pro golf tour college

The PGA Golf Management University Program

Earn a degree while becoming an expert in the game and business of golf

The PGA Golf Management University Program provides extensive classroom courses, internship experience and opportunities for player development in a four-and-one-half to five year program for aspiring PGA Professionals. Offered at 16 universities nationwide, the University Program allows students to earn a degree in areas such as Marketing, Business Administration, Hospitality Administration, Recreation and Park Management, providing them with the knowledge and skills to succeed in the golf industry.

• Program is accredited by the PGA of America
• Students earn a bachelor’s degree in a golf industry compatible major
• Upon program completion, students can apply for PGA Membership
• Graduates currently have a 100% employment placement rate

Each participating university has specific entrance requirements. Contact the university’s dedicated PGA Golf Management University Program Director with questions about specific university curriculum, entrance requirements and financial information.

View Participating Universities

PGA of America Membership Programs

There are two primary pathways that lead to PGA of America Membership: the PGA Professional Golf Management Program (PGM Associate Program) and the Golf Management University Program.

Select Your Program

Former Associate? Are you ready to re-register and continue the process to become a PGA of America Member?

Your Golf Career Can Start in the Classroom

• Graduate with your four-year degree and PGA membership in 4.5 to 5 years
• Build your professional network and gain industry experience by completing 16 months of internships, learning under the guidance and expertise of PGA of America Golf Professionals
• Apply for the program with a 12 or less handicap, develop your game, and enjoy opportunities to compete!

Earn a Degree While Becoming an Expert in the Game and Business of Golf

Program Highlights include:

• Program is accredited by the PGA of America
• Students earn a bachelor’s degree in a golf industry compatible major. Majors include: business, hospitality and more!
• Upon program completion, students can apply for PGA of America Membership
• Graduates currently have a 100% employment placement rate

PGA Golf Management University Program Overview

Complete the following steps to become a PGA Member through the PGA Golf Management University Program.

Contact the PGM Director at the University You're Interested In

Review programs at the participating universities below, then contact the PGM Director to set up a tour.

Get Admitted to the PGM Program at the University

Explore expanded career paths — in addition to traditional green grass locations — while completing required internships.

Complete Your Degree and Graduate

Earn a Bachelor’s degree in a golf industry compatible major, such as Marketing, Business Administration, Hospitality Administration, and Recreation Management.

Apply for PGA of America Membership

Complete the necessary requirements to apply.

Become a PGA of America Member

Graduates currently have a 100% employment placement rate.

View Participating Universities

Each participating university has specific entrance requirements. Contact the university’s dedicated PGA Golf Management University Program Director with questions about specific university curriculum, entrance requirements, and financial information.

Campbell University

Watch Video

Coastal Carolina University

Eastern Kentucky University

Florida Gulf Coast University

Methodist University

Mississippi State University

Sam Houston State University

University of Central Oklahoma

Penn State University

University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Ferris State University

University of Idaho

University of Nebraska, Lincoln

New Mexico State University

University of Colorado Colorado Springs

University of Nevada-Las Vegas

Testimonial:.

There’s no better springboard to a career in golf than the PGA Golf Management University Program.

PGA of America

The PGA of America is one of the world's largest sports organizations, composed of PGA of America Golf Professionals who work daily to grow interest and participation in the game of golf.

PGA TOUR University

Introduced in 2020, PGA TOUR University identifies the best seniors in college golf and elevates their path to the PGA TOUR. The Velocity Global Ranking ranks players based on the last two years of their collegiate careers, and the top-20 finishers in PGA TOUR University earn access to the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR Canada or PGA TOUR Latinoamérica. Through the 2022 season, PGA TOUR University alumni have won eight professional events, and four alumni earned their PGA TOUR cards for the 2022-23 season.

PGA TOUR University presented by Velocity Global will be featured on GOLF Channel each Wednesday on Golf Today and within weekly live tournament coverage, as well as across GOLF Channel and PGA TOUR digital platforms throughout the season. For more information, visit pgatour.com/university and follow PGA TOUR University on Twitter and Instagram (@PGATOURU).

• October 5, 2022 | No. 1 player in PGA TOUR University to receive sponsor exemption into Dubai Desert Classic
• September 6, 2022 | Alumni On TOUR: Eckroat earns PGA TOUR card, Goodwin wins again in Canada
• August 29, 2022 | PGA TOUR University announces performance benefits for Class of 2023
• August 22, 2022 | Alumni On TOUR: Parker Coody wins big in Canada
• August 15, 2022 | First three PGA TOUR University alumni earn PGA TOUR cards
• August 1, 2022 | Alumni On TOUR: Noah Goodwin records dominant win in Canada
• July 27, 2022 | Florida’s Fred Biondi tops pre-season PGA TOUR University Velocity Global Ranking
• July 5, 2022 | Alumni On TOUR: Davis Thompson is #TOURBound
• June 26, 2022 | Pierceson Coody earns first Korn Ferry Tour title at the Live and Work in Maine Open
• June 21, 2022 | Arizona's Trevor Werbylo fulfills childhood dream, punches ticket to PGA TOUR
• May 30, 2022 |  Pierceson Coody finishes No. 1 in PGA TOUR University Class of 2022
• November 23, 2022 | No. 1 player earns exemption into Dubai Desert Classic

GOLF Channel Broadcast Schedule

• Oct. 3-5, 2022 | Blessings Collegiate Invitational
• Oct. 10-12, 2022 | Jackson T. Stephens Cup
• Oct. 24-26, 2022 | East Lake Cup
• Jan. 30 - Feb. 1, 2023 | Southwestern Invitational
• April 10-12, 2023 | Western Intercollegiate
• May 29-31 | NCAA Championship

PGA TOUR University Ranking

Powered by WAGR

As of Sep 11, 2024 | Week 36

Complete Ranking

How To Become A Professional Golfer: Everything You Need to Know

If you’re an avid golfer that on occasion has shot par or 2-3 under, you’ve probably had the thought run through your head of turning pro. Images of sinking that 15 footer on the 18th, the crowd cheering, and of course that nice big paycheck are alluring.

But is turning pro really a viable option? And if so, what steps do you need to take to turn your golfing dream into a reality?

Having had a successful career coaching and managing professional athletes, I can tell you that your dream of becoming a PGA Tour pro can become a reality. If you dream big and put in the hard work, then anything is possible; One day, you could even be teeing it up with Phil or Tiger .

So let’s take an in-depth look at what it takes to be a professional golfer. I’ll take you through practice routines, registration procedures, time management, various pathways, and more in this comprehensive guide to becoming one of the best golfers in the world , or who knows, maybe the best.

5 Simple Steps to Get you Started

To start this guide, I’m going to run through five simple steps that will get you one step closer to becoming a PGA Tour pro. The information in these steps will be concise and, more importantly, actionable. Later in the guide, I will elaborate on each step in much greater detail.

The first step is pretty obvious, but it’s probably the most important of the five steps, and that’s to start playing golf as early as you can. The earlier you begin, the greater head start you have on your competitors.

A rule in high-performance sports suggests that more than 10,000 hours are needed to give yourself the best chance of success. Great your thinking; I’ll rack up 10,000 hours and be on my way to the Tour. But it’s not that easy, and if it were, everyone would be doing it.

Starting at an early age is one of the best indicators of success, but it doesn’t mean that you cannot pick up the game later and still become a PGA Tour pro. Remember, everyone has their own unique circumstances, which go a long way to determining success.

Golf is a game of different facets and requires you to attain a high level of competency across several varying skill sets. One of the biggest mistakes junior, amateur, and aspiring pros make is neglecting one or more areas of their game.

Developing a consistent training program that incorporates all areas of the game is critical to your success.

Aspec ts such as:

• Bunker play and
• Putting are just some of the areas you need to give equal and ample time to improve.

Acquiring a coach who can develop a plan will be paramount if you’re to achieve your goal of teeing it up on Tour. Neglecting areas of your game will only lead to trouble later on down the line.

Identify weaknesses in your game that need improving and embrace the challenge; Golf is not a game of how good your best shots are; it’s a game of how good your worst shots are.

This next step might only apply to those living in the United States, but still, it’s a critical phase. It can mean the difference between being a top amateur or a PGA Tour pro.

Playing golf in college is an excellent pathway to the pro tour, and it exposes young golfers to some of the biggest tournaments on the most challenging courses in the US. National tournaments, such as the USGA Amateur Public Links and the USGA Amateur Championship, are played on iconic courses like the Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina.

Playing these courses in tournament conditions and competing against the best amateurs worldwide prepares young golfers for the road ahead. Quite frankly, it separates the best from the rest.

Ok, so you’ve made it through the first three steps, and now it’s time to head to qualifying school or what we affectionately refer to as “Q school.”

Qualifying school is one of the most brutal challenges in all of sports. Unlike tennis, where no qualification or test is needed, golf requires aspiring pros to endure four days of the most gut-wrenching and stressful environments known to sport.

But it’s not only four days; once you’ve passed the first stage, you’ve got three more waiting. There are 1000s of top amateur players all vying for the top 25 spots, which grant full access to the PGA Tour. Each country’s national governing body will have its own schedule and requirements, so be sure you tick all boxes before registering.

You went to Q school, played well, fought like tooth and nail but just missed a spot at joining the PGA Tour; where to from here?

One thing is certain; you can’t give up. The soundest thing to do is reevaluate your plan and keep playing tournaments. The more often you put yourself in tournament situations, the more you’ll become accustomed to the stress and expectations of tournament golf .

There are several minor tours on every continent where golfers hone their physical and mental skills in the pursuit of teeing it on the main tour. Tours like the Korn Ferry Tour in the US allow golfers to compete and earn the right for a spot.

Players like John Daly, Bubba Watson, and Zach Johnson have all come through this challenging pathway, and many more up-and-coming champions like them are on their way.

Fundamental Aspects of Turning Pro

National Governing Bodies field 100s of emails and phone calls a day. One frequently asked question is, ” how do I become a pro golfer? Basically, there are two direct pathways you can take to turn your professional golf dream into a reality.

