U want to know about pro golf!!!!

[1day2day]

I have seen quite a few posts recently asking about pro golf, how is it, how good do I need to be etc. So I guess my inspiration for writing this post came from that.

 

I am a tour player based in the UK; I have chosen to play the Renault EPD tour based mainly in Germany this year.

 

To me the most difficult process to professional golf has been the years of trying to get sponsorship; to some guys they thrive on the pressure of having to do really well just to afford to play next week. To me however I have always needed a security blanket. So this year’s finances have stacked up that I have one sponsor who pays £20,000 for all tournament fees and all costs associated with the tournament and then I have another sponsor whom pays me £24,000 living expenses. Now some guys may feel ‘wow’ lucky guy, but trust me I have been a pro for 5 years there has been no ‘luck’ involved just relentless letters and networking. As I have improved so the sponsors have been knocking on the door. I would advise anyone who plays or is thinking of playing and they have had a decent am career to watch out for management companies, I signed for 1 a few years back and seriously cost me a lot, the deal was 24% of all winnings and 43% of all endorsements. They in return create starts on the European and challenge tour. Trust me if you can avoid these guys and you are not a ‘main’ tour guy avoid them, all the ground work and begging letters for tournament starts you can do yourselves!!

 

I turned pro in the Uk off a +2.2 handicap, at my club I still keep an unofficial one of +4.0, my home course is pretty short par 72, for guys that fly it over 250 yds the course can be really easy to blitz to ‘normal’ members it’s a total nightmare!

 

This year I have played 11 events on the EPD tour, I am languishing in around 35th position on the order of merit, and my biggest issue has been that I did not play early season due to a wrist injury. I have however only missed one cut this year. The EPD tour is slightly different to other tours I have played around Europe, for example if you take something like the Europro tour, they play awful courses usually around 6500 yds, which means the best players do not always win. This may sound odd but anyone can smash a driver and hit a wedge to the par 4’s even out of the deeper stuff. The tours you really want to play are the ones like the EPD that play really good courses, strong layouts and well maintained. Par 4’s that require a 4 or 5 iron for your second shot, to me this produces a far stronger field that make the cut and indeed a better winner.

 

The issues with my game this year have really been mental, currently I am sat in my hotel room staring out of the window at the driving rain, knowing I need to practice ready for tomorrows first round, after a practice round yesterday where ‘once again’ I beat the hell out of myself for not hitting it where I wanted to, this has been an on going issue, its kind of funny because my golf is in a spiral….

The worse I play, the more I think about technique. The more I think about technique the less I visualise the shots I need and want to hit so thus the worse I play.

The travelling is really the hardest part of my job; I am home probably for 3-4 days before its time to head off again. Even though I have good sponsors I still have to fly ‘budget’ airlines, stay in average hotels and rent pretty average cars. This is not a sob story I love golf….. I really LOVE golf. It’s my job, it’s my passion and it’s something I learn about every single day.

 

So how good do you need to be? Well I grew up and have played with some of the greatest European golfers, and trust me they are good. But to be honest so am I, so are a lot of the guys on the mini tours, so are some of the very top amateurs. The biggest difference to us and the superstars is truly mental, it’s a belief that doesn’t waver it’s a work ethic that means they are practicing in the rain rather than writing articles on Golf WRX……… ah hell im off!!!!!!!!!!

Its an uncanny ability to constantly get the ball up and down, everyone knows what I mean, that embarrassed feeling you get when you are level through 9, have had 7 putts hit 0 greens and chipped in twice, trust me these guys do not give a crap what anyone else thinks. IT’S BUSINESS!!

I have European tour school in two weeks time, a very cheap exercise at £1250 but non the less I have a ticket, now if I can string together some good solid golf you never know, and trust me as a professional tour player you never know when your day is coming, you just know its on its way!!

Big thanks to Golf WRX for keeping me company on my travels.

[Damo75]

Great post mate, thanks for the insight.

 

And good luck with everything. When you're famous, everyone here can say they know you. :)

[FlyFish]

Thanks for the post! Please keep us updated on your travails.

[Ezgolfer]

Very very good. Thanks for your time . Good luck with your tour events.

[buggyman]

"The issues with my game this year have really been mental, currently I am sat in my hotel room staring out of the window at the driving rain, knowing I need to practice ready for tomorrows first round, after a practice round yesterday where ‘once again’ I beat the hell out of myself for not hitting it where I wanted to, this has been an on going issue, its kind of funny because my golf is in a spiral….

