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Profile of a touring professional What is life like off of the golf course?
It looks so easy, doesn’t it? With the chance to play first rate courses and bang balls until sundown for free, who wouldn’t trade in their current job to be a touring golf professional? Well, it’s not exactly that easy. Sure they have bills just like the rest of us. The major difference is that their income is not, shall we say, a given. If they miss a cut, that’s an entire week in the red. Miss a slew of cuts, and all of a sudden you’re deciding if you can afford to hold on to the dream of PGA Tour glory. Noah Zelnik, a seasoned veteran who has played on over 15 professional developmental tours, is a prime example of the struggles that a touring pro goes through just to make ends meet. “I’ve sacrificed a lot,” said Zelnik, who has seen personal relationships come and go as his drive to succeed at the highest level of golf has remained with him for over a decade. Despite a victory on the Cleveland Golf Tour last year, as well as several top finishes this season, he often enters every event calculating “how much money do I need this week?” Even when he does play well, the seemingly simple process of delivering the check to the bank can be a struggle. Just last season, for example, Zelnik recorded consecutive top 10 finishes and then mailed those winnings to his bank. Or so he thought. Relying on that money to bolster his account and finance his entrance fees, Zelnik was shocked to find out the bank did not receive his checks. Weeks after, he still had “$7,000 in checks floating around somewhere.” As stressful as the money aspect can be to a touring pro, travel is also a major cause of frustration. Following a good stretch of play in New England, Zelnik decided to drive all the way to Detroit to try and Monday qualify for the PGA Tour’s Buick Open. Unlike many players who prefer the stability of concentrating on one tour only, Zelnik would rather supplement his Cleveland Golf Tour schedule by playing in as many qualifiers as he can. “If you don’t go, you don’t know,” said Zelnik, who missed out on one of the qualifying spots but would rather give himself a chance than second guess whether or not he could have got in if he had tried. “You don’t know if you don’t try.” As if arranging hotel accommodations and finding the golf course at an event are not enough, Zelnik has experienced more than his fair share of car problems. While in Detroit for the Buick qualifier, he was right near the border and decided to venture into Canada to repair his suddenly defunct transmission, which also broke in Massachusetts earlier this season. Eventually, Zelnik coerced his car to cooperate, but not without a headache. When asked if flying to these qualifiers and renting a car at the tournament would be a better option, Zelnik expressed a stubbornness to change his routine. “I don’t need a courtesy car,” he said. “I live with a clothes bar in the back of my car. That’s the way I live.” With so many off the course distractions to deal with, where do touring pros find the strength to handle everything else and then put all of their remaining energy into their golf? “It comes from the heart,” said Zelnik. As much as touring pros enjoy cashing check after check, the relationships they have developed with their peers can, and often do, provide more satisfaction. “The money isn’t as good as the recognition,” said Zelnik, who was proud to point out how quick most players were to go up to Matt Donovan and Jesse Fitzgerald to congratulate them on their recent victories. “It’s about getting recognized by your peers.” Despite all of the good times and great golf Zelnik has been a part of during his years as a caddy on the PGA Tour for Michael Bradley and now as a player himself, his one piece of advice for anyone considering a jump to professional golf is bluntly honest: “Don’t quit your day job. |