• Attain your tour card by earning a spot through the Qualifying School or
• Undertake the PGA Trainee Program

An exceptional level of playing ability is required whether you decide to head to Q-School or participate in the PGA Trainee Program. Both pathways are challenging, and a substantial life commitment is needed; however, the reward is being able to call yourself a PGA Pro.

Ever heard the saying “experience is everything,” well, this old adage rings true in golf and plays a critical role in determining whether you make it.

When you consider that your average touring pro with full status on tour might play between 25-30 tournaments per season, you can quickly gauge how vital tournament experience is. It can’t be over-emphasized enough, and even for someone who loves golf, that’s a lot of golf to play.

Regular week in the life of a PGA Tour pro:

• Monday: Recovery, travel, and light practice
• Tuesday: A full round of on-course practice
• Wednesday : Pro-Am plus another practice round
• Thursday : 1st round
• Friday: 2nd round
• Saturday: 3rd round
• Sunday : Final round
• Repeat 30 times

So you can see, hypothetically, if a player made every cut, which is very doubtful, there’s the potential to play close to 100 rounds. Now, if you factor in the practice rounds, you could bump the figure closer to 150 rounds in the season; I don’t care who you are; that’s a lot of golf.

And remember, we’re talking about playing golf under tournament conditions with your livelihood on the line week in week. Miss the cut, and you go home empty-handed.

As an aspiring golfer, it’s essential you enter as many tournaments as possible to give yourself the best chance of turning pro. As a matter of fact, I would say in my experience that sufficient tournament play is one of the most integral factors in improving your golf game. Even with an average golf IQ, your game will improve just by being exposed to the high level and the stresses of tournament play.

The best golfers can bounce back from disappointment quickly, pack up, hit the road, and do it all again on an entirely new course with different playing conditions. The touring pro’s ability to plan and then execute week in week out is what truly makes them great.

Trust me, traveling the world playing professional sport is a dream, but living out of airports and hotels can take its toll after a while, especially if you’re missing the cut. So play as many tournaments as you can to accustom your mind and body to the rigors of playing professional golf.

Practice With Intent

As a professional coach with over 20 years of experience, the one question I get asked the most is, “how much do I need to practice.? I’ve heard a lot of interesting answers to that question, but Sir Nick Faldo summed it up best by saying “if that’s a question you need to ask, you’ll never make it.”

The amounts of practice required vary from player to player, with each having their own plans, thoughts, and philosophies on how they go about achieving success.

Here is what a practice week might look like:

• Putting:  6-8 hours
• Practice Rounds : 10-12 hours
• Short Game: 8-10 hours
• Long Game: 8-10 hours
• Fitness, strength, cardio 4-6 hours

That’s between 40-45 hours a week, which is more than a typical salaried position. When you factor in battling the harsh elements of the weather and the physical and mental stress that goes with it, you can see the commitment needed to make your dream a reality.

But I’m not talking about any old practice session; Chatting with mates for hours while hitting a few shots now and then will not cut it. Aspiring golfers and athletes of any sport need to understand there’s a clear distinction between “practice” and “deliberate practice.”

Deliberate practice or practicing with intent is not easy, and it’s one of the primary reasons many top amateur golfers fail to jump to the pro ranks. Planning each session with precision, setting goals, staying focused, and evaluating your training are all aspects of deliberate practice. Sticking to your pre-shot routine, picking target lines, and seeing the shot are all non-negotiables.

Intrinsic motivation is paramount to your practice session, and enjoying the process no matter how challenging is key to a successful outcome. Great coaches know that Task-Focused players practice harder and are more successful than players who are extrinsically motivated by prizemoney or fame.

The Importance of Coaching

Let’s face it; if you’re going to give yourself the best opportunity to become a successful pro, you will need the help of an experienced coach. For the one percent of self-taught golfers, 99 percent of others need the guidance and tuition of an experienced and qualified coach.

I’ve repeatedly seen it with self-taught players who lack the ability to critically evaluate their game due to “cognitive bias.” It’s a known phenomenon in sports that most professionals drastically overestimate their own skills, which ends up hindering their ability to evaluate and plan. Whether it’s tennis, cycling, or golf, the best players have a coach or a team of people around them they can trust.

Along with tournament experience, coaching is the number one way to supercharge your development as a golfer. Qualified and experienced coaches can help you plan and avoid the pitfalls that are inevitably waiting. Finding a coach you can trust is vital as they’ll be taking significant responsibility for the outcome of your career.

Golf is already a challenging game, and making it more complex by not employing the expertise of a coach is only going to make it tougher. Having sound technique across every shot is a complex process, and hiring a coach who understands your game inside out will pay big dividends later on. A good coach knows what motivates you and understands every little quirk regarding your physical and mental strengths and weaknesses.

How often do you receive coaching? Does your coach watch your tournament play? These are two crucial questions to ask. Golf is a peculiar sport because most coaches don’t watch their students out on the course. Do you think a football coach would coach all week then just wish the players good luck on game day? I highly doubt it, or at least if he did, he probably wouldn’t last too long.

The Importance of Time Management

Learning what many governing golf bodies and academies call your “Golf Age” is critical for establishing a solid foundational starting point.

If you look at the number of hours I stated earlier, many golfers don’t even come to close to 10 years experience, with most only averaging a golfing age of about two years. That’s less than two years of “deliberate practice.” So although an aspiring golfer might have a very low handicap, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve put in enough work to make the jump to touring pro.

This translates into good and not-so-good news.

• The Good: Now that you’ve hired a coach and are receiving expert instruction, you should see quick improvements in all areas of your game
• The not-so-good: You’ve got another eight years of spending 40 hours a week out in the sun, wind, and rain trying to turn your dream into a reality.

Remember what I discussed early on regarding practice and its importance to success. The major caveat here is that the practice needs to be deliberate; it’s not just clocking the hours and thinking you will make it. Tiger Woods, for example, won his first major at 21 years of age, but when you consider he was practicing with intent from the age of two, it’s fair to say he put in the hours.

Everyone is different, and some players can fast track their journey from amateur to pro in a much shorter time.

The Final Hole

There’s no way around it; to become a professional golfer, you need to put in the work and commit yourself to hours a week pursuing your dream.

Are you cut out for it? Are you willing to sacrifice late nights?

• Enter stroke play tournaments
• Commit to deliberate practice for 40 hours every week
• Receive coaching
• Be consistent and commit to the plan laid out no matter the challenges you face?

If you answered yes to these questions, then follow your dreams and start your journey to become not only a professional golfer but one of the greats of all time.

Brenton is an Australian with 20 years of experience working with professional athletes. These athletes have combined to win more than ten international events. He holds a Degree in Sports Coaching and was the former Head Advisor to the Japanese Government Sports Institute. He was the former Manager & Head Coach to Tennis Australia and was a Dunlop International Advisory Board member for eight years. His expertise is in Goal Setting, Health & Nutrition, Internal and External Motivation, Technical Analysis, and Program Design and Delivery. Brenton currently consults with several professional athletes and clients from varying backgrounds and sports.

Related Posts

How to hit specialty shots: stinger, belly-wedge, fairway-finder, hooks, slices, the long drive & the flop-shot, a to z of golf terms: a complete glossary of golf jargon, pro advice: what golf ball should i use all you need to know, how many dimples are on a golf ball, leave a reply cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

How to Become a Professional Golfer

The term “golf pro” gets thrown around loosely these days.

In reality, you could decide to enter a tournament tomorrow as a professional, even if you don’t have any degree or playing experience. I would argue that a lot of high level amateurs could even beat a lot of “pros” on any given day.

But there is a big difference between a PGA Tour pro, a mini tour pro, a club pro, and a teaching instructor.

When it comes to being a professional in golf, you might be thinking,

• “Is it hard to become a golf pro?”
• “What are the different types of golf pros?”
• “What degree do you need to be a golf pro?”

Or, you might even wonder, “Is it too late to become a pro golfer?”

By the end of this post, you will understand what it takes to make it as a pro and more about working in the golf industry.

Understanding the Types of Golf Pros

Let’s start by breaking down the types of golf professionals. In general, there are:

• Teaching Pros
• Mini Tour Pros
• Non PGA Tour Professionals
• PGA Tour Professionals

Head Professional

Every golf club, private or public, has a head golf professional. These individuals run the operations of the golf course, manage employees (like the greenkeeping staff) and make sure things run smoothly. Some are even involved in course design .

Here is the process to becoming a golf professional.

Step 1: Become an Associate Pro

Before going straight from avid golfer to golf pro, you have to work your way up. The first step in the process is to complete the PGM Associate Program.

To become a member, everyone must:

• Pass a background check.
• Pass a written, qualifying test.
• Employed in an eligible position.
• Make it through the player ability test (PAT).

The written test is an overview of the game and requires a good amount of studying. It covers things like the rules of golf, history, and more. While the PGM also requires you to be employed in an eligible position (not necessarily in the golf industry). Examples include tournament director, hospitality, marketing, etc.

The hardest part of this process is the player ability test. The PAT is a 36-hole playing test where all your skills are tested in a one-day marathon of golf.

According to the PGA , “In order to pass the 36-hole PAT, you must achieve a 36-hole score within 15 shots of the course rating. For example, if the course rating is 72, the target score for the 36 holes would be 159 (72 x 2 – 144 +15 – 159).”

Less than 20% pass this test as nerves are high and let’s get real, it’s golf! Anything can happen.

Step 2: Climb the Ranks

After you become an assistant golf professional, then you can work your way up to head golf pro. There are more formal tests required and of course, golf clubs want you to gain experience for a few years as well.

Then, it comes down to finding the right gig, applying, nailing the interview process, and taking the reins as the head pro. From there, you can play in professional events, qualifiers, and even teach as well.

Teaching Professional

The next type of professional is known as a teaching pro. This may or may not be the same person at your local golf club. Some work full-time in the clubhouse, setting up tournaments, helping members, etc. and still teach too.

While other golf courses will have two different pros. One for the running of the club and one for the teaching side of the game.

A teaching professional has to go through the same process listed above. Additionally, they need to register for an apprentice position on the PGA website.

Then, they have to work through three levels in the PGA program and gain work experience as well. This can be earned through a college degree and working under a PGA professional.

