Oldest Player to Turn Pro

[MisterMizzy]

If you were to go look at the majority of the players on the PGA Tour, the majority of them turned professional younger than 25. Can anyone think of a few players that were older when they turned professional?

[kamtile]

If I am remembering right ,Allan Doyle didnt turn pro until the seniors tour.

[stealthontour]

Yep, a few guys didn't turn pro until they kicked over the 50 barrier.....

[MisterMizzy]

Good deal. I have 26 years to work on my game.

[DGMVW]

[quote name='MisterMizzy' post='813144' date='Dec 5 2007, 11:57 AM']Good deal. I have 26 years to work on my game.[/quote]

That's what I was thinking...Golf is going to be my retirement job.

[Night train]

I think Jay Sigel waited till he was 50 to turn pro also. Many of you younger guys on here probably don't know him, but he had a spectacular amateur career and did quite well after turning pro.

[Ridgecrest18]

[i]Kamtile:[/i]

Actually Alan Doyle turn professional in 1995 and played the PGA tour, sparingly, through 1998. Played some Nationwide Tour events in 1999 and moved full time onto the Senior Tour in 2000.

He was, however, one of the older players to turn pro........

[finalist]

isn't it harder to turn pro on the senior tour than PGA? I've heard the Senior tour really only wants those with a known name because they need to boost that tours popularity before it fails.

[scotton]

Just remember the rule when considering the senior tour. Picture the guys on tour that are your age (25ish?). Now picture beating them at golf, after giving them a 25 year headstart of playing and practice on tour. Not saying it's not possible, just very difficult.

[Bulldog31]

I am turning pro on my 35th birthday.

[Night train]

The Senior Tour is much tougher to gain a spot on than the regular tour. Most guys gain entry through lifetime earnings exemptions off the regular tour. This year there were 7 spots available thru Q-school and I think that's actually changing for the worse in 08.

[Ridgecrest18]

[quote name='Night train' post='813315' date='Dec 5 2007, 02:26 PM']The Senior Tour is much tougher to gain a spot on than the regular tour. Most guys gain entry through lifetime earnings exemptions off the regular tour. This year there were 7 spots available thru Q-school and I think that's actually changing for the worse in 08.[/quote]


Actually, there are [b]no exemptions[/b][i][/i] from the Senior Qualifying event. The Senior Tour stopped giving out the 8 exemptions into the field two years ago. For the 2008 season, the players that qualified through, from the 07 Senior Q-School, are simply eligible for the ....Monday Qualifier for the tournament that week. There will be bewteen 8 and 10 spots available each week, depending on the field and tournament. Non-exempt players [those with no status] and those that did not receive qualifier status through Q-School, can, at the cost of $275, play in a pre-qualifier on Wednesday or Thursday of the week preceding an up coming tournament. The top 6 from the pre-qualifier are then allowed into the Monday Qualifier.

Talk about a tough road, the Senior Tour has virtually become a "closed shop". If you weren't "in" before the door closed, you're most likely not going to get in. But it's fun trying..........

[flavaflave]

[quote name='finalist' post='813253' date='Dec 5 2007, 01:16 PM']isn't it harder to turn pro on the senior tour than PGA? I've heard the Senior tour really only wants those with a known name because they need to boost that tours popularity before it fails.[/quote]

Actually its quite easy to turn pro on the Senior Tour, you just check to spot on the application that says pro

[Swingtheclub]

turning pro is as easy as making a statement getting status to play on the Champions or PGA tour another deal.

The all time money winners list thing on the Champions tour was set up by the Seniors that got together and came up with the Senior tour.

They kind of made a lock they would have a place to play and no cuts to worry about. The rest of the world has to be real good to get on the Champions tour

One of the older great players was Lee Trevino I think he was close to 30 when he showed up at the US Open but I am not sure when he actually turned pro.

[whateverworks]

They should rename the Champions Tour and call it the "PGA Retired Players Tour ". They don't want to share the easy money with somone who wasn't playing PGA Tour golf. That itself makes it more boring than it already is if that is possible. No more Walter Zimbriskis or Robert Landers type guy..
Thats a shame becuase it was fun to watch them knock off the name players..