So you want to be a pro?

[IrishGolfer]

Kinda interesting to look at a profile of European player Graeme McDowell. Actualy it could be any pro in the world.

• He is ranked 88 in the world, slightly better than a journeyman!
• His last 12 rounds he has played them in -22, a stroke average of 70.167
• He has gone MC/20T/5 in his last 3 tourneys and is well placed in India right now
• He has earned €91.6K in his last 3 tourneys and €145K so far in 2008
• Hi worst round in 12 was a 73 (he missed the cut with a pair of 73s)
• He shot 70,71,70,69 and finished 20T in Qutar
• His averages for 2008 to date are:

• Stroke average is 69.5
• 28.8 putts per round
• He hits it 283 yards
• He hit 62.8% of fairways
• He hits 70.2% of greens

ie none of his stats are brilliant (except maybe GIR).

So why am I posting this? Some dudes come on the board aspiring to be a Pro. Some of them are decent playas too. But imagine how hard it is to make a living here. You have to got out and shoot under par every round on a variety of courses way over 7000 yards, putting on tricked up greens, playing in all terrains, in all types of weather conditions. You have to deal with travel, business issues, and still be able to focus on your game, no excuses.

This is not a case of occasionally shooting a sub par round. It is being able to do that day in day out, week in week out. Normally a round over par means you packing your bags early.

These guys are good! Respect!

[eclark53520]

Definatly have respect for the guys on tour.

I would give just about anything to shoot those kinds of scores, hell, i wish i were half as good as him, and there is still 87 players ahead of him...crazy how good these people are at this game.

[SiberianDVM]

28.8 putts per round

This right here is the key.

I average 36 putts per round. I usually have 1 or 2 1-putts, and 1 or 2 3-putts, the rest 2-putts.

Although I did have a round last month where I had 2 0-putts, on back to back holes, chipping in for a birdie on the first and a par on the next.

I'm starting to think that really good putters, like Loren Roberts, and Eldrick Woods, actually see much more on the greens than mere mortals do. Their strokes are silky smooth, but they see subtle breaks where I just see green.

[Sandpiper3]

Thats all Im really working on for my game, GIRs up and Putts down, fws are kinda irrelevant as long as your GIR (although it helps).

[The master]

McDowell 88 in the world and Poulter 22 in the world. That just isn't right.

[Sandy]

I always found one of the best sections of the book 'Paper Tiger' came right at the beginning where the author talks about just how good the PGA Tour Pros really are. How you should think about the best player you know, who plays off scratch, wins your home course tournaments, and you generally think is amazing, and how that player just could not live with the players who in any year hold a Tour card. I think he's probably very right, as my experience of 'Elite Players' in any sport is that they operate on a level a mere mortal can only dream about.