Opinion & Analysis
The Difference Between a Club Pro and a Pro Golfer
Omar Uresti recently won the PGA Professional Championship. The victory caused quite an uproar due to the fact that Uresti has spent a good part of his life as a playing professional golfer, with nearly 400 starts on the PGA Tour.
Before we allow for differences of opinion on this subject, we should note that the fault, if there is one, is not Uresti’s. He was perfectly in his right to play, because he’s qualified by the bylaws of the PGA of America, the organization that conducted the event. The question on many people’s mind is should Uresti, or any former or current touring professional, be allowed to compete against full-time club professionals?
As a lifetime club pro, I’m of course biased, but I do not believe that golfers who play the game for a living exclusively should be allowed to compete against club professionals. Club professionals are employed by a club for the purpose of running the operation, teaching, directing tournament operations, or any other duties the club requires. They are employees of the club and their primary duties include any of the above. Professional golfers, by comparison, are independent contractors whose sole concern is their game. The vast majority of their days are dedicated entirely to practicing and playing golf. Therein lies the difference and hence the controversy; it’s simply not a level playing field.
Omar Uresti played the PGA Tour, albeit without a win or lasting status, for many years. No matter, he was never and is still not a club pro. “Giving free tips to the members where I play and practice,” as he says he does, does not qualify one to be a club professional. The 28,000 men and women golf professionals who are, as the PGA of America puts it, “dedicated to establishing and elevating the standards of the profession and growing interest and participation in the game of golf” should have their own championship, plain and simple.
Uresti’s talent speaks for itself. Anyone who can earn a living entirely on their golf skills is playing this game at a level many people do not understand. That level is well above the average club pro, and even above the development tours. Just tee it up sometime with a professional golfer and you’ll see a game of which you’re not familiar. The power, the touch, the deft putting; it’s awesome to observe.
On a personal note, I played with Tiger Woods one day, and as amazing as it was, I was quickly reminded why I teach the game and not play it for a living. We could take it one step further and compare the Web.com Tour players to PGA Tour players, and while the difference may not be as obvious, there IS a difference. It’s one flubbed chip, one hooked tee shot out of bounds, or one missed putt in a round.
Players of Uresti’s caliber have plenty of events around the world and play for plenty of money. They should not be allowed to compete against club pros who, by definition, do not and cannot play for a living.
Opinion & Analysis
Brandel Chamblee PGA Championship Q&A: Rose’s huge McLaren risk, distracted LIV pros and why Aronimink suits the bombers
PGA Championship week is here, and Brandel Chamblee did not hold back in our latest discussion ahead of the season’s second major.
In our 2026 PGA Championship Q&A, golf’s leading analyst made the case that PIF pulling LIV’s funding has left its players competing in a state of confusion, called Justin Rose’s mid-season equipment switch a huge risk at 45, and explained why Aronimink will be a bombers’ delight this week.
Check out the full Q&A below.
Gianni: With the PIF confirming that they’re pulling funding from LIV at the end of the season, what impact do you expect that to have on the LIV players competing at the PGA Championship?
Brandel: I would imagine that they have all been thrown into a state of confusion, and will be distracted, not knowing where they are going to play next year and not knowing exactly their road back to either the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour. Or in Rahm’s case, being tied to a sinking ship for the next few years, likely playing for pennies on the dollar in events that no one cares about or watches.
I doubt this would put him in the best frame of mind to compete at his highest level. Keeping in mind, however, that majors are the only time that LIV disciples get to play in events that matter, so never disregard the motivation they have to prove to the world they are still relevant.
Gianni: Justin Rose switched to McLaren Golf equipment mid-season while playing some of the best golf of his career. What do you make of the change?
Brandel: I don’t really know what to make of Rose switching equipment. It seems a huge risk on his part, even though it is likely, in my opinion, that the clubs he’s playing are similar, if not the exact grinds, to what he was playing previously, with a McLaren stamp on them.
Having said that, at best, it is a distraction when he seemed to be as dialed in with his game as any 45-year-old could be and trending in the majors to perhaps do something that would definitely put him in the Hall of Fame. At worst, given the possibility that these clubs aren’t just duplicates of his old set stamped with McLaren on them, he’s made an equipment change that would take time, and 45-year-old athletes don’t have the time to do such things.
Gianni: Aronimink has only hosted a handful of professional events since it hosted the 1962 PGA Championship. What kind of test does it present, and does a course with less recent major championship history tend to level the playing field?