Obviously, you also have to have a strong desire to help other golfers improve their game too. Being a teaching pro is much different from the operation side of things as you have to find clients, build relationships, and help them get results.

Also, just because you’re a head pro or teaching pro doesn’t necessarily mean you’re an elite player. Sure, you have to pass some playing tests and you won’t likely be a hack, but that doesn’t mean you can break par any given round.

While some pros definitely have a ton of game, a lot of them are solid players but don’t get out on the course a ton. Sadly, a lot of guys are so busy working and teaching, they don’t get much time to work on their own game. Or, they’re so “golfed out” that they don’t feel like hanging around their workplace much more than they need to.

Mini Tour Golfers

The next type of golf professionals are known as mini-tour players. Being a mini tour pro doesn’t require any degree, apprenticeship, or formal training. Instead, all you have to do is have a low handicap and register for an event near you.

Mini tours aren’t in every part of the country and tend to be in major cities to attract more golfers. Some of the places include:

• North Dakota

Depending on the tour, sometimes amateurs are allowed to compete and instead of winning money, they get credit or gift cards. If you’re an amateur golfer who wants to make it to the big leagues, mini tours are a great way to gain experience.

Professional Golfers

The next step up from the mini tours are professional golfers who compete on tours below the PGA Tour. These events are much larger than mini tour events and offer much bigger payouts as well.

Some examples include the Mackenzie Tour, PGA Tour China, Latin American Tour, and the Korn Ferry Tour.

PGA Tour Golfers

The final set of pros are professional golfers who competed on golf’s biggest stage, the PGA Tour. The best male competitors in the world compete on the PGA Tour. It’s the coverage that most watch each weekend and is the most elite players on the planet.

Did you know that the PGA Tour only has 125 full-time players each year?

That’s right, of all the thousands of highly qualified golfers, only 125 have full-time playing privileges on the PGA Tour. While only 125 have full-time playing privileges, there are hundreds more that compete based on past exemptions and sponsor exemptions too. On the flip side of that, usually the top 60 will qualify for golf’s major tournaments .

Make sure to read about Pro-Am golf tournaments .

For example, a player might lose his PGA Tour card one year but still have part-time privileges based on past exemptions. Or, a player could get a sponsor’s exemption to compete as well in certain events too.

How to Become a PGA Tour Player

Now that you have a better understanding of the different types of pros, let’s go through the process of becoming a PGA Tour professional. For so many players, this is the ultimate dream come true. It’s why so many players grind for years and in many cases, decades to make it on the biggest stage in the world.

But I’ll be the first to say, it’s not an easy path… far from it.

I know because I quit my corporate job in 2017 at 29 years old to chase the pro golf dream. I knew I was late to the party at nearly 30 years old, but I figured my dreams were worth a shot.

In the past few years, I’ve learned so much about the process and want to share the exact steps that it takes. Similar to becoming an elite player in any sport like basketball, baseball or football, there are only so many spots available.

For example, in the NFL, there are only 32 quarterback positions. With golf, there are only 125 spots that thousands of players want.

While the rest of the highly skilled players compete on smaller tours like the PGA Latin America, Canadian Tour, and Korn Ferry Tour.

Here is the step-by-step process to go from amateur golfer to PGA Tour player.

Step 1: Get Really Good

You might be thinking, duh, of course. But seriously, the more my game improves, the more I realize how far it is from PGA Tour form.

Here’s the thing, golf is wildly competitive and people are starting this game younger and younger. It’s up to you to have the discipline to find a coach, work endlessly on all parts of your game, avoid injuries, and not burn out. As you will see, this is easier said than done.

Step 2: Compete in Amateur Events

Once your game feels solid in friendly competition , it’s time to register for a formal amateur tournament . For example, in Arizona, I regularly compete through the Arizona Golf Association. Each state has something like this and makes it easy for golfers who want formal competitions to compete.

Each tournament is slightly different from the others. The venues change frequently, total cost varies, total number of days, and some have cuts as well. You want to confirm this before enrolling in every tournament.

Aside from local amateur tournaments, you can also join USGA events. These include tournaments such as the US Open, US Amateur, US Mid-Am, and US 4-Ball among others.

These tournaments bring the best players in the world together to compete at a national level. While some players are exempt from qualifying, most golfers need to go through local qualifying to make it to these prestigious tournaments.

For example, if you want to compete in the US Amateur, you need to compete in a local qualifier first. These are 36 hole events where only 2-4 (or so) players move on to the big event out of a field of 100 guys.

Once you get to the US AM, then there is a stroke play 36 hole event with a cut. After that, the match play portion begins. It’s quite a process, kind of like becoming a pro.

Amateur Golf 101

This is a brief overview of the process of registering and competing in amateur golf events. For most golfers, this is where most of them stay. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Tons of golfers from their teens to 60+ compete in amateur golf events their entire life. Formal events are a great way to test your skills, meet new people, play against great golfers, and compete at fun courses.

I’ve played in hundreds of days of amateur tournaments the past few years and can say it’s one of the best experiences out there. If you love the game and want to keep getting better, enroll in some local events to see how your game holds up in competition.

Unless you have a strong desire to become a professional, going from amateur to professional isn’t usually worth it. The tournament costs soar, the competition is even more difficult, and you can’t compete in amateur events as a pro.

Step 3: Give Up Your Amateur Status and Go Pro

If you made it to step three, you clearly want to make golf your career. If and when you consistently excel at amateur golf events, the next step is turning pro.

This is the step where most people get confused. Unlike other sports, there is no formal process to becoming a professional, as you aren’t drafted by a team.

You simply decide that you will compete as a professional golfer in events instead of an amateur. Unless you’re Tiger Woods at his “Hello World” press conference, it’s nothing crazy.

Instead, you find a professional event and register. As I mentioned, mini tour events are much more expensive than amateur events because they pay out players. This is another stage where a lot of guys get stuck as the competition increases drastically and making a profit isn’t easy.

Step 4: Go to Q-School

As you build your professional golf resume in the mini tours, the next step is to go to Q-school. In the past, the journey to the PGA Tour was much different from what it is today.

Now, to get to the PGA Tour, you have to first go through the Korn Ferry Tour. But in the past, you could register for Q-school, grind out six days of tournament golf (yes, six days), and could make it to the big leagues.

But as golf became more popular and competitive, so they had to adjust the process. Now, golfers must go to Q-school to earn a spot on the Korn Ferry Tour.

The Q-school process is quite a grind, too. It’s made up of four stages over the course of four months. That’s right, four months! I have some personal experience here as well and would love to share how it works…

Pre-Qualifying

The first step for most golfers is to go through the pre-qualifying stage. You can register as a professional or even compete as an amateur (although registration is the same price). In 2019, I registered as an amateur because I wanted to see how my game stacked up.

All you do is find a location that you want to compete in and enter your credit card information. It costs between $2,500 – $3,000 just for the event, not to mention travel and airfare costs.

Pre-qualifying is a 3-day, no cut event. Each venue selects a certain number of players and ties to move on to the first stage based on total size of the field.

For me, I registered for a site in Nebraska as the course looked fun and I wanted an adventure. The course was brutal; 7,000+ yards, high humidity, thick rough, and greens that rolled a 12 on the stimpmeter. After shooting 71-73-75, I ended up missing the first stage by two shots.

While I was disappointed, I can say it was one of the best experiences of my life. It taught me a ton about my game and learned how to play under pressure. But I also learned what a grind it was for so many and could see why so many guys burn out over time.

If you move on to the next stage, the process is very similar and happens in late September or early October. Register and pay for the first stage, which is also a 3-day, no cut competition. Expect competition to be even more competitive here!

If you move on to the second stage in late October or November, well done. There are only 3-5 sites for the second stage in the country and if you make it through, you get to finals.

Final Stage

Finally, in November or December each year, it’s the finals. This is a 4-day, no cut event where golfers grind it out. The goal is to finish in the top 25 spots to secure their spot on the Korn Ferry Tour.

If you finish 26-50, not all is lost though. You still get conditional status, which means you can play in a select number of events.

All in all, it’s a long process just to make it to the Korn Ferry Tour, let alone the PGA Tour.

Alternate Route

The Korn Ferry Tour is just below the PGA Tour and a lot of guys go back and forth. But if a player isn’t ready for the Korn Ferry Tour, they can go another route. This option is usually better than grinding it out on mini tours.

The alternate route is competing on another high level tour like the Mackenzie Tour (Canada), Forme Tour, PGA Tour China, or the PGA Tour Latino America.

A final alternate route is the Monday Qualifiers. You can check out a deep dive of Monday qualifiers here .

Step 5: Compete on the Korn Ferry Tour

Once you make it to the Korn Ferry Tour, then you need to compete and travel a lot. The goal is simple: make it to the finals and finish in the top 25 . If you do, you become one of the lucky guys to advance to the PGA Tour. If you finish between 25-50, you still get conditional status and will get a chance to make your PGA Tour debut as well.

Step 6: Become a PGA Tour Player

After you finish in the top 25 in the Korn Ferry Tour finals, you get your elusive PGA Tour card. For every player, this is one of the most important days of their lives. It’s the culmination of blood, sweat, tears, and sacrifice to chase a goal.

Step 7: Stay on the PGA Tour

Getting to the PGA Tour is wildly impressive and requires more grit and determination than most people realize. But just because you become one of the lucky 125 players, doesn’t mean you get to stay there. You still need to play great golf and compete against the best players in the world, or you risk losing your card.

Some players last years, while others make it once and never make it back to the big stage. The truth is, high-level golf is a grind. The travel schedule is rigorous, the courses are super challenging, and let’s not forget, it’s golf.

Even for the best golfers in the world, the sport is extremely unpredictable. So many talented guys lose their cards because of too many missed cuts, injuries, and loss of confidence.

Winning an event really helps you stay in the picture. Each tournament comes with a big check, but the best part is the security from winning. For example, if you win an event like the Players Championship, you get:

• Five-year exemption on the PGA Tour.
• Three-year invite to play the Masters at Augusta.
• Three-year exemption to play in the Open Championship and PGA Championship.

But other guys make a comfortable living without winning often. A great example is Charles Howell III, who has only won three times but made a staggering 38 million dollars! Thanks to consistent top 10 finishes, he’s secured his future on the tour without winning regularly.

