Spare a thought....

[DCB]

Don't know how many of you noticed the golf at the weekend, the last regular event on this years European Tour. While the elite were looking to get as much out of it to try and top the Order of Merit, at the other end, the not so liet were trying to get as many euros as possible to try and retain their cards. The permutations were amazing. One guy finished with a reasonable score and kept his card, had he shot 1 more he wouldn't have kept it. That's pressure.

Here we are whinging about all sorts of silly things and these guys are going through the emotional wringer just to play Profesional Golf on the main Tour. Hats off to them for puting up with all that pressure. To the ones who will have to go to School again best of luck. To the ones who just made it, come on guys raise the game for next year.

The hopes and dreams of amny a pro golfer are balanced on a knife edge at the tour school. Around 1000 entries all told for around 30 cards. You've got to have extraorinary self belief for that kind of pressure.

Best of luck lads.

 

[USER1999]

Yes, a guy from my club has just lost his card, so back to tour school. I do feel for him, as for these guys, this is what pays the bills. At the bottom end, we're not talking millionaires here.

 

[Andy]

No but they dont have to work 12 hour shifts or longer on a dialy basis.

There are unfortunate folk out there who are on the minumum wage thats pressure. Not playing on a golf tour where a weekly victory could land you more money than some folk get in a year.

In reality they have a great life and I'd swap with them in a minute.


Andy

 

[USER1999]

This guy won about 50,000 euros this year. If you take away expenses like hotels, flights, caddies, food, that probably leaves a bit of a loss. That isn't fun. Bear in mind the European tour is no longer in the UK, so travel expenses are a bit high.

 

[Imurg]

Its sure going to be a Dogfight down in lower reaches. Is it the top 125 that keep their cards? That leaves some names fighting for a place next year. Phil Price, Chris Wood, Andy Coltart, Jon's mate Zane Scotland - all the wrong side of the cut and need a good finish if they're going to make it.

And spare a thought for Alessio Bruschi from Italy - 948 euros from 8 events on the main tour + 12910 from 19 on the Challenge Tour. And Stefano Reale - from 12 Challenge Tour starts he's made just 278 euros. Even if all the events were in Europe that's one hell of a loss on the year.

 

[Herbie]

I have no sympathy for the Top players who finantially want for nothing, should they ever fail on the tour system but I have an awful lot of sympathy for those lower down the ladder whos earnings are often over shadowed by their expenses and with little or no sponsorship to help their wallets, I take my hat off to those people and wish them well as its harder than many may think to make big money in golf.

 

[TonyN]

dont feel to bad for the guys atthe bottom if it was so bad they wouldn't do it. I know where your coming from though. Thought spared

 

[Parmo]

Please can someone explain what Q school is? I have no idea.

 

[Imurg]

At the end of the season, anyone who hasn't "kept their card" for next year :- finished in the top 125 on the order of merit, along with multiple entrants from the Challenge Tour and any other tour, all gather at a course in Spain (I think) and play 6 rounds for the priviledge of playing the main European Tour next season. The top X number of players get playing rights on the tour. Its called the Tour Qualifying blah blah but its known universally as Q-School.

www.europeantour.com

Go to the Tournaments drop-down and click on qualifying schools.

 

[Parmo]

Thanks, and those who fail that get sent home and end up on the am tour next season if they can afford it?

 

[Imurg]

Bascically thats right. Those lucky few who get to play the main tour get a shot at the gravy train and the rest go to the Challenge or Europro Tours or back to their clubs or ranges to maybe try again next year. Some bigger names may get sponser invites to certain events.

I think the top 15 from the challenge Tour get playing rights on the main tour next year as well but I don't think they get the same as those who finish top 125 on the main Tour.

