# American Pros have to play College golf?



## Steve V (May 16, 2007)

As of this moment I guess there are still a few guys on the PGA tour who didn't play golf on some kind of scholarship through college, but it must be such an overwhelming advantage that in the future every North American tour pro will have come through the NCAA ranks. As a Brit I really don't understand how the system works but is it likely that anyone could get their tour card in the future without playing college golf? 

If so, is this a good thing, or does anyone even care  

There really isn't anything in Europe thats comparable, you have to just somehow get your handicap down to scratch and then play in the qualifying events to try and get a European tour card, but there's absolutely no structured path to accomplishing this, you sink or swim pretty much on your own.


----------



## Fourputt (Nov 18, 2006)

Steve V said:


> As of this moment I guess there are still a few guys on the PGA tour who didn't play golf on some kind of scholarship through college, but it must be such an overwhelming advantage that in the future every North American tour pro will have come through the NCAA ranks. As a Brit I really don't understand how the system works but is it likely that anyone could get their tour card in the future without playing college golf?
> 
> If so, is this a good thing, or does anyone even care
> 
> There really isn't anything in Europe thats comparable, you have to just somehow get your handicap down to scratch and then play in the qualifying events to try and get a European tour card, but there's absolutely no structured path to accomplishing this, you sink or swim pretty much on your own.


I wouldn't exactly call it a structured path to the Tour. I think that schools in Europe have sports teams, don't they? That's all it is here, and definitely not all players on a college golf team get a free ride. I'd say that a lot of schools don't spend much at all on golf scholarships. A lot of college players are walk ons, and I'd bet that most get no more than partial assistance at best, just like any other college sport. It's only the best of each sport that get the full ride scholarships, and most of that money goes to football (American style) and basketball, not to golf. 

And even after college, they still have to make it through Q-school if they want to play on the Tour, it's not an automatic promotion.


----------



## TMC (Nov 19, 2006)

Where did you hear this? I hope this isn't the case, or it will dash my drems to become a pro forever 

Even though I went to college, I wasn't in a golf program there. I discovered it a few years later. Although I don't plan on becoming a pro any time soon, I'm sure there are others in my boat or those who can't afford to go to college who would be a great addition to the tour.


----------



## Will (May 12, 2007)

The O'Hair kid turned "pro" at 17, didnt attend college and is now a PGA Tour pro.


----------



## Steve V (May 16, 2007)

Will said:


> The O'Hair kid turned "pro" at 17, didnt attend college and is now a PGA Tour pro.


And there was Ty Tryon who actually made the tour at 17, but he might have been better off if he hadn't?:dunno: 

I suppose what I meant was is it possible for someone who has to hold down a full time job but has the ambition to be a pro in the US to compete with the guys coming out of college. After all, for 3 or 4 years they get access to good practise facilities and one to one instruction every day without having to worry too much about the 'real' world...


----------



## white_tiger_137 (Mar 23, 2006)

There is nothing stopping you from Q-school except your handicap and your bank account. College certainly helps, but it's not like football where the pros draft the best college players. You gotta make it on your own.


----------



## BrianMcG (Apr 7, 2007)

Playing college golf is definitely not a requirement. It is not like Football or Basketball where you get drafted into the PGA tour based on how well you did in college. 

Look at all the mini-tours that are feeders into the PGA tour. If you can win a lot on one of those they wouldn't care if you dropped out of junior high. Its all about the scores you can post.

Also, funny thing is, most American golf teams have at least three or four Europeans on their teams.


----------



## 373 (Jun 9, 2006)

I had a golf scholarship to college, but didn't play the PGA Tour. Do I win something for being different?


----------

