Pro??? Why not Amateur???

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Screwback

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Following on from Brendys thread on Garth McGimpsey it got me thinking.

Here is a guy that has done arguably all you can do in the amateur ranks and has played with nicklaus, won the amateur championship etc.

Why is it nowadays the younger golfers go more or less straight to attempting to be a pro when they could get on and try to compete at the top amateur level first before they move on to being a pro. Instead they go in head first to the pro ranks and more often than not they fail at it.

IMO they could acheive so much at being a top amatuer before becoming a pro as a lot of the top amateurs dont go pro.

I dont think it is an answerable question but would be interested in your views???
 
I agree that is why they will do it but most of them dont make it so the money is not that great and never really make a name for themselves so dont get top sponsorship wonga.
 
I agree that is why they will do it but most of them dont make it so the money is not that great and never really make a name for themselves so dont get top sponsorship wonga.
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It depends whether you're referring to mega-bucks or several £1000. Ask a guy if he would like to win £3,000 for playing a round and he'll probably bite yer arm off, especially if he's been stuck in a pro shop for a few years.
It's not too difficult to find someone to sponsor you for the £150 entrance fee now-a-days.
 
In the 80s you either turned Pro and went for the 'big' time or stayed amateur and got lorded at County/International level by a load of old, gin swilling cronies....there was nothing else to do, even the European Tour then was not very good...

Now you can play in a Pro event virually every week of the year on the basis of having some money and time (some skill helps too)....you might win 1, get a Challenge Tour start, do well then climb up the ladder - there was no ladder before really...

I read last week a Scottish lad couldn't get into the Portugese Amateur off of +2.5....if you can't get into the amateur events then what else choice do you have....
 
I can see where you are comming from JOUK but if he has turned pro and is stuck behind the counter he cant be that good a pro but a good golfer a golfer that could spend more time practising as an amatuer working 9 to 5 instead of working in a shop all hours of the day just to earn a crust.

Its a tricky question and as i said there is no right or wrong answer...
 
I read last week a Scottish lad couldn't get into the Portugese Amateur off of +2.5....if you can't get into the amateur events then what else choice do you have....
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Surely that proves my point if you cant hack it in the amatuer ranks although your a great golfer its unlikely your going to hack it as a pro where you will probably ging to have to be +5!!!
 
I can see where you are comming from JOUK but if he has turned pro and is stuck behind the counter he cant be that good a pro but a good golfer a golfer that could spend more time practising as an amatuer working 9 to 5 instead of working in a shop all hours of the day just to earn a crust.

Its a tricky question and as i said there is no right or wrong answer...
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Many of these lads that turn 'Pro' - let's use the Saltmans as an example, have purely turned Pro by saying 'I'm a Pro now, so I can play for money'....they don't work in a golf shop, some (not them) might stack shelves, drive taxis or other menial work in the winter but really they are full time players...

The 'real' Pros are the ones who want to be the next 'bobmac' and going through the official training....
 
The saltmans are a good example and IMO have justified the right to attempt being pro after all did lloyd not win the silver medal at the Open in 2005??
 
I read last week a Scottish lad couldn't get into the Portugese Amateur off of +2.5....if you can't get into the amateur events then what else choice do you have....
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Surely that proves my point if you cant hack it in the amatuer ranks although your a great golfer its unlikely your going to hack it as a pro where you will probably ging to have to be +5!!!
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He obviously has some degree of skill and talent, so what should he do - give up or try the alternative, probably the more appealing/lucrative one too, route to having that chance to have a putt to win The Masters (you know the one you and I have both had on the putting green many times but actually for real)....
 
[quote
having that chance to have a putt to win The Masters (you know the one you and I have both had on the putting green many times but actually for real)....

[/QUOTE]

Did you hole yours???

I always hole mine :D :D
 
If you are good enough to give the pro tour a bash then you owe it too yourself to give it a go, you don't have to be a winner to have a bloody good living these days, get past the cut a few times and you are well on your way to a million. There are countless players who never win driving Ferrari's and living a luxury lifestyle. If one day it happens to be your week you're set for life.Look at the money Lowry didn't get to take home, he may never be there again.
 
He still does though to a lesser extent now I believe, still a member of the club etc haven't seen him about recently but then again half of our club goes into hibernation for the off season.
 
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