Final Thoughts

The road to the PGA Tour isn’t easy, but it’s a dream worth chasing if you love golf. Sadly, most players who go after this goal, never make it to the big stage.

My biggest piece of advice if you want to work in golf or chase the dream is to make sure you always love the game.

College golf burnt me out and I took six years off the sport that dominated my early life. But I fell back in love with it and have now played golf more than I could ever imagine.

Just remember, it’s a sport and should always be fun above all else. But if you love it like I do, then it might be worth pursuing a golf career or working your way up to compete with the best guys in the world.

Michael Leonard

Michael is an avid golfer of 25 years who played in high school, college, and now competes in Arizona amateur events. He is a full-time writer, podcast host of Wicked Smart Golf, and mental golf coach.

• Mercer Baggs ,

• Brentley Romine ,

• Nate Ryan ,

Trending Teams

The reality of turning pro: diving into professional golf.

• Brentley Romine

Every kid who has ever held a putter in his or her hands has dreamed of holing a putt to win the Masters, or the U.S. Women’s Open, or the Ryder Cup. It’s not likely that anyone has imagined making that 10-footer to put gas in their car, or fund their next tournament, or even keep their career alive.

The life of an elite professional, sure, it may be glamorous and all, but the journey to get there is usually anything but. Instead of luxury resorts, private jets and courtesy cars, think budget hotels, interstate highways and thousand-dollar entry fees.

That’s why, when speaking candidly, a veteran of the industry offered this advice to players looking to chart a path to professional golf stardom: “You don’t want to do this.”

The reality is, however, that many do. Each year, hundreds of aspiring tour pros dive into the play-for-pay ranks, still buoyed by the vision of someday sinking that big putt or cashing that life-changing check. A select few are destined for the fast track (see: Collin Morikawa and Patty Tavatanakit) while the rest prepare for the grind, ready to relish a road filled with obstacles and detours but also, hopefully, some good breaks and a little luck.

Not everyone will make it – in fact, the majority won’t – but as poet Emily Dickinson once wrote: The possible’s slow fuse is lit by the imagination.

“Once you set your mind to something, you want to accomplish that something,” said Joshua Sedeno, an Alabama alum who turned pro in 2019 and has status on PGA Tour Latinoamerica, “and for me, when I picked golf, the PGA Tour was the end goal.”

Added Ana Belac, a three-time All-American at Duke who graduated last year and now plays on the LPGA: “There are times where you’re like, ‘Why am I doing this?’ But then you remember you’re living your childhood dream.”

And to fully realize that dream? There is no secret code, no foolproof plan. It takes hard work, discipline, lots of birdies (and money) – and even then, there are no guarantees.

So, dive in headfirst, swim hard and pray you don’t sink.

MAKING THE CALL

When it came time to become a professional golfer, Philip Barbaree was ready. He was a standout junior, setting the AJGA’s 72-hole scoring record and earning the circuit’s Rolex Player of the Year in 2015 while also capturing the 2015 U.S. Junior Amateur with a record-setting comeback. At LSU, he didn’t win, but he posted eight top-5 finishes in 44 career starts and finished with a 72.27 career scoring average, fourth best in program history.

“Ideally, before you turn pro, you want to win at every stage,” said Barbaree, who turned pro midway through his fifth season with the Tigers last winter. “Even though I didn’t really live up to my potential in college, I still felt like I had what it takes in the tank.”

Professional golf is different from most other major sports in that it doesn’t hold a draft. There are no executives scrutinizing prospects’ statistics and other measurables. So, for players who didn’t win at the prolific rate of Jon Rahm and Leona Maguire or who don’t swing it as fast as Matthew Wolff and Maria Fassi, they’re not reliant on a pick to play the PGA Tour or LPGA; it’s up to them, and only them, to earn their spot.

Still, it’s important that players make educated decisions when choosing golf as a career. That includes asking themselves the tough questions:

Why do I want to turn pro, and when?

How am I going to get to the PGA Tour or LPGA, and how long am I going to try?

How am I going to get better, and make money?

What do I have in common with the best players in the world?

Recent history tells us that, most often, the more decorated the college player, the better chance of securing one of those coveted jobs. It’s why the underdogs, when they succeed, are so celebrated. Of the top 200 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, 58 of them turned professional in 2013 or later (after the shuttering of PGA Tour Q-School) and played at least one year of college golf. That group includes 57 Division I players, 42 of whom played for a Power 5 school, and 41 All-Americans, including 21 first-team selections. (Eight of those first-teamers are currently among the top 18 in the world.)

If you were a first-team All-American in the past 10 years, you’ve averaged $4,058,862 over 42.63 PGA Tour starts with 10 players over the $100,000-per-start mark. That far outpaces third-team honorees, who averaged $1,225,844.57 over 18.91 events with just one player (Xander Schauffele) making six-figures per start.

The women’s side is unique in that most elite talents skip college altogether – all but five of the top 25 players in the Rolex Rankings, to be exact. But looking at All-Americans from the past 10 years, 31 first-teamers had LPGA cards this past season compared to just seven honorable mentions. And since 2004-05, 29 first-team All-Americans have earned at least $1 million in career earnings compared to just one honorable mention (Caroline Masson).

“When agents are looking at players, just like equipment companies, for the most part they’re looking at All-Americans and winning or competing at a high level,” said one agent with over 15 years of experience working with PGA Tour players. “Very rarely can you find a PGA Tour player who’s been out there for a while who wasn’t an All-American. There’s always a diamond in rough, but the majority of first-team All-Americans have better success than even the honorable mentions.”

While there are other intangibles – toughness, competitiveness, the ability to handle pressure and adversity – nothing replaces knowing how to win. In the past 10 years, there have been 126 different former college players who have won on the PGA Tour – 99 of them captured at least one college title. That’s why Phil Mickelson decided to return to school after winning the PGA Tour’s Tucson Open as an amateur. He wanted to keep beating the guys he was going to be competing against in the future and as a pro be able to look them in the eyes on a Sunday and know that he beat them for four years in college.

Aspiring pros need to have that kind of perspective to know when – and if – they’re ready, or at least have people in their inner circle who do.

“You need good people in your corner,” said Wilson Furr, a first-team All-SEC selection for Alabama last season who signed with Mac Barnhardt’s Sea Island-based Rock Sports Group and inked deals with Srixon/Cleveland Golf, BankPlus and Mississippi Bank. “You don’t need yes-men, which I think is a big problem in golf. You need people who are going to tell you the truth about a) the state of your game, and b) what you have to do if you’re gonna move up and play on the PGA Tour. … This game is pretty humbling, but if you have people giving you that information before it kicks you in the face, I think that’s very helpful.”

Furr relocated to Birmingham, Alabama, after college. He could’ve moved back to Jackson, Mississippi, and in with his parents, like many young pros do to save money, but he couldn’t pass up a free membership at Shoal Creek Country Club, which welcomes pros from in-state colleges at no cost.

Other players will stay close to where they graduated, especially if they can take advantage of their school’s practice facilities. Chandler Phillips, a former first-team All-American at Texas A&M, originally moved to The Woodlands, Texas, with teammate Cameron Champ, but after Champ got engaged, Phillips ventured back to College Station, where he rents a room from a buddy, who purchased the four-bedroom house solely for football season. Belac still lives in Durham, North Carolina, so she can frequently meet with Blue Devils coach Dan Brooks, who is her swing coach.

At the end of the day, it’s all about what makes a player most comfortable in an uncomfortable sport. Ben Griffin, an All-American at North Carolina who graduated in 2018, passed up a $30,000 equipment deal so that he could play his first season in Canada with familiar equipment. He finished eighth on the money list and got into the final stage of Q-School. He’s also since moved from Sea Island, Georgia, back to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to be in a cozier environment.

“I think too many people come out of college and when they hit the pros, they make too many changes assuming that they have to,” said JS Kang, president of Epoch Sports Group, who manages Lizette Salas, Mariah Stackhouse and Lindsey Weaver, among others. “The fewer the changes the better because it’s their skill that got them there, so why make all these changes?”

Players must weigh the pros and cons of everything before making the jump. That includes whether to sign an agent or not. While it may not sound attractive to have to pay out 20% of a $100,000 equipment deal, there are many benefits to having an agent that many players probably overlook.

Sure, agents can help secure sponsors, from equipment deals to corporate partnerships, and maybe a handful of exemptions out of the gates. But they also can serve as travel and booking agents, publicists and mentors. Most importantly, they just understand professional golf, at all levels, and the pitfalls and hurdles of trying to get to the top.

“These young kids and their families, quickly they get hit by a sledgehammer when they don’t have an agent walking them through the process,” another agent said. “It’s not always come out and get some PGA Tour sponsor exemptions like Rahm and then you’re rolling. How unlikely is that? The best agents always have a strategy, whether it’s scheduling or caddie or coach or living arrangements or whatever. The good agents know how to adapt on a consistent basis.

“There’s not just one road. If this doesn’t work, we pivot and go here. If that doesn’t work, we pivot and go there.”

CHARTING YOUR PATH

Professional golf is sport’s ultimate labyrinth.

“There are 20 different avenues you can take and a thousand different tournaments,” Sedeno says.

Want to play the PGA Tour? Unless you’re getting into events via sponsor exemptions or Monday qualifiers (and finishing well), you first need to get to the Korn Ferry Tour, which hands out 50 PGA Tour cards each season. How do you do that? Well, there are Monday qualifiers and, of course, Q-School, which consists of as many as four stages, depending on your status, and culminates with the low 40 finishers and ties earning guaranteed starts. There are also Q-Schools for PGA Tour Latinoamerica and PGA Tour Canada, which offer Korn Ferry Tour cards to their top earners.

You don’t have status on any of those tours? Try going to Europe, where you’ll need to either play Q-School or go through the Challenge Tour to get on the DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour.

If the LPGA is your target, there are three stages of Q-School, with second stage earning you at least Symetra Tour status. Europe has a similar structure with the Ladies European Tour and LET Access Series.

And then there are the mini-tours, state opens and pro-ams, which might not offer direct pathways up but provide players opportunities to pad their bankrolls to fund Q-Schools and Mondays.