The worse I play, the more I think about technique. The more I think about technique the less I visualise the shots I need and want to hit so thus the worse I play."

 

this paragraph is is spot on and applies to all golfers but none more so then very low handicappers. I am going through this right now with my driver. I have been shooting around even par to a couple over, and averaging 2-4 penalty strokes a round off the tee box. I completely have now idea where the ball is going. Yet with my irons I have been throwing darts. Really to get to the lowest of levels in golf it comes down to %90 mental and 10% ability. Then you have to practice hours a day, and believe you can beat the heck out of everyone you play. Good luck and good post.

[whatsamatta]

Awesome post. good luck :)

[iyan7]

Great read, thanks for the post!

 

Just makes me more determined to focus on my game every time I play -- even though I'm more of a weekend player now.

[KTS1010]

Great post, was a very interesting and informational one.

[Tengu]

Intresting post, really intresting to see what the professionals do when they are not playing on golf courses.

 

However i would find it very intresting to know what your training and stuff looks like. How much time do you spend on the driving range, how much of your time do you spend in the short game etc. etc.

 

I am really keen on those pieces of information : / . Thanks for your post anyhow.

[Subsonic]

Great Post.

 

I remember reading an article a few years ago about how difficult it was to make the PGA Tour. They broke it down by numbers and the odds were staggering. Basically, take the best golfer you know, club champ etc... and you would need to be 10 times better to even have a chance.

 

I know a guy that played on the Gateway tour in Florida. He was an accomplished college golfer. He played a season on the Gateway and it sounded difficult as all get out. It was really amazing to me, because he is the best golfer that I have personally seen play. He was thankful to make the cut.

[daughterscameron]

1day2day, Outstanding job, man. :) Awesome information.

Good luck and keep us up to speed. (not too much, as to

cut into your practice time). ;)

[irish]

Stick at it mate.

 

Poulter worked in a pro shop for a while as far as I remember before arriving at the big league, so at least your past that stage.

 

I remember a few years ago talk to Paul Casey who have a round with Clarke that afternoon, I asked him if he was gonna beat big Darren and he said he wasen't worried about that stuff. Just concentrate on your own game.

[Viking Golfer]

Great reading - I must thank you for taking the time to write this post about your pretty tough life as an EPD player and an aspiring Euro Pro Tour player :)

 

I wish you the best of luck - hope you make it all the way through to the big Euro TOUR and still can find the time to write a post or two about your life on the Tour ;)

[playmuch]

great post. good luck.

[MizzyMan]

Good luck on your quest!!

 

But I'll tell you how hard it is to play pro golf. I have a 2 handicap at my club and Lee Trevino plays there as well. He's a +6. Played with him a couple of times and he still puts the ball exactly where he wants. And talks all the while he's doing it! I feel like a complete hack when playing with him. Says he can't compete anymore cuz I wouldn't believe how good even the seniors are. That, and they pay him too much for appearances to risk a huge pay-cut.

[villa]

Great post mate. I go along with everyone here in wishing you the best of the luck for the rest of the season and especially at Q school.

 

I played the EuroPro and European Challenge Tour's for 5 years between '97 and '02 and I feel your pain. After literally hundreds of letters to local companies, I found myself two excellent sponsors who backed me during most of that time. That being said, money was still tight. I had my entry fee's paid and I had a little bit to live on but I often found myself sleeping in my car (also donated by a sponsor) or sharing hotel rooms with several other players.

 

I went through the hell of Q school 3 times and after my final attempt, I decided enough was enough. I'm safe in the knowledge that I gave it everything I had to give. I worked hard/smart on my swing, my fitness and the mental part of my game but alas, I wasn't good enough. Many of my friends are now playing on the European Tour and while I often feel jealous or hard done by that they've reached that level and I haven't, I have no regrets about my time as a pro. At least I can look back and say I tried as opposed to sitting here and thinking "what if".

 

I've got a "normal" job now and golf is a game I play for fun. If I'm honest, I'm loving it more than ever. Keep working hard on all aspects of the game and if for some reason that's not enough, at least you'll know you gave it your all. As you say though, you never know when your going to hit your peak and I for one, hope that's at Q school.

 

Give it your best shot mate. Keep us informed :)

[CarloGolfer]

A question for all the former-pros or aspiring pros; Do you think success at the highest level has more to do with not making mistakes or being able to recover from mistakes?

