where they would like to try but to bad it's a private club and CLUB pro's, mini tour players need not apply.

 

Good luck

[RNF]

The senior tour forget that it's communism nobody gets a card unless you have a name from the regular tour. You can go to tour school to try and Monday qualify. I have no aspirations but know people that are good enough and have just got themselves in a financial situations where they would like to try but to bad it's a private club and CLUB pro's, mini tour players need not apply.

 

Good luck

 

Not all together true. There are spots available on then Senior Champions Tour. A friend of mine made it in, albeit for 1-year. He was the PGA Club Professional Champ in '86, very good player.

 

 

 

As for how to get you PGA A-3 status (PGA Tour pro). As a PGA Memebr you can qualify for the PGA Championship and parlay that into playing on the tour....not easy.

 

You can go to tour school and be exempt for 1st stage with great section play.....very hard.

 

You can go to local PGA section qualifiers for tour events, play well, and parlay that into a tour card.....easier that the others, but not easy.

[snapfade]

Time and money. Lots and lots of money!!!!!!

 

 

J-

[MBurritt]

agreed....one hundred percent. LOTS OF MONEY, and the ability to leave your current job to do NOTHIN BUT PLAY GOLF

[RNF]

Time and money. Lots and lots of money!!!!!!

 

 

J-

 

I do hope this is a joke.

 

Otherwise you win the most naive post I've ever read.

[scores]

Hi RNF,

 

The rules have changed and there will never be anymore School applicants that can Qualify for the Senior tour and yes I know someone as well out there but never again. The tour is in trouble and they need the big names.

 

YOU CAN ONLY TRY AND MONDAY QUALIFY..and qualify for the senior PGA and the Senior open which may be changed to the US Senior invitational if the have there way. i think the US Open will be changed to the US invitational.

 

They only took seven people last year and now it's zero 000 none from tour school.

 

I do not personnally like it but they need the draw!!!

 

I mean no disrespect but I like to see the best players that's why I hate the top 125 money list players keep there cards make it the top 50 and you will see some of the tour stops that strugle should florish. They will have to show up and play.

 

However I like some sponsor exemptions and I like past champions can play provided they can compete.

Whoever came up with 125 money list idea must have been a coward.

 

Go get yeah card!! and practice hard to keep it.

[Simp]

Time and money. Lots and lots of money!!!!!!

 

 

J-

 

I do hope this is a joke.

 

Otherwise you win the most naive post I've ever read.

 

So you're saying it's cheap?

[RNF]

Time and money. Lots and lots of money!!!!!!

 

 

J-

 

I do hope this is a joke.

 

Otherwise you win the most naive post I've ever read.

 

So you're saying it's cheap?

 

Talent is by far more important.

[bogeypro]

Time and money. Lots and lots of money!!!!!!

 

 

J-

 

I do hope this is a joke.

 

Otherwise you win the most naive post I've ever read.

 

So you're saying it's cheap?

 

Talent is by far more important.

 

 

now that is a naive post :tongue: I know guys with the talent to play, but not the money.

[tlflanders]

Good luck with going just on talent. I agree that you have to be unbelieveably good but if you don't have the financial backing, it just isn't going to happen. I know a bunch of guys who have tried to make it out onto tour. It all comes down to money. You can't just go to Q school on talent. There are fees involved. Here's an unlikely scenario where talent will get you on tour. First, monday qualify for a PGA tour event. Play well enough to post a top ten. This will likely get you into the next weeks event. From that point on, post top tens in every tournament you play until you have enough money to earn your tour card for the next year. Excuse my sarcasm but money is a huge reason that a lot of great golfers don't make it.

 

TL

[TM golf guy]

Time and money. Lots and lots of money!!!!!!

 

 

J-

 

I do hope this is a joke.

 

Otherwise you win the most naive post I've ever read.

 

So you're saying it's cheap?

 

Talent is by far more important.

 

 

now that is a naive post :tongue: I know guys with the talent to play, but not the money.

 

Same here. It does take talent, but money is a must. If you don't have sponsors you better hope you have money because it is expensive.

[scores]

It's tough to post a top ten without the money because you can not shoot at the pins. Yes, you need the money. I love to see some of these guys that grew up in grass huts and worked there way up then beat some kid that has had it all given to him.

 

Even the great Hogan never started to post in the money until he found out he had a backer if he ran out of money at least that's what said.

 

The Nation wide tour was not set up for the average joe because they would have one in Indiana and the next in Portland Oregon and then maybe somewhere in New England.

 

It's not like you can hop in your car and drive. I remember discussing this with some really good players in college when this tour first started. Why play this tour when the real tour has higher purses.

