How does one become a professional golfer?

i am not a good golfer, but i am curious on what is the process or journey one has to take to be a professional golfer in SG? How does one become a professional golfer? What are the pre-requisite? Can anyone simply sign up for events like the asian tour?

What abt the golf coaching career in SG? is there any standards or certification? it appears to me that in SG, as long as they play like pro, they can teach golf to beginners. i may be wrong.. but How many actually have a accredited coaching certification?

Anybody knows?

one word - training.

Well, for starters... observe how I play. Observe my swing. Observe my stroke. Observe my skills.

Then do everything opposite.

when you beat all your friends and nobody wants to bet with you anymore...its time to turn pro.

Err... you are referring to Slinger rite..

or zhenxua .....

i think u need to goto Asian Q School and get a Tour Card.

the top 60 will get Tour Card but the higher rank you are, u will get to play more tournaments in Asian Tour.

at the end of the season, top 60 rank golfers in money earned will retain their Tour Card for next year. the rest will hv to go thru Q school again

Head from my PRO friends that the competition in Q School is very competitive.

Quincy Quek is one of th PRO who will have to play at Q School tournament in Hua Hin. Due to injury, think he earned only less than USD2k in 2010

my friends used to joke that I make more $ from OCBC GOlf Series in 2010 than most Asian PROs!

qute right....hahah

Q

Where r the Asian Q school? Is there 1 in Sg? Or ppl has to go overseas?

Does being a golf coach require ones to be a pro first?

What I wrote is playing pro.

For teaching pro, u need to attend a teaching pro course n hv to play 2 games of 82 n below to pass.

Not sure if that hv change.

Fairwind...use the power of internet. Go to the websites of asian tour and spga.Q school and pro playing test entry forms are available there.

Do a search on this forum. There were discussions on becoming a teaching pro, via spga or usgtf route.

Fairwind wrote:

Where r the Asian Q school? Is there 1 in Sg? Or ppl has to go overseas?

Does being a golf coach require ones to be a pro first?

try this site. Very useful. has alot of information all at your fingertips. www.google.com

how to read content when you keep flashing such headlines....

Asahi..still planning that trip in april to HCMC??
How to tahan lidat bro winston??

DAMN!!!... I also want to go HCMC!!

Gotta learn the art of dressing first =p

Where to learn? School for clowns, issit?

Get a really really bad wardrobe adviser. =)
But it will sure as hell make you the talk of the town. LOL!

OR. this just proves that guys needs girls to go shopping for them hahaha. gives me more reasons to go shopping. *I like!

any pro out there who can share his experiences n journey in turning pro?

Fairwind wrote:

any pro out there who can share his experiences n journey in turning pro?

This is my journey to turning pro with the Australian PGA

To become a member, you must serve a 3 year traineeship.
To be selected into the program, firstly I had to have a handicap of below 4 and completed Year 12 schooling (this would be equivalent to JC or Poly).
From there you need to send application and then participate in 5 assessment rounds.
There is then an interview with the PGA board members where you need to display some playing results such as results in amateur tournaments, club events, handicap record etc.
While your application is being considered, you will search for an employer who is a PGA member and you will serve your traineeship under his guidance.
When I applied there were over 50 applicants and maybe only 30 spots available.
If you are accepted into the program, you are then required to:
Work full time in a golf pro shop (40 hours per week). This involves learning all the various aspects of the industry such as club repair, club fitting, club sales, teaching, collecting green fees, running the time sheet, course marshalling selling cokes and mars bars etc.
There is also the playing golf component. Each year you will need to play a minimum of 30 PGA trainee tournament rounds. This takes place on Mondays at different clubs around the state. Each trainee will pay an entry fee (around $30) which goes into the prize pool on top of some sponsors money. The prize money is distributed to normally the top 10 or so players out of maybe 80 or so that play.
Most Mondays we play 36 holes and it is all walking, pulling a buggy...no carts
In your first year to pass this playing component you must maintain a playing average of below 5.75 over par. 80% of your total rounds must be counted
Second year you must average below 5.0 over par and your third year the average must be below 4.0
There is also a compulsory 4 round state championship you must play in and optional national championship

On top of the playing, we must also attend twice a year what is called "Intensive School". Here we go to attend lectures and seminars about different aspects of the industry. Topics include Physiology, club technology, mental skills, teaching, rules exam, business and retail lectures, etc etc
There are also exams and assignments that must be passed for each topic.
If a trainee is to fail any of the components, they are made to repeat the entire year again.

Between the full time working, assignments and tournaments, there is very little time for practice and working on your game. The wage trainees get paid is also a problem....about $400 per week

Once i completed the course, I then undertook additional training with Gary Edwin Golf. I completed level 1, 2 and 3 instructors course which involved seminars, assignments, lesson modules etc. I am now currently undertaking level 4 and 5 which will give me the highest accreditation as Senior Professional. I will be going back to Australia for an instructors seminar in early February and have numerous more assignments and swing patterns to study.

From here I will still continue to increase my ranking with the Australian PGA by accumulating PDP points to become a level AAA professional.

It is quite an intense process but an enjoyable and rewarding profession. Whether it be a student winning a prestigious title or Mrs Lim breaking 100 for the first time, I enjoy going to work everyday. The fact we get paid to do it is just an added bonus.

Upon graduating, if you are a good enough player you may also opt to play professional golf. Of course you need to obtain a Tour Card on the tour of your choice but if this option fails you always have your PGA qualifications to get work as an instructor, club pro etc.

Other PGA bodies will have different qualification criteria.

Wah your journey looks long... how many years did you take?

The PGA training is 3 years full time but prior to that, I played and practiced for many years to get to the level I needed to be accepted.
Upon completion of PGA, my Gary Edwin course is a part time on the job training which I have been doing for about 4 years, not intensive.
Even still, every lesson I do, I usually learn something new or discover a new drill or way to fix someones swing. The day I stop learning is the day I need to find a new job

I also never mentioned I studied a Golf Management degree at university prior to PGA. Another 3 years......man I feel old now

Wonderful sharing! I m very happy to read your writing. I applauded you for your devotion to the game. Nothing beats doing what we love, n love what we do. I got to learn from u!

I m not sure if SG have such program, but I look forward to my country having such program to cultivate talent, a name that I can cheer for.

Think I better start my son now! But he's only 9 months old... ha ha ha

Yeah! start him by reading golf digest to him instead of nursery rhymes.. hahah