Alejandro Tosti, a 25-year-old and 2018 Florida grad, captured four titles on the SwingThought Tour this year, finished in the top 4 in 14 of 18 starts and racked up $96,376.51 in prize money. Sam Stevens, who graduated from Oklahoma State in 2018, won $72,838.29 in nine events on the All Pro Tour last summer. They are very much the outliers, though. Exorbitant entry fees on the mini-tours make it easy to rack up debt if you’re not playing well.

“It’s almost like gambling on yourself,” Griffin said.

But for those without tour status, the mini-tours can be a necessity. With most Q-Schools taking place late in the year, players need to not only make money during the summer months but stay competitively sharp. When Alabama alum Kenzie Wright turned pro in early June, she didn’t have the ability to slot into an LPGA or Symetra schedule, so she entered the Texas Women’s State Open in Garland, Texas, and won by four shots, turning her $300 entry fee into $17,500. That funded her six-event schedule on the Women’s All Pro Tour, where she made $9,076.25. She advanced out of Stage I of LPGA Q-School and now has some Symetra status for next year.

“I’ll miss out on the first two events, but I should be good after that,” said Wright, who is hoping to do what Belac did last year: win the Symetra money list and earn her LPGA card.

Ana Pelaez, a second-team All-American last season at South Carolina, shot 5 over on the final day at Stage II to miss out on advancing to the two-week Q-Series, where the top 45 and ties will receive LPGA membership. She has Symetra status, but after moving in with her grandmother in Malaga, Spain, this summer, she decided to focus on the Ladies European Tour, playing three events on sponsor exemptions, including the season finale in her hometown, where she tied for 11 th and cashed 11,145 euros.

She is entered in LET Q-School, a two-stage, 162-hole marathon that begins Dec. 9 in Cartagena, Spain. The top 20 finishers and ties get full LET status for 2022.

“If I get my LET card, my mind and my heart are telling me to do LET for a year, experience life on tour and then go back to the U.S. and try Q-School again,” Pelaez said. “If I don’t, then I might go to Symetra and try to get into the top 10 and get my LPGA card.” (Nos. 11-30 in Symetra money are exempt into Q-Series.)

Alex del Rey, another Spaniard who graduated from Arizona State two summers ago, doesn’t have the option of playing European Tour Q-School, which was canceled for the second straight year because of the pandemic.

“It’s been a nightmare,” said del Rey, who will play on the Challenge Tour next year before trying Korn Ferry Tour Q-School.

Del Rey has been lucky, though. Through his agency, Hambric Sports, and the Spanish National Team, which sponsors about 20 Spanish pros, he was able to secure more than a dozen exemptions between the European and Challenge tours this year. It started in April, when he got a call two days before the week of the Austrian Open that he was being invited into the field. He ended up playing six of the next seven weeks on the European Tour, notching one top-10 and three other top-30s.

However, with the European Tour creating a safety net in June for its members who finish outside the top 110 in the Race to Dubai, del Rey, with no prospect of earning his European Tour card as a non-member, had to pivot. He secured his nine maximum exemptions on the Challenge Tour and earned more starts with three top-10s, including a T-10 at the Swiss Challenge, where he fired a second-round 58. He then got into the developmental tour’s final two limited-field events by finishing 56 th on the points list.

In 13 Challenge Tour starts, del Rey earned just 30,640 euros. The tour’s top earner netted 222,628.40 euros.

“People compare [the Challenge Tour] to Korn Ferry, but the money we make isn’t even close,” del Rey said. “It’s insane to watch – I’ve played with European Tour winners out there, guys who are 40 years old and still grinding, and I’m like, ‘How do you do it?’ You definitely don’t want to be out here for a long time because you can’t make a living out here.”

The same can be said of most developmental tours in the U.S., which is why many players are chasing Monday qualifiers on the PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour and LPGA. For players with limited status on those tours, it’s a chance to play well and re-shuffle into better status. Though he got his spot in the KFT’s Veritex Bank Championship last April via an exemption, Phillips turned a T-5 finish into 11 more starts.

“All you gotta do is get in one,” Phillips said.

For players without status, Mondays can be a way to earn enough non-member points to earn their cards. For example, on the PGA Tour, non-members can get full status for the following season by equaling the number of FedExCup points as No. 125 on that season’s points list. If a non-member earns the equivalent of No. 200 in FedExCup points, he qualifies for the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, where he’ll have three events to earn one of 25 PGA Tour cards.

“You always hear people talk about like, ‘Oh, those suck,’” Furr said of Monday qualifiers. “But the way I see it is you shoot 80 and you just get in your car and leave. Yeah, you lose the money, but it’s not like detrimental, and then if you win, you can change your life.”

Mickey DeMorat, who graduated from Liberty in 2018, made his pro debut at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock, where he tied for 56 th to earn $25,426, which funded a long stretch of Monday qualifiers. He estimated he played almost 30 of them between the PGA and Korn Ferry tours during his first year and a half as a pro – and he got through four of them, including the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship in 2019.

So, after playing 36 events on the Korn Ferry Tour during its recent super-season and losing his card, DeMorat knew what to do.

“I made sure that I was going to sign up for all the PGA Tour Mondays that I could play in,” said DeMorat, who teed it up in four this fall, including one in Cancun, Mexico.

In his final Monday of the year, DeMorat shot 63 to qualify for last month’s RSM Classic. Before the round, he had to buy a couple of sleeves of Titleist balls because he was running low. When he arrived at Sea Island the next day, he made sure to load up on free product, including stopping by the TaylorMade truck to repair his 9-iron, get his clubs re-gripped and pick up some gloves, hats, new wedges and a backup driver head. (Oh, the benefits of being a PGA Tour player for a week!)

He then opened the tournament with another 63 before finding himself on the cut line with three holes to play in Round 2.

“My mind was just racing,” DeMorat said. “If I miss the cut after shooting 63, I’m going to miss out on all this money and all the perks that come with making a cut in a Tour event.”

Luckily for DeMorat, he got up and down from a bunker on his final hole to get into the weekend on the number. He ended up tying for 47 th and earning $ 19,728, and he’ll be exempt for every PGA Tour pre-qualifier (the one before the Monday) for the rest of the season. Perhaps best of all, he received 9.25 non-member FedExCup points.

Only about 85 more to go for a ticket to KFT Finals.

WHAT IT COSTS

Furr looks at his professional golf career like a business.

“You’re starting a company,” Furr explained, “and so companies that start, they gotta buy stuff. It’s not your money, it’s your business’ money, and you spend it accordingly to how you’re gonna grow the business.”

For Furr, his company incurs a variety of expenses. While he doesn’t pay for a place to play and practice, he still has basic living costs such as rent, utilities, gas, food and other personal bills. He needs to budget for his swing coach and workout programs, which he gets sent about once a quarter. (Other pros will pay for trainers, physios and mental coaches.) And that’s all before you get to the litany of tournament-related expenses (i.e., entry fees, caddies, yardage books, practice rounds for mini-tour events, flights, hotels and rental cars), which Furr says can easily range from $50,000-$70,000 per year to play a full schedule of tournaments and qualifiers.

Tosti, from Argentina and modest means, says going from being funded as an amateur by his university and country’s national program to playing on essentially his own dime was a challenge.

“My parents were not able to support me, so it was really stressful in the beginning to play golf under a lot of pressure,” Tosti said. “It was something that I was not ready for.”

Tosti, though, has become a pro at Microsoft Excel, where he diligently keeps track of all of his tournament expenses. This year, Tosti played 32 tournaments and five one-day qualifiers. His total expenses for those events were just north of $70,000, with about $38,000 going toward entry fees and tour memberships. (That doesn’t include living expenses, though Tosti hasn’t paid rent since his lease expired in July; he’s spent most off weeks with friends, family and the occasional Airbnb.)

“You quickly start to realize how much each shot costs,” Tosti said. “Those missed shots can add up at the end of the year.”

Will Mansfield, a Washington alum who lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, breaks down yearly expenses for an international-tour member like this:

• $30,000 in living expenses ($2,500 per month)

• $12,000 for coaching ($250 per hour once a week)

• $24,000 to play a 12-event schedule in Canada or Latin America ($2,000 per event)

“That’s $66,000 right there,” Mansfield said. “But if you really want to make a run at it, play all the other tournaments you want to play, you’re looking at $80,000-$100,000 a year if you want to be set.”

Tours with larger schedules, such as the KFT and LPGA, can easily cost six-figures to play. Unlike on the mini-tours, where caddies are optional, loopers become mandatory on the upper circuits – and they’re not cheap. If you’re paying a caddie $200 per day and get to an event on Monday and make the cut, that’s $1,400 before factoring in a percentage of the winnings. Last season on KFT, DeMorat called in a friend to carry his bag for the final 15 events and scored a deal – only $100 per day, plus 5-, 7- and 10-percent cuts for making the cut, a top-10 and win, respectively.

It’s no surprise that del Rey carried his bag in every Challenge Tour event this year, or that Belac had her mother fly in from Slovenia two summers ago to loop for a few Symetra events.

“I bought her a pushcart so she wouldn’t have to carry,” said Belac, who paid out with nice dinners and trips to nail salons.

There are other ways to cut costs, mostly with travel. Many mini-tour players will drive to tournaments, which is what Wright did all summer. She and Arizona State grad Olivia Mehaffey carpooled to three WAPT events in Wright’s Chevrolet Equinox, and when they had to fly to Palm Springs, California, for Stage I of Q-School, they split an Airbnb and frequented Cheesecake Factory. Host housing is popular, too, especially on the LPGA.

Tosti scored a free room for the season opener of PGA Tour Latinoamerica in Buenos Aires, Argentina, staying with his friend’s brother, who lives on the fourth hole of Nordelta Golf Club. It was a huge relief, considering he’ll spend about $1,700 in airfare for the first two Latin events, the second being in Chile, before flying back to Florida on Jan. 18 for back-to-back KFT Monday qualifiers (he reached lifetime Platinum status for American Airlines earlier this year).

