What it REALLY takes to make it to The PGA Tour

[Big V]

I saw another thread posted, talking about what it would take for an 'average joe' golfer to play on the tour if all resources and time were devoted to it. Rather then post a reply, I decided to start a new thread sharing a private email exchange I had with a Golf Channel analyst (and PGA Tour winner) on that very subject.


It's a cool insight to understand what it really takes to make it to the highest level from someone who's been there.

I removed both of our names
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"It's great you want to play, and I don't want to bust your bubble, but.......Trackman has nothing to do with how good someone plays. It is a tool, that if used properly is wonderful, but it is way overused and overanalyzed.

If you're looking for some indicators as you said about the quality of your game relative to PGA Tour pros, here are some ideas:

The average PGA Tour pro is a +5 hdcp
Every tour player has shot -8 or better for one round
The road to the Tour for you starts at PGA Tour Canada, then Web.com, then PGA
Try and qualify for some PGA Tour Canada events
You have to AVERAGE under par
You have to take your game against the best and not be intimidated on unfamiliar courses

These are just a few but provide a good starting point. If you think you are getting close, take your game to some tournaments (PGA Tour Canada qualifiers, mini tours, state opens etc)
and play against these players. The road to the Tour is a series of steps, each of which you have to pass in order to move on.

The key to competing at a high level has to do with the following:

Can you control your miss
Do you have a one way miss
How good is your chipping, pitching, putting, bunker play
Are you able to shoot a good score when things don't feel good
Can you compete when nervous or in front of people
Can you go low when playing good
Can you string 4 good rounds together

This is just a barometer. Ultimately, the only way to tell is to compete at the various levels and see how far you can go. Each step provides it's own learning opportunities.

Best of luck with your game, I hope you succeed in your quest
####"

[Benz]

Re: What it REALLY takes to make it to The PGA Tour

"It's great you want to play, and I don't want to bust your bubble, but.......Trackman has nothing to do with how good someone plays. It is a tool, that if used properly is wonderful, but it is way overused and overanalyzed.

Just to clarify, did you (or someone you know) suggest that Trackman statistics were a reliable indicator of whether a player was a viable candidate for pro golf?

[4tado]

Re: What it REALLY takes to make it to The PGA Tour

If the average PGA tour pro is a 5 handicap then 90% of the people on tgn should potentially be on tour

[snaphook]

Re: What it REALLY takes to make it to The PGA Tour

If the average PGA tour pro is a 5 handicap then 90% of the people on tgn should potentially be on tour

+5

big difference

[Benz]

Re: What it REALLY takes to make it to The PGA Tour

If the average PGA tour pro is a 5 handicap then 90% of the people on tgn should potentially be on tour

In a match, a 5-cap would get 10 shots from a +5.

[Toughpar3]

Re: What it REALLY takes to make it to The PGA Tour

If the average PGA tour pro is a 5 handicap then 90% of the people on tgn should potentially be on tour

a 5 handicap and +5 handicap are completely different handicap indexes

[TourIQ]

Re: What it REALLY takes to make it to The PGA Tour

In a match, a 5-cap would get 10 shots from a +5.

Real golfers don't give strokes, they play straight up

[Big V]

Re: What it REALLY takes to make it to The PGA Tour

I was telling him most of my Trackman numbers were above the tour average but in a light hearted way, and he took it like I thought I could make it on tour because of that.. The info he was giving me was good tho so i didn't feel the need to clarify.

Just to clarify, did you (or someone you know) suggest that Trackman statistics were a reliable indicator of whether a player was a viable candidate for pro golf?

[Benz]

Re: What it REALLY takes to make it to The PGA Tour

I was telling him most of my Trackman numbers were above the tour average but in a light hearted way, and he took it like I thought I could make it on tour because of that.. The info he was giving me was good tho so i didn't feel the need to clarify.

I think the info he gave you was very good. While he did mention the fact that a tour player must be able to adapt to many new courses, there is also the travel required to get there as well as the accommodations while you're there. In short, living out of a suitcase, and most likely away from home, family and friends for extended periods.