 

thanks,

carlo

[DRGJR72]

A question for all the former-pros or aspiring pros; Do you think success at the highest level has more to do with not making mistakes or being able to recover from mistakes?

 

thanks,

carlo

 

My experience in that arena, Carlo, has prompted a two fold answer. I think that it depends on the player. First, I have played with guys that made mistakes all day but were able to recover. Second, I also played with guys that made very few to no mistakes and played almost flawless rounds. I think at the upper level of golf there is a mix of both players that hit it somewhat crooked and make up for it with amazing recovery skills, and then there are those players that make very few mistakes.

 

I honestly feel that in the upper air of golf the difference comes down to putting. The best putters always seem to do well. Once you reach a certain level your ball striking, short game, or ability to scramble has reached a certain level that is commensurate with many of the players in that ability level, it comes down to the guy who is hitting it a little better, chipping or pitching it a little better, or the guy who is making more/all of the putts.

 

Yes the fewer mistakes that you make the better off that you will be, but there are guys that make mistakes but have the ability to recover from them (Phil for example, ever Tiger on occasions), then you have guys that make very few mistakes (Furyk, Faldo, and Funk come to mind). Whether the player is a technician or more of a "erratic" (these are not really erratic but relative to the technicians) they all have to make the putts.

 

They all posses the abilities to make fewer mistakes and the recover from the ones they do. The best players just do it a little more consistently and a little better than most of the rest.

[SJFP]

One of those posts that makes this forum worthwhile! Great stuff 1day2day.

 

I really hope all goes well for you 1day2day, especially the q-school! My guess is if you can battle the mental side at a venue like that, you'll learn some lessons you'll never forget. Succeeding once is the best foundation to more success. Most certainly if that means proving yourself worthy of the highest level.

 

I've been to some Challenge Tour events the past 2 years, and i know some guys who occasionally play/have played on the EPD tour. Whenever i read the "adventures" of those guys on our local golf-news website (not nearly as successful as you), i keep thinking to myself if i would be able to battle my way through to achieve that European Tour card. Not that i have the ability. But every start of the season they have high hopes, after 5 years of hearing them say this i often think someone should tell them where they're at.

 

Never give up I suppose, lot's of stories out there about guys who went through mini tour and q-school hell for years, but still made it big on the Euro or PGA tour.

[LP28]

Great post 1day2day!! Good luck on your golf travels and hang in there, like you said you never know when your day is going to arrive. I can relate in some ways as a former minor league hockey player for a few years - the practicing in the off-season, the grind of training camp/tryouts, finally signing a contract, playing really solid, struggling, and even getting cut. Now I have a wife, a son and a daughter and wouldn't trade that for anything but I'll tell you what I have zero regrets about my time playing professionally and would do it all over again in a heartbeat if I could!! Nothing like it, getting paid to play a game you love!! Enjoy yourself as long as you can. Like I tell my little guy at home it's not always about how far you go, how good you become, or where you end up when the last page of that chapter in your life is turned over but it is ALL ABOUT the journey getting there and the experiences along the way. The places you get to see that almost nobody else will ever get to go, the people you meet, the fans, the girls, the comraderie in the locker room, the wins, the losses..........great life lessons are learned along the way. Best of luck to you and have fun.

 

Now I play amateur golf as a way to keep that competetive edge. I'm getting better but golf is certainly the hardest of all the sports I have played...gotta keep grinding it out!!

[villa]

A question for all the former-pros or aspiring pros; Do you think success at the highest level has more to do with not making mistakes or being able to recover from mistakes?

 

thanks,

carlo

I've asked myself this question a lot Carlo and to be honest, if I had the answer, I'd be a very rich man.

 

If you really had to pin me down to an answer, I think everyone has a limit to their talents. I worked hard to get where I was and I really couldn't find a way of dragging that little bit extra out of my game. There's just something a little bit different about the guys who make it.

 

Everyone talks about the short game and putting and yes, they're huge factors. That being said, the best way I can describe the difference is this. If you give a tour player 10 balls from 180 yards, he'll land that shot stone dead 90% of the time. I was shooting sub 70 rounds at 15 years old, I still hold a couple of course records, I turned pro off +4 but no matter how hard I worked, no matter how hard I tried, I'll never have the natural ability to do that.

 

There is a huge difference between being able to score and being able to compete with the big boys.

[floyd]

Good post.