Sedeno got creative with his air travel to last month’s PGA Tour Latinoamerica Q-School in Mazatlán, Mexico. Instead of forking over $2,400 in flights for he and his caddie out of Phoenix, he saved about $800 by flying home to Sacramento for a few days and then down to Mazatlán through Tijuana.

“When you’re from a working-class family – my dad is a firefighter – you save wherever you can,” Sedeno said.

Lauren Stephenson, who has played on the LPGA ever since leaving Alabama midseason in early 2019, reduces her expenses by having her mother do her accounting for free. Stephenson is still mindful of what’s coming in and going out, though, and was stunned when she saw how much she had to pay in taxes on the $74,598 check for her T-12 at this year’s Evian Championship in France.

“I looked at the receipt and it was like $13,000,” Stephenson said. “That hurt.”

Sticker shock is a frequent occurrence in pro golf, especially at Q-School, where players shell out thousands per entry fee. Here’s a look at what certain tours charge for their qualifying tournaments:

• Korn Ferry Tour: $2,950 when starting at pre-qualifying (plus another $2,800 if you advance); $5,250 when starting at first stage; $4,750 when starting at second stage; $4,250 when starting at final stage.

• PGA Tour Latinoamerica: $2,000

• PGA Tour Canada: $2,500

• LPGA: $2,500 when starting at Stage I (plus another $3,000 if you advance); $4,000 when starting at Stage II (plus another $1,500 if you advance); $5,500 (or $2,500 for exempt members) when starting at Q-Series.

• Ladies European Tour: 1,275 euros for both stages.

The Monday qualifiers aren’t cheap, either. PGA and Korn Ferry tour Mondays can run anywhere from $500 for non-members, most of whom go through pre-qualifying ($250, plus the difference if you advance), to $100 for members. LPGA Mondays are $500 for non-members and $200 for members. And most of the time you’re adding practice rounds on top of that number, such as the time DeMorat played back-to-back KFT Mondays in South Florida two years ago and dished out $90 a pop.

But typically, the biggest per-tournament expense comes on the mini-tours – tours such as the APT, GPro, SwingThought, Florida Elite, Golden State, Outlaw and Dakotas, which hold multi-round events. While larger tours have more reasonable entry fees around $200 per event, it’s common for a mini-tour event to charge players $1,000 or more to enter. For example: the APT, which ran 13 events with at least $20,000 to each winner last season, charges $1,299 for non-members to enter and $895 for members, who had to pay the membership fee ($1,600 or $850 for recent college grads).

In most APT events, a top-35 will get players at least their entry fees back. Phillips was 15 th in money last season at $22,828.75 in six events. It’s not terrible money, but if you subtract the taxes, tournament fees, practice rounds and travel, you’re likely pocketing less than half that – and then you have your other bills to pay. That’s not sustainable for very long.

“I had four top-10s in a row in 60-player fields or more on a tour here in Arizona and made a $1,200 profit,” Sedeno said.

Of course, not every tour player (excluding those playing for flushed PGA Tour purses) makes money, either. A lot of them struggle just to break even. Here are some estimated breakeven numbers, based on most recent money lists, on various tours when considering costs just for that tour and travel (and those darn taxes):

• Korn Ferry Tour: 50 th for super-season ($213,237)

• PGA Tour Latinoamerica: 15 th ($22,798; eight-event season)

• PGA Tour Canada: 15 th (about $30,400)

• Challenge Tour: 30 th (55,802.30 euros)

• LPGA: 110 th ($106,847)

• Symetra: 25 th ($56,715)

• Ladies European Tour: 40 th (59,146.81 euros)

“This is not fun,” said Mike Dunphy, player development manager for Srixon/Cleveland Golf, who has been around the game for decades. “It’s fun when you make it, yeah, but this is about living inexpensively, carrying cash, sleeping hard and traveling hard, having to sacrifice for no guarantees of anything.”

FUNDING THE DREAM

As far as college resumes go, it doesn’t get much better than Natalie Srinivasan’s. The Furman product ended her four-year career two springs ago with three All-America honors and the 2020 Annika Award, given to the best player in Division I. Surely, she could count on some sponsorship dollars upon turning pro.

“Sponsors?” Srinivasan responded. “Yeah, my dad.”

Srinivasan, who has since turned some exemptions into full Symetra status for next year, still doesn’t have any paying sponsors, though she does get free equipment in Ping clubs and Titleist balls. Wright was able to secure a deal with Clubby Seltzers, but she still finds herself buying her clothes from PGA Tour Superstore and using her college clubs.

While more sponsors are starting to invest in the women’s game, the meaningful money is on the LPGA, and even still, the money lags well behind the men. The best two to three men’s college graduates each year are turning pro as millionaires, but the top women’s grads likely aren’t covering their expenses unless they are on the LPGA. If about 15 men are getting guaranteed equipment money over three-plus years (and another dozen are signing product deals with incentives) in each graduating class, it’s rare that even the nation’s best female will make five-figures on an equipment deal. In Srinivasan’s case, it was zero figures.

Belac and Stephenson, who are both represented by Sterling Sports, have been fortunate to accrue several sponsors since joining the LPGA, but for those still chasing the LPGA, they’ve been known to supplement their income with side jobs, including working at golf courses, serving as personal trainers or nutritionists, giving lessons, selling autographs or photos, and even selling makeup and skincare products.

Wright has earned some decent cash working for Backswing Golf Events, which connects female professional golfers with corporate and charity golf events across the country. She did her first event last month in Oklahoma, hitting drives for groups on a hole and trying to get them to donate. Backswing does more than 600 events per year, and Wright says the group chat is filled with pros.

“They definitely take care of the girls,” Wright said. “There are some girls who have played golf and now do it [Backswing] full-time.”

On the men’s side, sure, there are more developmental-tour players with sponsors, but that doesn’t mean they all have major endorsements. DeMorat didn’t sign his first deal until he reached the Korn Ferry Tour, when TaylorMade came to him with a contract. Sedeno has a few sponsors, including Troon Golf, but he’s recently had to do some part-time caddying for extra cash. He’s heard of other players who work as valet drivers, yoga instructors, food-delivery drivers, bar bouncers and even one who is a fishing-and-hunting guide. Mansfield, who has one sponsor (Orrion Farms, a horse breeder), has worked a couple of jobs and at one point started a GoFundMe to raise money.

“Guys will be picking balls so they can hit free range balls one week and then beating some of the best players in the world the next week,” DeMorat said.

Sedeno also earns money by playing in pro-ams, where pros can often make money without paying an entry fee. He has done 10 pro-ams in the past year, and he recently played one in Birmingham where a member, needing a pro partner, flew him in and covered his expenses, and he made a quick check. Stephenson still does a few pro-ams a year, including events put on by Golf Fore Africa, a nonprofit started by Hall of Famer Betsy King that raises money to provide drinking water to people in rural Africa.

Del Rey participates in a handful, as well, and said that between back-to-back Challenge Tour events in Spain last season, he heard of a bunch of Danish players who flew private to Denmark for a pro-am, got paid handsomely and flew right back.

And what about investors? They’re out there. It’s great if players can receive financial backing via donations, but in some cases, they are essentially selling shares of themselves. For example: One player sold 25 shares of himself to investors for $2,000 apiece to cover $50,000 of his yearly expenses. The only problem was that any prize money he got, he was paying back out.

“Golf is already hard enough,” Sedeno said, “but now you have shareholders to keep happy; that’s not a very fun feeling.”

Added Phillips: “I have some buddies who have some deals with people, but I ain’t getting into that. I have one buddy where he can’t even make any money; I don’t even know what percentage he gets to keep, and if you’re doing that and playing mini-tour events? You’re done.”

THE HOW – AND HOW LONG

Not that he didn’t love his parents and sisters, but Barbaree couldn’t wait to move to Dallas after a few months of living at home in Shreveport, Louisiana. Not only would he be able to get more direct flights and join Maridoe Golf Club, which boasts a large stable of tour pros, but he’d also have his own apartment, be independent and develop a better routine.

That’s the advice he got from his childhood friend, Sam Burns, a two-time PGA Tour winner and top-20 player in the world: Be structured with your time and have a set schedule that you religiously do, as specific as when you’re going to wake up in the morning.

“Whenever you’re in college, you basically have a schedule set for you and there are a lot of people telling you what to do,” Barbaree said. “Now, it’s up to you, and it’s easy without a set schedule or practice plan to go about your days and at the end of the day look back and ask yourself, ‘Did I really get anything done today?’ The best players in the world, they have a plan, and they stick to it, and it’s very, very detailed, and that’s what makes them the best. It’s no accident that they’re out there.”

Srinivasan understands. For almost a year, she struggled adjusting to post-college life. It didn’t help that she turned pro in the middle of a pandemic, but even responsibilities such as entering tournaments, booking travel and deciding when and how long to practice were initially challenging.

“It gives me anxiety just thinking about it,” Srinivasan said.

But by this past summer, the stress had lessened. She had grooved a nice routine for off-weeks, one that included set gym and practice time, plus long walks – or flights, as her brother and dad are pilots. Tournament weeks also got easier. She still had to get to events early to learn the courses, but she’s proud of herself for getting better at securing morning practice-round times via the Symetra’s Southwest Airlines-like reservation system.

Getting better is a common characteristic of successful pro golfers. In this play-for-pay world, it’s easy to get caught up in dollar signs. But while money is essential in the journey to the big-time, focusing on it can be a detriment.

“You have to have the mindset of just going out and enjoying the process,” DeMorat said. “I don’t think you can look at the guys who have made millions of dollars and think, oh, when I make it there that’s when I’ll feel like I did something.”

When Furr made his pro debut at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines after getting through sectional qualifying, he beat just one player. “Pretty much dead last,” he said. He quickly discovered that he was holding back with his driver and that he couldn’t aim his putter. He’s since gained 20 yards and started to string together better putting weeks, almost canning an eagle in a playoff to Monday-qualify for the Sanderson Farms Championship in September.

“Being on the PGA Tour is cool, but what’s cooler than that is staying out there, and the way you stay out there is you get really good at golf,” Furr said. “So, no matter where you are, if you’re really good at golf, you’ll play fine. Don’t worry about what tour you’re on or how much money you’re making, if you’re better at golf, then things are inevitable. If you’re not better at golf, it’s not going to happen.