 

I remember what shook everything up was when Paul Stankoski won on the Nationwide/Nike and then

followed that with a win on the PGATOUR thus the top 125 rule came into effect "I think"

 

I would love to see the younger guys get a chance at the real tour more often. Tank the 125 rule and let them play.

[lskoncepts]

If I remember correctly the PGA of America and the PGA Tour use to be the same quite some time ago. The PGA Tour broke away from the PGA of America to start its own players tournament. At least that is what my local PGA golf pro says.

[Night train]

It's tough to post a top ten without the money because you can not shoot at the pins. Yes, you need the money. I love to see some of these guys that grew up in grass huts and worked there way up then beat some kid that has had it all given to him.

 

Even the great Hogan never started to post in the money until he found out he had a backer if he ran out of money at least that's what said.

 

The Nation wide tour was not set up for the average joe because they would have one in Indiana and the next in Portland Oregon and then maybe somewhere in New England.

 

It's not like you can hop in your car and drive. I remember discussing this with some really good players in college when this tour first started. Why play this tour when the real tour has higher purses.

 

I remember what shook everything up was when Paul Stankoski won on the Nationwide/Nike and then

followed that with a win on the PGATOUR thus the top 125 rule came into effect "I think"

 

I would love to see the younger guys get a chance at the real tour more often. Tank the 125 rule and let them play.

 

The "125 exempt list" was ushered in a LONG time before Stankowski had his back to back wins on the Nike/PGA Tour. Gary McCord was one of the movers and shakers of the plan when he was still a journeyman struggling on the PGA Tour. It was probably close to 25 years ago.

[tlflanders]

From the PGA:

 

What is the difference between the PGA TOUR and PGA?

The PGA TOUR is a tax-exempt membership group of professional golfers that plays more than 100 official-money tournaments on three Tours - the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour. Its headquarters are located in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., southeast of Jacksonville. The PGA is the Professional Golfers' Association of America, a membership organization for the nation's club professionals. The PGA runs the PGA Championship, Senior PGA Championship and Ryder Cup Matches, among other championships. The PGA headquarters are located in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.. The PGA TOUR and PGA of America were affiliated until 1968, when the tournament players, a small subset of the total PGA membership, broke away to form the Tournament Players Division and gain more control of their finances and tournament schedule. The Tournament Players Division was renamed the PGA TOUR in 1975. While the two organizations work closely together today, the PGA TOUR and PGA of America are separate entities.

 

4. How do you become a member of the PGA TOUR?

There are five ways to become a PGA TOUR member eligible to compete in events subject to TOUR regulations. These include: 1. Finish within the top 30 and ties at the annual Qualifying Tournament; 2. Win a cosponsored or approved TOUR event; 3. Finish among the top 150 players on the official money list in a year (through Sponsor Exemptions, Foreign Exemptions, Open Qualifying or Section Qualifying, etc.); 4. Win during the course of a TOUR season an amount of official money (by playing in TOUR events through Sponsor Exemptions, Foreign Exemptions, Open Qualifying or Section Qualifying, etc.) equal to the amount won in the preceding year by the 150th finisher on the official money list; and 5. Finish in the top 20 on the official Nationwide Tour money list. All members shall be age 18 or older.

 

TL

[scores]

Hey Night Train

 

Thanks for that info i always wanted to know whow was the one behind the top 125. I just don't know how you can call it the top 125. Image having 124 people beat you all year and your considered in the top??

 

I love hockey but if your team is struggling to make the playoff's guess what the owner needs a new team.

 

 

crazy

[RNF]

Time and money. Lots and lots of money!!!!!!

 

 

J-

 

I do hope this is a joke.

 

Otherwise you win the most naive post I've ever read.

 

So you're saying it's cheap?

 

Talent is by far more important.

 

 

now that is a naive post ;) I know guys with the talent to play, but not the money.

 

Same here. It does take talent, but money is a must. If you don't have sponsors you better hope you have money because it is expensive.

 

Well then I'd say the individuals you know do not have enough talent.

 

 

 

While they may be talented, they just do not have enough talent to compete at the top echelon. It's hard to swallow for many people just how talented the top echelon players are, well sorry you just have to accept the facts.

 

 

 

Fact is the US Open is exactly that OPEN, and cheap.

 

It's takes very little money to get in and a whole lot of talent. Many a player has parlayed qualifying for the US Open into playing full-time on the PGA Tour. How'd they do that, it sure wasn't money. Craig Barlow delivered pizzas and came out to the Legacy and played played played. He had NO MONEY, unless you consider a pizza delivery guy rich? In which case we need to define "rich".

