How good do you have to be to try and “ make it” as a pro?

[wmblake2000]

> @Clambake said:

> Here's one way to look at it. Assume your "make it as a pro" criteria means you're in the top 200 on FedEx list so that you either keep your card or can qualify for the Web.com finals and try to keep your card. According to the USGA there are about 25 million players worldwide with an index. That means to "make it" you have to be in the upper 0.0008% of golfers globally who care enough to keep an index (which is a small percentage of total number of golfers). That's only slightly better than the odds of getting struck by lightning this year.

>

> Yeah, these guys really are that good.

 

Then, using the same kind of analysis, just how good is a Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus?

[Justsomeguy]

How bad is a pga professional club pro type compared to mini tour or web or full bore pga guys?

[rafal]

> @Justsomeguy said:

> How bad is a pga professional club pro type compared to mini tour or web or full bore pga guys?

 

They are all over the place. Some stopped playing but still are good teachers. If you were to make them play, some would shoot 90s. That's not what they get paid to do so why would it matter.

[Justsomeguy]

> @rafal said:

> > @Justsomeguy said:

> > How bad is a pga professional club pro type compared to mini tour or web or full bore pga guys?

>

> They are all over the place. Some stopped playing but still are good teachers. If you were to make them play, some would shoot 90s. That's not what they get paid to do so why would it matter.

 

Probably doesn't matter re the guys who once got to a low cap and have the experience of hitting it well.

I've been suspicious of some teaching pros actual ability.

Maybe teaching and doing have nothing to do with one another. I think they've got something to do w one another.

For this thread though I was curious how much worse the top guys who play those club pro Tories are vs other levels.

I think I read last year that the guy who wins it most often is a former PGA player who many of them thought should not have been allowed to play.

[BB28403]

I really think everyone on the PGA tour is Marketable. Giving them the edge over the non marketable people. The Marketable people get the Sponsor exemptions.

Look at J. Spieth, if he was a nobody , then he would be bounced off tour at the end of this year if nothing improved and he had no sponsors. But he has all those majors and sponsor exempts. And the recent wins, forgot where it was last...

If you are Marketable, you will stay awhile. Work on your selling shoe smile, your selling sugary caffeine drinks excitement face! Get your corny commercial mojo going.

 

Note: I am a big j. Spieth fan. Was just using his crap year as an example.

[Ghost of Snead]

> @BB28403 said:

> I really think everyone on the PGA tour is Marketable. Giving them the edge over the non marketable people. The Marketable people get the Sponsor exemptions.

> Look at J. Spieth, if he was a nobody , then he would be bounced off tour at the end of this year if nothing improved and he had no sponsors. But he has all those majors and sponsor exempts. And the recent wins, forgot where it was last...

> If you are Marketable, you will stay awhile. Work on your selling shoe smile, your selling sugary caffeine drinks excitement face! Get your corny commercial mojo going.

Yeah ... those pesky major wins like the U.S Open with a 5-year Tour exemption. All about marketability ...

 

[BB28403]

> @"Ghost of Snead" said:

> > @BB28403 said:

> > I really think everyone on the PGA tour is Marketable. Giving them the edge over the non marketable people. The Marketable people get the Sponsor exemptions.

> > Look at J. Spieth, if he was a nobody , then he would be bounced off tour at the end of this year if nothing improved and he had no sponsors. But he has all those majors and sponsor exempts. And the recent wins, forgot where it was last...

> > If you are Marketable, you will stay awhile. Work on your selling shoe smile, your selling sugary caffeine drinks excitement face! Get your corny commercial mojo going.

> Yeah ... those pesky major wins like the U.S Open with a 5-year Tour exemption. All about marketability ...

>

You missed my point, I said someone having a year like Jordan. That IS NOT Jordan.

 

[rangersgoalie]

So, I traveled a weird path.

Played more hockey than golf growing up. Finally put some effort in to golf my senior year of HS in New Jersey. Won some in season and kinda surprised myself winning the State Championship. I went to the National HS Championship and finished 6th I believe. My first big stage event, and I didn’t play that great, but held my own I guess.

 

Played some JC golf after HS. Played well enough in my second year at JC to get some offers at small schools. I didn’t expect much more than paying for my education.

Played D2 but won 6x in two years, and made All American.

 

Had no delusions, or really any clue about being good enough to play on tour. My older brother played on tour and didn’t see much success, and I felt he was better than me, so I didn’t really think about it.

I actually quit school to transfer to a different school with no golf team to finish my degree. That summer I played well in some amateur events. Won a couple matches in cal Am. Won a couple matches in us publinx, and played well in some city champs. I was a plus 4 at that time, but to be honest, didn’t post many scores, just enough to have a handicap.

 

I was about to quit playing when a member offered me some money to turn pro and try. I played mini tour and a year in Australia before qualifying for the tour the next year. Took me a few seasons to stick. When I did, I was basically a +7.

 

I was better as an amateur than I knew looking back. I didn’t focus on playing and practicing that much, until I turned pro. I was pretty far behind when I qualified at q school and struggled a lot before figuring some stuff out. But, again looking back, I never knew how good I could have been until looking back on it. I was able to play well, and just assumed what I did was what it was, I thing special. Looking back, with my experiences and being 57 now, I was a moron. The old saying of if I knew then what I know today!!

