Expert: Skip Ward - 4/28/2005

Question
could you explain how a person qaulify to be on the pga-tour? i was told that in order to be a pro-golfer you must attend q-school and if you are good enough than you would receive a tour card for that year is that true? please explain the step by step to be a pro-golfer.

thank you,

dave tran

Answer
Dear David, thanks for the question.  You were told correctly that in order to become a PGA Touring professional, you would have to go to Qualifying School.  It is held once a year, and is a 6 round tournament of which only the top handful of golfers will survive. After each round there is a cut, slowly eliminating players.  There is a general cost for Q-school of around $3000, plus all of your own expenses.  If you survive, then you would get a one-year membership on tour.  After that, you must remain  in the top 125 on the earnings list to maintain full time status for the next year.  Should you fall between 126 and 150, then you would maintain status on the Nike Tour.  Below that, you would have only conditional status and would only get into tournaments if invited under a sponsor's exemption, wherein the title sponsor of a particular tourney could invite you randomly.  Many players in this situation will actually write to the sponsors asking for an exemption.  But that's it.  Those are pretty much the only ways to get on tour.  Good luck and remember...

love the game,
Skipper