62 replies to this topic

[dirthead]

I had a chance to play with a current Champions Tour player a few months ago.  I won't name him, but he won a couple of tournaments last year and finished high in the Schwab Cup standings.  I'm currently a 2 handicap, 45 years old, and play with a lot of guys better than I am.  I was really nervous when we first teed it up.  It's been a long time since I played with a "tour caliber" player.  Anyway, after a few holes I noticed a couple of major differences in our games.  Even though I'm not really a long hitter, we were about the same in distance, but he was much more consistent with every club in the bag.  His putting was phenomenal.  He expected to make everything inside 15 feet, and usually did.  I hit a few shots that were better than his on particular holes, but consistency is where the real difference is.  He was in the fairway, on the green, putting for birdie on almost every hole.  I wasn't, and so he beat me by more strokes than I care to remember.  You put me or any other amateur under the pressure of competition, and you can automatically add a few shots to our score.  The tour players thrive under the pressure.  They've played hundreds, if not thousands, of tournaments by the time they reach 50 years old, so the pressure is second nature to them.

If I was going to try to make the Champions Tour, I would work on consistency and play as many tournaments as possible to get my game "pressure" tested.  Although it's not very likely that any one of us could go from watching the pros on the weekends to playing with them on the Champions Tour, it's not impossible.  If that's what you want to do, then do it.  Work your a$$ off and give it everything you have.  Don't let a bunch of computer champions tell you not to.  Just do it.

[The Pearl]

Kjbowen,

A few thoughts, perhaps from a completely different perspective:

1.  What is the purpose?  What is the upside vs. the downside?   I love golf as much as you and I could literally play and practice 12 hours a day, but I can tell you as a 50 yr. old,  traveling around the country trying to claw out a living against guys with 30 yrs of top flight level experience in any endeavor is a punishing lifestyle at 50+ yrs old.    I could probably list a dozen negative things that can result EVEN IF you make it to the tour.

2.  Don't kid yourself, something will have to give and there will carnage.  Nearly every single individual that reaches elite status has paid a steep personal price.   "My family is behind me" sounds good on the surface, but there is no way in hell you can support your family and be competent at your current job, be a good dad, be a good husband, and put the time necessary at purposeful practice and tournament play to accomplish your goal.  Something will suffer and somebody will pay the price.  It all sounds good now, but when the missed kids milestones and countless hours with the wife alone with the kids start to mount up, the ship is going to start springing leaks.

3.  Hopes and dreams change over time.  Even with the current full fledged support from your family, this is still YOUR DREAM, NOT THEIR DREAM.   They have hopes and dreams and thier's will likely evolve, even your wife's.  Your dream may still be burning bright at 45, but when the kids need tuition money and the mortgage is still not paid off and the wife looks at the balance in the retirement accounts, priorities can shift very quickly.

4.  Be careful taking a passion and turning it into work.   That is a very dangerous road to go down.

[poizster]

Just go for the web.com or PGA Tour, it would probably be easier.