THE PROCESS

For those of you who are still a little confused about what tournaments and tours mean what, I will try and explain it as best as I can….

In golf, there is not a yearly draft like there is in basketball and football and no guaranteed money (earnings are strictly performance-based). Professional golfers have to individually work their way to the top and earn every dollar.

The PGA Tour is the ultimate and what we always see on TV. The PGA Tour also has a “minor league” tour called the Nationwide Tour. The Nationwide Tour is designed to prepare players for the PGA Tour. After the Nationwide Tour, there are several “third-tier” tours which are great for people trying to make it to the next level. The best of these “third-tier” tours are the eGolf Tour and the Hooters Tour. For these “third tier” tours, one does not need to be an official member, if he wishes, he can pick and choose to play in whichever tournaments he wants.  In addition, many states and cities will have tournaments which professionals can play in but these are individual events which are not associated with any formal professional tour.

Obviously, the big money is on the PGA Tour; however, there are plenty of ways to earn money on any of these other tours. There is no perfect formula, time-frame, or schedule to make it to the PGA Tour. Each person does it differently. One way to make it is through the PGA Tour Qualifying School which is held every fall.  There is a pre-qualifying, first-stage, second-stage, and final stage. Each of the stages have multiple sites except for the final stage. Basically, the top third of each site make it to the next stage. Those who finish in the top 25 at final stage will automatically get their PGA Tour Cards and compete on the PGA Tour the following year. The next group of guys will play on the Nationwide Tour the following year.
At the end of every year, the top 25 money leaders on the Nationwide Tour get to play on the PGA Tour the next year. Furthermore, only the top 125 money leaders on the PGA Tour get to compete on the PGA Tour again the next year while the others are forced to go back to PGA Tour Qualifying School to try and earn their way back again.

As an alternative, many players choose to play overseas where there are tremendous opportunities. Europe and Asia have professional tour structures which are similar to what we have here in America. The only downside to pursuing this option is the money is not quite as good while the cost of living and traveling is more expensive and not to mention the endless distractions in foreign continents.
 
 
 
How I feel about all of this….
Honestly, I feel terrific about what I am doing. In many ways, turning professional has given me a new excitement and life in the game. Playing for Duke was an amazing experience that I would not trade for anything. As fun as it was to be a part of a team, it is extremely nice to be playing for just myself. Having the financial support of Howard Wood has allowed me to pursue my dream of playing professional golf and I cannot thank him enough. I am living in an absolutely ideal environment which I can be my own boss and focus entirely on my career.

I am fully aware that this is a process which will include some bumps along the way. Disappointment and imperfections are built into the game. The best thing about the sport is there is always the next shot, next hole, next round, next tournament, etc. There is nothing in the world I would rather be doing than what I am right now. I want to live without regret and I know that if I did not get out here and pursue my dream, I would regret it for the rest of my life. So while I am here, I am putting absolutely everything I have into it and look forward to the challenges and seeing how good I can get.