REALITY ON THE PGA TOUR

Most everyone thinks the the players on the PGA TOUR have it made. Big dollar sponsorships, free this, free that, free Green Egg BBQ grills (yes, that's true). Free luxury courtesy cars and delicious free meals at the hosting club. All you have to do is finish in the top 125 every year. But what about the other 300 plus players trying to get a chance for all of this. Monday qualifiers.....Every Monday before the weekly tour event up to 150 Pros tee it up for 4 spots to play in that weeks event. Half of those 150, had to Pre-qualify just to get into the Monday qualifier. Jeez Louise! Today I had the chance to walk 18 holes with two different threesomes at Brunswick CC. A Donald Ross design that was recently brought back to what Donald intended in 1920 something. Think about playing 18 holes with every green like our 8th hole...with super fast greens and hole locations like we play on 16 everyday. Tough, tough, tough. Consider designing a course using only animals to pull the plows. No large earth movers back then. Consider clubs with wooden shafts and leather grips as tools the players had to tackle the courses. Some of you Old Timers reading this...used those clubs in your early golf careers. 150 young studs and many seasoned Pga veterans showed up today to play for 4 spots. Past Pga tour winners who lost their status. Pga veterans outside the top 125. Aspiring young kids, too. Tommy "two gloves" Gainey, was -1 before I joined him and Sam Saunders (yes, Arnies grandson) who was even. Both shot +5 on the back making them to decide what to do next year, as this is the final stop until 2022. Frank lickliter, Bo Hoag, DJ Trahan, Spencer Levin, Beau Hossler a fairly recent grad who has fallen on tough times. I could list 20 more veterans that showed up without a courtesy car...no snacks and fruit on the tee. No Gatorade in the coolers...just plain old water. No free buffet in the clubhouse. Just 150 excellent golfers of all ages just trying to get a chance to become a part of the top 125..Thanks for showing up today fellas... Enjoy the RSM Classic this week on the Golf Channel. I'll be the guy wearing the pink mirror glasses.