[Mike_C]

I agree about the mental stuff 100%. There are ALOT of really good ball strikers, putters, scramblers, etc. But it really narrows down quickly when you talk about putting it all together and scoring under pressure.

 

That being said, there is still a big difference between a scratch player and a pro. I've been bouncing around scratch to up to a 4 or 5 handicap for years, but I know that even the elite amateurs are light years better than me. Yes, some of it is mental, but the skill level of the best players is just beyond the comprehension of the average player. When I play with higher handicappers and go out and shoot par they ask if I'm a pro. I say the difference between me and a pro is about the same from me and the guy shooting 90+ on the same course.....

[CarloGolfer]

DRGJR72 and Villa, thanks for the replies.

 

Like many of you guys suggest, the difference between the elite/pro players and the exceptional/scratch players is the uncanny ability to get the ball in the hole.

 

It's like futbol/soccer players. Strikers particularly. For whatever reason, whatever intrinsic nack guys like Ronaldo, Christiano Ronaldo(sp?), Baggio... they could put the ball in the back of the net. Awesome to watch.

[villa]

It's like futbol/soccer players. Strikers particularly. For whatever reason, whatever intrinsic nack guys like Ronaldo, Christiano Ronaldo(sp?), Baggio... they could put the ball in the back of the net. Awesome to watch.

That's a pretty good analogy mate.

 

I've often heard Alan Shearer (former England striker) talk about instinct. He says you can teach anyone to play football but only those with a natural instinct will reach the top level of the game.

 

I guess it's the same for golf. You can teach almost anyone to play this game well but only if they have a natural instinct and feel for the game will they be able to compete on tour.

 

For some reason, we often forget that the gap between a good amateur and a tour pro is equal in golf than in any other sport. Once we're over the age of 21, we'd never dream of playing professional basketball, football, soccer etc but we think differently about golf. I'm nearly 28 now and I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that when I watch it on T.V, I still occasionally think to myself "one day I'll be out there".

 

Golf gives us the same emotions that we had as teenagers and regardless of what level we play at, it'll keep us forever young.

[jebb]

Just wanted to say what a great post this was and to wish you all the best of luck for the Q School.

 

I'm always amazed at just how much money is required even to attempt to do this professionally and the standard required so hats off for even going for it.

 

Good luck.

[Dukefan1]

Nice post and good luck in the future!

[sharkiesj]

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and give us a peek into the world of professional golf. I'm a hacker but reading this, you've inspired me to go out and practice, to get better. Thank you and best of luck to you the rest of this year and at Q-School.

[teeituphigh]

With a response to all the posts above, ive found them very interesting.

I am finishing my 3rd and final year of PGA training and am at a cross roads....

 

My game has come on in leaps and bounds and i am finding myself swinging better and putting in better scores due to that but how do i maintain my job- coaching, running a proshop and play??

 

What i would like to do is cut back my hours in the shop to allow me to play and prepare better for tournaments but i still need to pay for the tournaments etc!

 

I am lucky that i am in a great club environment with a large percentage of members being very good people. We are not a snooty posh club, but a number of members do have enough money and have shown an interest in my game.

I am thinking of offering 25 'shares' in myself to the members for X amount of dollars per year. At the end of the year they will get 75% of my winnings split amoungst the 25 share holders, aswell as any left over money from the original outlay.

In return they will get small, yet viable advertising space on our proshop newsletter, my facebook page etc. I will also wear clothing with small 'tactful' logos if needed.

 

What i am asking is has anyone written a letter asking for this sort of thing or can offer me any 'draft' copies of similar letters? Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated!

 

Cheers

[wjdpar1]

Nice post 1dat2day and best of luck.

 

The difference between a really, really good golfer and a superstar is not an easy question. I asked a good pro years ago and he said "broad shoulders", in other words he meant what

ever happens, good or bad, the superstar never looses confidence in himself.

 

I think that's true, but IMO there are other attributes also. One has to like constant travel; be able to deal with distractions off/on course; be able handle a bad day both mentally and physically. Also, IMO you have to be a great putter. I think at the highest level of golf, all the players are pretty equal tee to green over time. But putting is the difference.

 

Years ago I watched an exhibition by Mark Calcavehia (sp). He was playing a top local amateur, who was really grinding. The difference was clear, Mark was hardly even trying (constantly asking for the beverage cart) and was still under par. The amateur was GRINDING, and doing pretty well, but got beat. The difference in ability was so clear.