“Don’t get caught up in your own narrative. This isn’t a story, just go play, and then let them write the story afterward.”

Many players won’t get a fairytale ending. They’ll try for years and years before they run out of money. Some will still hang on, fundraising harder or racking up debt, while others will realize that they can’t beat the best players in the world and hang it up.

The key for young pros is to play like they have nothing to fall back on, but they also need to be prepared to reassess their goals after a few years, when the sponsorship money dries up and they still don’t have a PGA Tour or LPGA card.

The statistics paint a clear picture: Tour pros are getting younger, and they’re leaving those who spend more than a few years in professional golf without making it fewer opportunities to do so.

• If you’re a top 200 player in the world, played college golf and graduated in 2013 or later, it’s taken you 2.84 years to make it to the PGA Tour or European Tour. For current top-50 players meeting those criteria, it’s 1.71 years. A few of those players have lost their cards, but no one hasn’t re-earned them.

• Of the top 25 finishers in KFT points in 2020-21, the average year for turning pro was 2015, but seven turned pro in 2018 or later.

• This year’s KFT Q-School final stage produced 49 players who earned guaranteed starts with an average age of 27.43. That included 13 players who had turned pro within the past year, four of whom finished in the top 10. Twenty-three of the 49 were age 25 or younger.

“If you want to have a PGA Tour card, you better have the ability to take another man’s job because they love those jobs,” Dunphy said. “They love those jobs and will do whatever they can to keep them.”

Griffin figured he’d be one of those players who called it quits at the proper time. He enjoyed some success early, winning a PGA Tour Canada event in 2018, but he failed multiple times to earn his full KFT card. After missing the cut in the PGA Tour Latinoamerica’s Mexican Open last March, Griffin retired with 35 career world-ranked professional starts under his belt.

“I had money at the time, but it was costing more and more to pay for rent and all that other stuff, and it basically got to the point where I’m like, it’s going to be a long process for me to get on the PGA Tour in terms of expenses,” Griffin said. “I just didn’t enjoy golf anymore.”

Griffin, an econ major in college, started working for his dad at a small real estate company in Chapel Hill and soon applied to be a financial mortgage loan officer. He passed his licensing test and started his new job on May 2.

But as fate would have it, Griffin was drawn back to the game in July. He met some guys from Highland Springs Country Club in Missouri, site of the KFT’s Price Cutter Charity Championship, and they talked him into playing the event’s Monday qualifier in late July. Griffin took off work and made it through.

“I missed the cut, but it was still enough proof that I should be playing golf and not working,” said Griffin, who spent the next month finding some sponsors, including multi-year deal backing from investment firm Lord Abbett, and shaking off the rust. Thankfully for Griffin, it wasn’t much compared to someone like Tom Lovelady, a 2016 Alabama grad who played a season on the PGA Tour before stepping away for more than a year to work in sales at Discovery Land Company. (Lovelady also un-retired this summer, Monday’d into two Tour events and made it to final stage of Korn Ferry Tour Q-School before settling for conditional status.)

The comeback proved successful for Griffin, who cruised through Q-School this fall. His T-29 finish at the final stage last month earned him eight guaranteed starts on the Korn Ferry Tour next season, and as he stood on the veranda at The Landings Club in Savannah, Georgia, having just accomplished a career-first, his smile was a mile wide.

Griffin’s career had received a pardon. More so, he had earned one. It’s a new start, but still a continuation of what he’s been doing the last three years: trying to make a living by playing golf. Just like thousands of other across the world, all headed up stream.

So, for now, he’ll just keep swimming.

Nut Hut Members Have Won Over $3.9 Million Since June 2020! Join Now!

Around the Clubhouse

Welcome to your place for all the light-hearted golf content you need.  We will be going around the clubhouse, reacting to many of the viral golf moments of the past week.  From pro golf to your horrific swing, if it makes you laugh, then it may show up.  This week we look into what colleges provide the PGA with the most golfers, and a few 'watch out' moments.

What College Sends the Most Players to the pga

The Bulldogs don't just have an unstoppable football program, but they also have sent multiple big-name players to the PGA over the years.  Kevin Kisner, Brendon Todd, Chris Kirk and Brian Harman are just the start.

UGA has three current LIV players in Patrick Reed, Hudson Swafford and former Master's champ Bubba Watson.  Harris English, Davis Thompson, Sepp Straka and Russel Henley are also no slouches!  Greyson Sigg finishes off the large list of UGA pros.

Coach Chris Haack has put his magical golf spell on so many prospects and will likely be watching many more of his former players on Tour for years to come.

There is strength in numbers and the Bulldogs have plenty of numbers in pro golf.

UT is another school that is produced not only many players but really, really good players.  Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler are the two prominent names that come to mind when thinking about Longhorn golf, and for good reason, but there are a few other names too.

Doug Ghim, Dylan Frittelli, Beau Hossler and Kramer Hickock are four well-known guys that played their college ball in Austin.  Jhonattan Vegas joins youngsters Pierceson Coody and Cole Hammer as a few more Texas golfers that have made it to the pros.

Scottie and Spieth alone make UT one of the most competitive colleges in these rankings.

Oklahoma State

Viktor Hovland and Ricky Fowler lead the way for the Cowboys, coming out above their in-state rival Sooners in my opinion.

Young Austin Eckroat is a recent OSU grad that has been on a tear lately, joined by Kevin Tway and Alex Noren as Cowboys on the Tour.

Matthew Wolf and Taylor Gooch are the two boys from Stillwater on LIV, deepening the impressive squad of Oklahoma State.

When thinking about Stanford golf, the only answer is Tiger Woods.  Although the GOAT makes them much stronger than they would be without him, there are still multiple other names in pro golf.

A few young tour players include Patrick Rodgers, Brandon Wu, Joey Bramlett and Mav McNealy, and the depth really comes when looking at the prospect of Michael Thorbjornsen.

The young stars paired with Tiger make a really strong team for the Cardinal.

Arizona State

ASU has a star-studded duo leading the way of Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson.  Although not as strong as some of the other schools, there are still a few names for the Sundevils that stand out.

Paul Casey and Pat Perez are two LIV players from ASU, paired with Chez Reavie, who had tons of success this week in Connecticut.

Honorable Mentions

• Wake Forest
• Georgia Tech

Golf Knockout Moments

View this post on Instagram A post shared by PGA TOUR (@pgatour)

Even the best of the best have moments of embarrassment.  Scottie Scheffler, world number 1, mashed a drive and released the club, just for it to smash him right in the nose.  Poor Scottie.

And one!  At least he took it like a champ and didn't flop to the ground like Lebron would have.  Golf may be more dangerous than you think... watch out for not only flying balls but also dropped clubs.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Golf Gods (@golf_gods)

Way way way... wayyyy too much trust here.  Would you even trust Tiger Woods to hit that shot... let alone your random friend that is currently 12 over after 4.

That is gonna leave a mark sheesh.  Can't even imagine the pain.  That makes a Razor scooter to the shin seem like nothing.  At least it didn't go any higher at least.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ryan Brehm (@brehmrya)

Golfer to Root for this Week

Following a Keegan Bradley win just a short drive from where he grew up, why not go back to that same narrative?

Ryan Brehm is a Michigan State Spartan alumni (go green) and grew up not far from Detroit.  The Rocket Mortgage takes place at Detroit Golf Club, making this a home game for the 37-year-old.

Ryan has six professional wins in his career, one being a PGA Tour event.  He has made back-to-back cuts at this event and will be looking to succeed once again in his home state.

GOLF MEME OF THE WEEK

Have a great week.

Don't forget to check out all of TJ's new weekly blogs !

Meet the Author:

Jack Latterman

Jack is a Sports Journalism student at Michigan State. Jack’s a massive sports fan, but specifically obsessed with all things golf. Hailing from Chicago, Jack loves playing golf when the weather permits, but weekly enjoys the Friday cut sweat to kick off his weekend.

Disclaimer: The views, opinions, and commentary in this post belong to its author and do not necessarily represent the Tour Junkies as a whole.

Virtual Tour

Experience University of Idaho with a virtual tour. Explore now

• Discover a Career
• Find a Major
• Experience U of I Life

More Resources

• Admitted Students
• International Students

Take Action

• Find Financial Aid
• View Deadlines
• Find Your Rep

Helping to ensure U of I is a safe and engaging place for students to learn and be successful. Read about Title IX.

Get Involved

• Clubs & Volunteer Opportunities
• Recreation and Wellbeing
• Student Government
• Student Sustainability Cooperative
• Academic Assistance
• Safety & Security
• Career Services
• Health & Wellness Services
• Register for Classes
• Dates & Deadlines
• Financial Aid
• Sustainable Solutions
• U of I Library

• Upcoming Events

Review the events calendar.

Stay Connected

• Vandal Family Newsletter
• Here We Have Idaho Magazine
• Living on Campus
• Campus Safety
• About Moscow

The largest Vandal Family reunion of the year. Check dates.

Benefits and Services

• Vandal Voyagers Program
• Vandal License Plate
• Submit Class Notes
• Make a Gift
• View Events
• Alumni Chapters
• University Magazine
• Alumni Newsletter

SlateConnect

U of I's web-based retention and advising tool provides an efficient way to guide and support students on their road to graduation. Login to SlateConnect.

Common Tools

• Administrative Procedures Manual (APM)
• Class Schedule
• OIT Tech Support
• Academic Dates & Deadlines
• U of I Retirees Association
• Faculty Senate
• Staff Council

PGA Quality. Community Focused.

Golf course.

Physical Address: University of Idaho Golf Course 1215 Nez Perce Dr. Moscow, ID 83844

Mailing Address: Cole Mize Director of Golf University of Idaho 875 Perimeter Dr. MS 2380 Moscow, ID 83844-2380

Phone: 208-885-6171

Fax: 208-885-0558

Email: [email protected]

Web: U of I Golf Course

Course Improvement Tournament

Vandal Junior Golf

Additional Information

Course policies.