[rgk5]

Re: What it REALLY takes to make it to The PGA Tour

If the average PGA tour pro is a 5 handicap then 90% of the people on tgn should potentially be on tour

Your statement is 10 strokes off the cut.

[sunshiNee]

Re: What it REALLY takes to make it to The PGA Tour

Not sure any active regular member on this forum are even +5 or let alone 10% of TGNers are even 5 index or single digits....... I played with a bunch of TGN'ers on throughout the years, and I've only known 2 of them to be legit single digits. Maybe if you go on GOLFWRX everybody on there should be on tour

But we all know how far you hit your driver or 7 iron on trackman, gc2, blah blah numbers don't mean for squat. The only real test is what you shoot in tournament golf and you need all those skills sets highlighted by BigV's email.

I admire playing with people who are single digit handicappers... can't imagine what it would be like to play with somebody who is a plus handicap.! It just takes serious skills and mental fortitude. There are a lot of people who have the skills, and put in the time in practice. But in the game of golf when you reach a certain level of play, the only thing holding you back is most famously quoted, the space between your ears.

If the average PGA tour pro is a 5 handicap then 90% of the people on tgn should potentially be on tour

[mpare]

Re: What it REALLY takes to make it to The PGA Tour

You should expand your circle of golf friends. I've played with quite a number of legit single digit TGN handicappers. Play them for money. You'll soon discover their legitimacy Now, whether they could be on tour is quite another matter. They couldn't make it there. Tour players are so much better than the rest of us that it's laughable.

....... I played with a bunch of TGN'ers on throughout the years, and I've only known 2 of them to be legit single digits. ...

[chrisw]

Re: What it REALLY takes to make it to The PGA Tour

From experience through amateur golf, college, and now pro. I can tell you first hand.

Where a PGA Tour pro excels from other good college players or even mini tour/Canadian tour, scratch golfers etc is that they

1. Putting.... enough said, these guys on tour make it rain
2. Get it up/down from everywhere around the green
3. Much Better up/down percentages inside 150
4. Not as many mistakes made, and more GIR'd from 150-225

Basically their games are just tighter in just about every aspect.

[High cut]

Re: What it REALLY takes to make it to The PGA Tour

Not sure any active regular member on this forum are even +5 or let alone 10% of TGNers are even 5 index or single digits....... I played with a bunch of TGN'ers on throughout the years, and I've only known 2 of them to be legit single digits. Maybe if you go on GOLFWRX everybody on there should be on tour

But we all know how far you hit your driver or 7 iron on trackman, gc2, blah blah numbers don't mean for squat. The only real test is what you shoot in tournament golf and you need all those skills sets highlighted by BigV's email.

I admire playing with people who are single digit handicappers... can't imagine what it would be like to play with somebody who is a plus handicap.! It just takes serious skills and mental fortitude. There are a lot of people who have the skills, and put in the time in practice. But in the game of golf when you reach a certain level of play, the only thing holding you back is most famously quoted, the space between your ears.

I've played with a tour player.

It does not look spectacular on the range, I have friends (Scratch type golfers) that have prettier swings and can hit the ball father.

But once you get half way through a round, it gets jaw dropping. They don't miss much, and when they do they either recover or at worse make bogie. They control their ball every shot. Course management and short game is just different.

It sneaks up on you because no one shot looks that special, but in the end it is just different.

Oh yeah, this was a journeyman. A tour player but not an elite level player.

[Pimento Cheese]

Re: What it REALLY takes to make it to The PGA Tour

I saw another thread posted, talking about what it would take for an 'average joe' golfer to play on the tour if all resources and time were devoted to it. Rather then post a reply, I decided to start a new thread sharing a private email exchange I had with a Golf Channel analyst (and PGA Tour winner) on that very subject.

Did you have some connection to this analyst, or did you just email him out of the blue? If the latter, it's pretty cool that he took the time to respond.