[gentles]

> @BB28403 said:

> > @"Ghost of Snead" said:

> > > @BB28403 said:

> > > I really think everyone on the PGA tour is Marketable. Giving them the edge over the non marketable people. The Marketable people get the Sponsor exemptions.

> > > Look at J. Spieth, if he was a nobody , then he would be bounced off tour at the end of this year if nothing improved and he had no sponsors. But he has all those majors and sponsor exempts. And the recent wins, forgot where it was last...

> > > If you are Marketable, you will stay awhile. Work on your selling shoe smile, your selling sugary caffeine drinks excitement face! Get your corny commercial mojo going.

> > Yeah ... those pesky major wins like the U.S Open with a 5-year Tour exemption. All about marketability ...

> >

> You missed my point, I said someone having a year like Jordan. That IS NOT Jordan.

>

JS became JS specifically because of his continued good play, not for any other reason. I'm a white guy in my 20s, am I marketable too?

[BB28403]

> @gentles said:

> > @BB28403 said:

> > > @"Ghost of Snead" said:

> > > > @BB28403 said:

> > > > I really think everyone on the PGA tour is Marketable. Giving them the edge over the non marketable people. The Marketable people get the Sponsor exemptions.

> > > > Look at J. Spieth, if he was a nobody , then he would be bounced off tour at the end of this year if nothing improved and he had no sponsors. But he has all those majors and sponsor exempts. And the recent wins, forgot where it was last...

> > > > If you are Marketable, you will stay awhile. Work on your selling shoe smile, your selling sugary caffeine drinks excitement face! Get your corny commercial mojo going.

> > > Yeah ... those pesky major wins like the U.S Open with a 5-year Tour exemption. All about marketability ...

> > >

> > You missed my point, I said someone having a year like Jordan. That IS NOT Jordan.

> >

> JS became JS specifically because of his continued good play, not for any other reason. I'm a white guy in my 20s, am I marketable too?

 

I dunno have you sold any shoes?

[Obee]

> @rangersgoalie said:

> So, I traveled a weird path.

> Played more hockey than golf growing up. Finally put some effort in to golf my senior year of HS in New Jersey. Won some in season and kinda surprised myself winning the State Championship. I went to the National HS Championship and finished 6th I believe. My first big stage event, and I didn’t play that great, but held my own I guess.

>

> Played some JC golf after HS. Played well enough in my second year at JC to get some offers at small schools. I didn’t expect much more than paying for my education.

> Played D2 but won 6x in two years, and made All American.

>

> Had no delusions, or really any clue about being good enough to play on tour. My older brother played on tour and didn’t see much success, and I felt he was better than me, so I didn’t really think about it.

> I actually quit school to transfer to a different school with no golf team to finish my degree. That summer I played well in some amateur events. Won a couple matches in cal Am. Won a couple matches in us publinx, and played well in some city champs. I was a plus 4 at that time, but to be honest, didn’t post many scores, just enough to have a handicap.

>

> I was about to quit playing when a member offered me some money to turn pro and try. I played mini tour and a year in Australia before qualifying for the tour the next year. Took me a few seasons to stick. When I did, I was basically a +7.

>

> I was better as an amateur than I knew looking back. I didn’t focus on playing and practicing that much, until I turned pro. I was pretty far behind when I qualified at q school and struggled a lot before figuring some stuff out. But, again looking back, I never knew how good I could have been until looking back on it. I was able to play well, and just assumed what I did was what it was, I thing special. Looking back, with my experiences and being 57 now, I was a moron. The old saying of if I knew then what I know today!!

 

Love your story, Patrick. It just goes to show that if you can truly compete at the top amateur level (in large states especially), then you may, very well, have what it takes to give it a shot. You do not need to WIN every amateur event you play (or even "lots" of amateur events). You just need to play well, when the chips are down, against the best amateurs out there in events like State Ams; large, regional ams; large, full-field elite invitationals, and the like.

 

 

[gentles]

> @BB28403 said:

> > @gentles said:

> > > @BB28403 said:

> > > > @"Ghost of Snead" said:

> > > > > @BB28403 said:

> > > > > I really think everyone on the PGA tour is Marketable. Giving them the edge over the non marketable people. The Marketable people get the Sponsor exemptions.

> > > > > Look at J. Spieth, if he was a nobody , then he would be bounced off tour at the end of this year if nothing improved and he had no sponsors. But he has all those majors and sponsor exempts. And the recent wins, forgot where it was last...

> > > > > If you are Marketable, you will stay awhile. Work on your selling shoe smile, your selling sugary caffeine drinks excitement face! Get your corny commercial mojo going.

> > > > Yeah ... those pesky major wins like the U.S Open with a 5-year Tour exemption. All about marketability ...

> > > >

> > > You missed my point, I said someone having a year like Jordan. That IS NOT Jordan.

> > >

> > JS became JS specifically because of his continued good play, not for any other reason. I'm a white guy in my 20s, am I marketable too?

>

> I dunno have you sold any shoes?

 

No, because I stink at golf. If I was a prodigy as a junior, and had 3 majors by the time I was 25 then perhaps I would sell some shoes :)