There's good and there's being a tour pro. Different levels
It's the same with all sports, there's a significant gap.
It's the same with all sports, there's a significant gap.
The Open regional qualifying
- Thread starter timd77
- Start date
The Squirrel
Well-known member
This.
I’ve played and watched club cricket with ex pro’s who typically batted 10 or 11 in pro game and generally known as a bit of a bunny.
At the top non-full-time-professional level they were knocking out 100s on a regular basis and looked absolute class. The gap between those who play competitively for a living full time as a job and those that don’t is vast.
larmen
Head Pro
Check out the Scallange. The 'worst' NBA player, Brian Scalabrini, (based on the internet) takes on some of the best amateurs including a D1 hooper, years after he retired. He still beat them all decisively.
His quote is iconic: "I am closer to Lebron than you are to me". This would translate to a bad tour pro being nearer to Tiger/Rory/Scottie/... than a scratch golfer it to that pro.
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Bazz
Q-School Graduate
Same as football, the best player you've played with is miles off the worst pro you've seen.
Springveldt
Well-known member
I was about to post this, was absolutely hilarious.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
I was just taking the mick about G-Mac guys, relax. It would be great if Finchy had the round(s) of his life and qualified, but I can't see it. About a 1% chance.
Burnsey
Well-known member
I'd love to see him through and he did play well at Caldy, however, I'd still think some of the field he'll be against next week would have finished the same round 5 shots better.
Doon frae Troon
Ryder Cup Winner
My brother used to give a Hearts player a tough time at Tynecastle from the stands.
Fast forward a couple of years to a Edinburgh v Glasgow surveyors game and he finds out the guy is in his team.
Comes home raving what a great player he is.
In the early 1970s I played in the national finals of a charity 5 a side event with Alan Mullery......wow some player.
We were decent players but he just organised us to a totally different team.
We won it
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evemccc
Well-known member
Regarding Final Qualifying, is there a limit to the no. of entrants to each course? Obvs wind, pin placements and the amount the rough has grown impacts whether a course ‘plays hard’, but the Course Rating shows that some courses are harder than others (albeit golfers are obvs competing against each other, and relative to each other, not in absolute terms) so I wonder if some FQ courses are more appealing than others…
I’ve not played Dundonald but played the other three…if it were me competing in FQ I think I’d play West Lancs with Deal the last option
Even though Deal is by far my favourite of the three courses I’ve played. Reason being that the hollows and bumps, undulations etc are far more pronounced there. So if I felt I had a chance and was on my game, I would want to play somewhere where there is less weight given to chance of uneven bounces etc
I’ve not played Dundonald but played the other three…if it were me competing in FQ I think I’d play West Lancs with Deal the last option
Even though Deal is by far my favourite of the three courses I’ve played. Reason being that the hollows and bumps, undulations etc are far more pronounced there. So if I felt I had a chance and was on my game, I would want to play somewhere where there is less weight given to chance of uneven bounces etc
AussieKB
Well-known member
Played B & B just before Open qualifying two years ago, rough was brutal, also played West Lincs a few weeks earlier, cannot remember if it was Open qualifier that year but no penal rough to talk about, just normal.
Loved both courses, missed Royal Cinque Ports but it was the one I wanted to play on my trip, maybe next time.
Loved both courses, missed Royal Cinque Ports but it was the one I wanted to play on my trip, maybe next time.
Starter
Active member
On the other hand I knew a couple of No.11's in first class cricket who were equally inept in the Club League game.
Although I wouldn't have fancied facing when they were bowling.
You’re spot on there.
Tour players play on 7000+ yard course and often win with close 20 under par over 4 rounds. When did your club pro shoot 5 under for 4 consecutive rounds around your home course, which is likely below 6,750 yards?
The Squirrel
Well-known member
Haha. Yes fair point, there’s probably a limit. Chris Martin (NZ seamer) is surely the famous example: had absolutely zero aptitude with the bat and probably still bats no.11 for the amateur club 3rd XI. I always quite admired him for going out to face 90MPH+ thunderbolts from test quicks despite being not really capable of holding the bat the right way round to defend himself.
There are various fun stats related to his batting. Kinda like Tiger stats in reverse
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Junior
Tour Winner
Enjoying these stories so thought I’d share….. I played a charity 5 aside football game once against a team with Lee Sharp and Bryan Robson. Robson must have been late 40s, still strong as an ox and no one could get the ball off him.
The other thing I remember is Lee Sharp striking a football…..it was just a different level of hit. Keeper never moved.
I’ve not played golf with many tour pros but have played a couple of times with Phil Archer. He’s played 247 times on the European Tour and is now on the legends tour. Did well recently in the seniors US Open. He’s 53 and strong as an Ox. He doesn’t miss a shot. It looks so easy.
The other thing I remember is Lee Sharp striking a football…..it was just a different level of hit. Keeper never moved.
I’ve not played golf with many tour pros but have played a couple of times with Phil Archer. He’s played 247 times on the European Tour and is now on the legends tour. Did well recently in the seniors US Open. He’s 53 and strong as an Ox. He doesn’t miss a shot. It looks so easy.