 

[birdieman]

Is it not the case that a lot of lower end pros are a bit deluded or eternal optimists. Guys like Gordon Sherrie and Stuart Wlson have settled into normal jobs as they knew that despite being stellar amateurs they didn't have quite enough to play as a successful Pro.
I think there are too many pro golfers, I understand you need feeder tours for the big tours etc but surely a lot of that feeder system could be done through the amateur ranks?
To me if you are a professional sportsman (not golf teacher or golf gear seller) people should want to come and watch you play, for Europro and Hooters tours etc that isn't the case is it?
I don't feel sorry for these lower end pros, they have it no harder than you or I, they take their chances and for 90% of them it doesn't work out...end of. They then have to make their way in the world like the rest of us.
If you want to pity people there are millions of destitute, sick and starving people in crapholes all around the world, don't pity largely middle class young men in expensive clothes who can't get a little ball in a hole in few enough shots!

 

[Imurg]

With you ther Birdieman...

Its their choice and if it works then they're set for life. if it doesn't then its back to the real world.
But I admire them for keeping on trying.

 

[Parmo]

With wacking sticks?

 

[USER1999]

The thing is, to be truly good at golf, you need to devote your all to it from a young age. Quite a few of these guys can't do any thing else.

A problem for a lot of sportsmen who don't make it I suppose.

But I wouldn't want to have to reapply for my job every year, with 200 odd candidates against me. No way.

 

[Imurg]

And some guys are there year after year after year. But if they make it just once it could be enough to make them for life.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

As said many times on here I was an assistant pro at 16 and wanted to do my PGA's and turn pro. Whilst that never worked out I did play a number of local assistants events and one thing became starkly apparent very quickly. I was knocking it out there about 240-250 (wooden clubs and balata balls) and would stick it to about 15 feet. These guys were sticking it out to 275-280 and to 10 feet. While I was happy to 2 putt and make par they were gutted if they didn't make every putt.

It was clear very quickly that despite being a medium sized fish in the pool that was my club, out on even the local circuit I was a minnow that would be gobbled up instantly and that my game was so inadequte.

I use to go to the driving range at Sandown Park (middle of the racecourse) and there use to be a head pro and 4 or 5 assitants. The only way these guys made any money was by teaching all day and any commission made in the shop. These were good, good players but just couldn't make a living playing competitive golf.

As a result I can share to a minesule degree the heartache of realising that your game isn't good enough. The difference is these guys all have the capabilty to make a living and just need that one break. Some will have 6 rounds from nowhere and get in through Q school. Others will go onto the Challenge and Europro tours and had a rediscovery of belief and qualify next year via the order of merit. Of course there will be others for whom the battle is too much and disappear into obscurity and either take up club jobs or join the real world and find alternative employment. However for every golfer that drops out there will be another 10 ready to hock every penny they have for a chance to make it

 

[DCB]

Andy,

"No but they dont have to work 12 hour shifts or longer on a dialy basis."

I know of two guys who gave it a go and to finance their ambitions they worked through the winter doing barman jobs and stacking shelves in Tesco. Not exactly big earners! Neither of them made it in the long run.

In the late 70s there was a young pro who based himself in Edinburgh for a while. By day he pounded balls on the practice ground. By night he worked the Door at some of the Capitals city centre night spots. He did make it in the end... a certain Mr Vijay Singh.

We have normal jobs and get payed at the end of the month whether we do well or not. These guys don't earn if they don't play well. Even if they do make the cut their expenses will probably outweigh their earnings unless its a top 25-30 placing.

Whilst it seems a good life, I couldn't do it, can't play well enough for a start, but couldn't live with that pressure.

 

[backwoodsman]

It's already been mentioned as a good read, but read John Feinsteins "Tales from Q School" to get an idea of what goes on at Q school. He writes about the american one but it's the same as the european. And the statistic that really stands out is that there are only about 500 people in the entire world who are capable of making enough money to live on by playing golf. That's out of everyone who's picks up a club to play. Them on the brink of losing a card are those barely doing so - and are about to fall off the wagon completely.