When is the right time to turn pro?
Turning pro is probably the biggest decision in a golfer’s life. It is one of toughest decisions that a player has to make in his life.
Those who do not want to earn their bread butter from golf, continue to play as amateurs. Those who want to earn their bread and butter through golf must make the decision regarding turning pro, but at the right time.
To take the game to the next level is probably the toughest thing, maybe even tougher than making a putt for the US Open Championship.
If the decision to turn pro goes right, then it is like winning a lottery but if it back fires, then one may encounter great difficulty.
Let us find out what is the difference between a pro golfer and an amateur golfer. An amateur golfer does not get the prize money in tournaments even if he wins, where as the pro’s get the money because it is their means of earning.
When golfers turns pro, they have to deal with many pressures, for instance the media, expectations from fans, the anxiety associated with doing well and most importantly, winning the tournaments.
If an amateur performs well in one odd tournament that does not mean he is good enough to be a professional golfer. There are many aspects which one has to look at before turning pro. One just cannot get up one day and announce that they are turning pro.
The decision to turn pro takes time. One has to carefully consider all the options and ask oneself if they are ready to take on the world or not? Then there is the family and the coach, who must be consulted before taking this decision.
It is also beneficial if an amateur golfer can consult a top pro golfer regarding the dilemma. A professional will always give a relatively sounder advice, which can be really helpful in the long run.
There have been many examples of top amateur golfers not becoming top pro golfer in the world. Being a pro does not mean that success will come automatically, one has to earn it.
Tiger Woods turned pro when he was 21, but the former world number now believes that amateurs will start turning pro a little earlier.
He said, "It is probably more advantageous to turn pro a little bit earlier now because we do not have that – if it does get passed - you do not have that Q-School carrot at the end of it".
One such example is of Patrick Cantlay, who recently turned pro at the age of 20.
Talking about the time when Tiger had to make a decision regarding turning pro, he said, "One of the things that I conversed with my dad at the time is that I did not quite feel I was quite good enough to be a pro yet, until I played the British Open at
Lytham and had a really good I think second round".
Tiger thinks that it is the feeling inside a person that gives them an indication that it is now time to take on the world and that is when they finally decide to turn pro.
Maybe he is right because nobody is perfect, everybody improves as the time goes on. Many top amateur golfers have faded away after turning pro, whereas many others have flourished.
Taking advice from someone who knows you very well is beneficial and it helps in making the decision. However, at the end of the day, you are the boss and you have to decide.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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