 

 

 

Craig parlayed qualifying for the US Open into full-time PGA Tour status. Talent did that, not money.

 

 

 

I mean no offense in this statement.

 

It's easy and less painful to your ego to admit it, but money is not keeping you or your buddies from the PGA Tour....talent is.

[TourPro]

Time and money. Lots and lots of money!!!!!!

 

 

J-

 

I do hope this is a joke.

 

Otherwise you win the most naive post I've ever read.

 

So you're saying it's cheap?

 

Talent is by far more important.

 

 

now that is a naive post ;) I know guys with the talent to play, but not the money.

 

Same here. It does take talent, but money is a must. If you don't have sponsors you better hope you have money because it is expensive.

 

Well then I'd say the individuals you know do not have enough talent.

 

 

 

While they may be talented, they just do not have enough talent to compete at the top echelon. It's hard to swallow for many people just how talented the top echelon players are, well sorry you just have to accept the facts.

 

 

 

Fact is the US Open is exactly that OPEN, and cheap.

 

It's takes very little money to get in and a whole lot of talent. Many a player has parlayed qualifying for the US Open into playing full-time on the PGA Tour. How'd they do that, it sure wasn't money. Craig Barlow delivered pizzas and came out to the Legacy and played played played. He had NO MONEY, unless you consider a pizza delivery guy rich? In which case we need to define "rich".

 

 

 

Craig parlayed qualifying for the US Open into full-time PGA Tour status. Talent did that, not money.

 

 

 

I mean no offense in this statement.

 

It's easy and less painful to your ego to admit it, but money is not keeping you or your buddies from the PGA Tour....talent is.

 

Hey, I completely agree with you on talent, but money is a MUST. I play, trust me I know. It cost me at least $70k to play a full schedule. And that is as cheap as I can do it. You have to be able to practice full time and travel. That takes money. Entry fees and caddies take money. Hotels take money. Mortgages still have to be paid. All of this whether you make the cut or not. Sponsors are not easy to get even if you have PGA Tour talent but are unproven at that level. You may be able to get into an event or two, but it is hard to stay out there without backing It takes some business sense and a lot of work to put together a group of sponsors. There is nothing inexpensive about being a touring professional at any level.

 

TP

[RNF]

Time and money. Lots and lots of money!!!!!!

 

 

J-

 

I do hope this is a joke.

 

Otherwise you win the most naive post I've ever read.

 

So you're saying it's cheap?

 

Talent is by far more important.

 

 

now that is a naive post ;) I know guys with the talent to play, but not the money.

 

Same here. It does take talent, but money is a must. If you don't have sponsors you better hope you have money because it is expensive.

 

Well then I'd say the individuals you know do not have enough talent.

 

 

 

While they may be talented, they just do not have enough talent to compete at the top echelon. It's hard to swallow for many people just how talented the top echelon players are, well sorry you just have to accept the facts.

 

 

 

Fact is the US Open is exactly that OPEN, and cheap.

 

It's takes very little money to get in and a whole lot of talent. Many a player has parlayed qualifying for the US Open into playing full-time on the PGA Tour. How'd they do that, it sure wasn't money. Craig Barlow delivered pizzas and came out to the Legacy and played played played. He had NO MONEY, unless you consider a pizza delivery guy rich? In which case we need to define "rich".

 

 

 

Craig parlayed qualifying for the US Open into full-time PGA Tour status. Talent did that, not money.

 

 

 

I mean no offense in this statement.

 

It's easy and less painful to your ego to admit it, but money is not keeping you or your buddies from the PGA Tour....talent is.

 

Hey, I completely agree with you on talent, but money is a MUST. I play, trust me I know. It cost me at least $70k to play a full schedule. And that is as cheap as I can do it. You have to be able to practice full time and travel. That takes money. Entry fees and caddies take money. Hotels take money. Mortgages still have to be paid. All of this whether you make the cut or not. Sponsors are not easy to get even if you have PGA Tour talent but are unproven at that level. You may be able to get into an event or two, but it is hard to stay out there without backing It takes some business sense and a lot of work to put together a group of sponsors. There is nothing inexpensive about being a touring professional at any level.

 

TP

 

I've been in your position and can understand it only too well, I've not been in the club side because it's too easy out on tour. PGA club pro was a comfy place to fall, at least for me.

 

 

 

I can only assume that you have talent, otherwise Nike would not be sponsoring you. Talent is all relative (just like golf itself). PGA Tour talent and mini tour talent are two different things. Your are born with some talent, but talent is learned not bought. It's talent that will get and keep you there (remember, we are talking about obtaining your PGA Class A3 card) not money, unless we are talking about the "money list".