• No outside alcohol allowed on course.
• Each player must have their own set of clubs.
• Shirts and shoes must be worn on course.
• No radio or music on course.
• Children under five must stay in golf cart.
• All yardages are measured to the center of the green.
• No more than five minutes break at turn.
• Pace of play should not exceed 2 hours 15 minutes per nine holes.
• Please repair all ball marks and maintain pace of play.

Download Adobe Reader

Procore Championship

Silverado Resort (North Course)

• Course Rankings
• Search Courses

Palouse Ridge Golf Club At Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Public

• Best In State

Golf Digest Logo Panelists

Courtesy of the club/Rob Perry

One of the most invigorating architectural feats by the late architect John Harbottle III—who died suddenly in 2012 but left an impressive portfolio with 15 original designs and 45 remodels mostly in the Pacific Northwest and California—is Palouse Ridge, home of the Washington State golf teams. Built on the site of an existing nine-hole course, Harbottle reimagined the layout with some acquired land as part of a $12 million project that opened in 2008. The course offers tee-time packages on Cougar football weekends.

Ranking history:

Best in State: Top 10 in state 2011-'20, 11th 2021-'22. 2023-'24 ranking: Ninth.

America's Greatest College Courses: 8th (2023).

Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists

100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES

Shot options, layout variety, conditioning.

“A massive property which allowed for flexibility on where to place the holes. Carts are worth it here. Good conditioning and intrigue rolling terrain."

“Wonderful use of the elevation changes"

Collection of reviews from our readers

There are no readers reviews yet. Be the first to write a review.

Featured In

Nearby Courses

PGA TOUR University Accelerated

PGA TOUR University

Change Text Size

Through PGA TOUR University Accelerated, a high-achieving junior, sophomore or freshman can earn PGA TOUR membership and become eligible for all open, full-field TOUR events. Players earn points based on their accomplishments in college, amateur and professional golf, and they will earn PGA TOUR membership if they amass at least 20 points by the end of their third year of NCAA eligibility.

Accelerated Points can be earned through the following achievements:

• 13th in a major championship = Compete (1) + Made cut (1) + Top-20 (2) = 4 points • 7th in an official PGA TOUR event = Made cut (1) + Top-10 (1) = 2 points

.css-ili912{color:var(--chakra-colors-pga_tour);}.css-ili912 h2{font-family:Suisse Intl,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:2.4rem;line-height:2.8rem;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:-0.02em;margin-bottom:var(--chakra-space-16);}@media screen and (min-width: 768px){.css-ili912 h2{font-family:Suisse Intl,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:2.4rem;line-height:2.8rem;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:-0.02em;}}@media screen and (min-width: 1024px){.css-ili912 h2{font-family:Suisse Intl,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:3.5rem;line-height:3.8rem;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:-0.02em;}}.css-ili912 h3{font-family:Suisse Intl,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:1.9rem;line-height:2.2rem;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:-0.01em;margin-bottom:var(--chakra-space-12);}@media screen and (min-width: 768px){.css-ili912 h3{font-family:Suisse Intl,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:1.9rem;line-height:2.2rem;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:-0.01em;}}@media screen and (min-width: 1024px){.css-ili912 h3{font-family:Suisse Intl,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:2.4rem;line-height:2.8rem;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:-0.02em;}}.css-ili912 p,.css-ili912 li{font-family:Suisse Intl,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:1.7rem;line-height:2.6rem;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:0rem;margin-bottom:var(--chakra-space-20);}.css-ili912 p a,.css-ili912 li a,.css-ili912 p b,.css-ili912 li b,.css-ili912 p strong,.css-ili912 li strong{font-weight:600;}.css-ili912 a{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:var(--chakra-colors-transparent);transition-duration:300ms;transition-property:text-decoration-color;transition-timing-function:var(--chakra-transition-easing-pga-ease-in-out);}.css-ili912 a:focus-visible,.css-ili912 a[data-focus-visible]{text-decoration-color:inherit;}.css-ili912 a:hover,.css-ili912 a[data-hover]{text-decoration-color:inherit;}.css-ili912 li{list-style-position:inside;}.css-ili912 ul,.css-ili912 ol{margin-bottom:var(--chakra-space-32);}.css-ili912 ul li{list-style:none;position:relative;padding-left:var(--chakra-space-20);}.css-ili912 ul li::before{background:var(--chakra-colors-black);border-radius:var(--chakra-radii-full);content:'';height:var(--chakra-sizes-8);left:0px;position:absolute;top:var(--chakra-space-8);width:var(--chakra-sizes-8);}.css-ili912 ol{border-bottom:1px solid;border-color:var(--chakra-colors-black_20);counter-reset:ol-counter;list-style:none;}.css-ili912 ol li{border-top:var(--chakra-borders-1px);border-color:var(--chakra-colors-black_20);counter-increment:ol-counter;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;padding-bottom:0px;padding-top:18px;}.css-ili912 ol li::before{content:counter(ol-counter);margin-right:var(--chakra-space-16);font-family:Suisse Intl,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:2rem;line-height:2.8rem;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:0rem;}.css-ili912 table{width:100%;margin-bottom:50px;}.css-ili912 table thead tr{border-bottom:solid 1px black;font-family:Suisse Intl,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:1.1rem;line-height:1.2rem;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:0.03em;color:var(--chakra-colors-dark_grey);text-transform:uppercase;}.css-ili912 table thead tr th{padding-bottom:14px;}.css-ili912 table tr td:first-child:nth-last-child(2)~td{border-left:var(--chakra-borders-1px);border-color:var(--chakra-colors-black_20);}.css-ili912 table tr td{text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;border-bottom:var(--chakra-borders-1px);border-color:var(--chakra-colors-black_20);padding-bottom:19px;padding-top:17px;font-family:Suisse Intl,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:1.3rem;line-height:1.4rem;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:0rem;} CURRENT POINTS

As of Aug. 14, 2024

20 points – Gordon Sargent, Vanderbilt (Class of 2025)

Following the conclusion of stroke play at the 2024 NCAA D-I National Championship (May 24-27), Sargent will become eligible to accept PGA TOUR membership upon turning professional. If he turns pro after the conclusion of his junior season, Sargent would be eligible for open, full-field events for the remainder of the 2024 season, including the FedExCup Fall, and he also would be a PGA TOUR member for the 2025 season (subject to reshuffles).

• 5 = Best WAGR rank: 1st
• 1 = World Amateur Team Championships (2023)
• 2 = Walker Cup (2023)
• 1 = PGA TOUR made cut (2023 John Deere Classic)
• 1 = Major made cut (2023 U.S. Open)
• 1 = Major start (2023 U.S. Open)
• 1 = Palmer Cup (2023)
• 1 = Major start (2023 Masters)
• 1 = World Amateur Team Championships (2022)
• 1 = Palmer Cup (2022)
• 3 = Tournament win (2022 D-I NCAA individual)
• 2 = D-I Outstanding Freshman Award (2022)

17 points – Jackson Koivun, Auburn (Class of 2027)

• 1 = Palmer Cup (2024)
• 4 = Best WAGR rank: 2nd
• 1 = PGA TOUR made cut (2024 the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday)
• 3 = D-I Nicklaus Award (2024)
• 2 = D-I Outstanding Freshman Award (2024)
• 3 = Haskins Award (2024)
• 3 = Hogan Award (2024)

14 points – Luke Clanton , Florida State (Class of 2026)

• 1 = PGA TOUR made cut (2024 Wyndham Championship)
• 1 = Top-10 in PGA TOUR event (2024 Wyndham Championship)
• 1 = PGA TOUR made cut (2024 ISCO Championship)
• 1 = PGA TOUR made cut (2024 John Deere Classic)
• 1 = Top-10 in PGA TOUR event (2024 John Deere Classic)
• 1 = PGA TOUR made cut (2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic)
• 1 = Top-10 in PGA TOUR event (2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic)
• 1 = Major made cut (2024 U.S. Open)
• 1 = Major start (2024 U.S. Open)

11 points – Ben James, Virginia (Class of 2026)

• 3 = Best WAGR rank: 3rd
• 2 = D-I Outstanding Freshman Award (2023)

6 points – Hiroshi Tai, Georgia Tech (Class of 2026)

• 3 = Tournament win (2024 D-I NCAA individual)

4 points – Tommy Morrison , Texas (Class of 2026)

• 1 = Major made cut (2024 The Open Championship)
• 1 = Major start (2024 The Open Championship
• 2 = Tournament win (2024 European Amateur)

3 points – Christiaan Maas, Texas (Class of 2026)

3 points – Filip Jakubcik, Arizona (Class of 2026)

2 points – Michael Mjaaseth, Arizona State (Class of 2026)

1 point – Wells Williams, Vanderbilt (Class of 2026)

1 point – Parker Bell, Florida (Class of 2026)

1 point – Bryan Kim, Duke (Class of 2027)

1 point – Michael La Sasso, Mississippi (Class of 2026)

1 point – Matthew Dodd-Berry, LSU (Class of 2026)

• 1 = Major start (2024 The Open Championship)

1 point – Jaime Montojo, Texas A&M (Class of 2026)

Participants in the 2022 World Amateur Team Championships (1 point)

• Miguel Leal, Florida (Class of 2026)
• Virgilio Paz, New Mexico (Class of 2026)
• Lukas Roessler, Florida Gulf Coast (Class of 2026)
• Clemente Silva, VCU (Class of 2026)
• James Skeet, South Alabama (Class of 2026)
• Markus Varjun, Middle Tennessee (Class of 2026)

Participants in the 2023 World Amateur Team Championships (1 point)

• Chi Chun Chen, Houston (Class of 2027)
• Marc Keller, Central Florida (Class of 2027)
• Gabriel Palacios, Utah (Class of 2027)
• Tyler Weaver, Florida State (Class of 2027)
• Tim Wiedemeyer, Texas Tech (Class of 2027)
• Paul Beauvy, Iowa State (Class of 2026)
• Jack Bigham, Florida State (Class of 2026)
• Riccardo Fantinelli, Princeton (Class of 2026)
• Daniel Svärd, Northwestern (Class of 2026)

Historical Players

15 points – Nick Dunlap, Alabama (Class of 2026)

• Accepted PGA TOUR Membership after winning The American Express in 2024 as an amateur