Brandel: Even though Aronimink has only hosted a handful of meaningful professional events, it has been fairly discerning in who can win there. When Keegan Bradley won the BMW Championship on the Donald Ross masterpiece in 2018, he was the 2nd best iron player on tour coming into that week. When Nick Watney won the AT&T at Aronimink in 2011, he was 2nd in strokes gained total coming into the week.
In 2020, Aronimink hosted the KPMG Championship, and Sei Young Kim won. On the LPGA that year, she was first in greens in regulation, putts per green in regulation, and scoring average on the way to being the LPGA player of the year. And then there is the 1962 PGA Championship won by Gary Player, who eventually became just one of a few players to win the career grand slam on the way to winning 9 majors. It is a formidable test, and if it’s not softened by rain, it will bring out the best in the upper echelons of the game.
Gianni: Is there a specific hole at Aronimink that you think will do the most to decide the winner?
Brandel: The hardest hole at Aronimink in each of the three tour events that have been played there since 2010 has been the long par-3 8th hole, with the par-4 10th being the second hardest, so most of the carnage will happen around the turn, but with the par-5 16th offering opportunities for bold plays and the tough closing holes at 17 and 18, the finish is likely to be frenetic.
Gianni: The PGA Championship has always sat in the shadow of the other majors. What does the ideal PGA Championship look like in your eyes, and what would it take for it to carve out its own identity?
Brandel: The PGA Championship, to whatever degree it suffers from the comparison to the other three majors, is still counted just as much when adding them up at the end of one’s career. Almost 1/3 of Nicklaus’ major wins were the five PGA Championships he won. Walter Hagen won 11 majors, five of which were PGA Championships.
Tiger Woods twice in his career won back-to-back PGA Championships, and those four majors count just as much as the other 11 he won. The PGA may not have the prestige of the other three, but it carries the same weight. Having said that, I preferred the identity that it had as the last major of the year.
Gianni: You nailed your Masters picks. Rory won, Scottie finished solo second, and Morikawa surged to a tie for seventh. Who are your top 3 picks for the PGA Championship and why?
Brandel: I am not a huge fan of majors played on golf courses that have been shorn of most of the trees, although I understand some of the agronomic reasons for doing so and of course the ease with which it allows members to play after errant drives. However, at the highest level, it all but eliminates any strategy off the tee and turns professional golf into an even bigger slugfest. That means that it will likely be a bomber’s delight this week, but fortunately, Scottie Scheffler is long enough to play that game and straight enough to play it better than anyone else.
The major championships give us very few surprises anymore, going back to the beginning of 2012, so the last 57 majors played, the average world rank of the winners has been better than 15th in the world. So look at the highest ranked and longest drivers who are on form coming into the PGA Championship who also have great short games as the surrounds at Aronimink are very challenging. That’s Scottie Scheffler by a mile and then McIlroy and Cameron Young with a far bigger nod towards DeChambeau than I gave him at the Masters.
In this episode of the Club Junkie Podcast, we dive into one of the most interesting flatstick releases of the year with a full review of the new TaylorMade SYSTM 2 putters. After spending time on the greens, I break down what makes this design stand out, where it performs, and why it has me completely torn between loving it and fighting it. If you are into feel, alignment, and consistency, this is one you will want to hear about.
We also take a look at some of the putters in play on the PGA Tour last week. From familiar favorites to a few surprising setups, there is always something to learn from what the best players in the world are rolling with under pressure.
To wrap things up, I walk through the process of building a set of JP Golf Prime irons paired with Baddazz Gold Series shafts. From component selection to performance goals, this is a deep dive into what goes into creating a unique custom set and why this combo has been so intriguing.
This year my 50th birthday. Gosh, where has the time gone?
As a teenager in rural Missouri, some of my junior high and high school years felt interminable. Graduation seemed light years away. But the older I get, the faster life seems to fly by.
I’m also increasingly aware of my mortality. My dad died recently. Earlier this year, a friend and fellow PGA of America professional and I were texting about our next catch-up. The next message I received was news of his unexpected passing at 48. Shortly after, a woman I dated in college succumbed to cancer at 51.
Certainly, one can share perspective at any age. Seniors help freshmen, veterans guide rookies. But reaching this milestone feels like as good a time as any to do one of those “what would I tell my younger self?” articles.
I’ve had a uniquely varied career in golf. I started as a 27-year-old, average-length-hitting, 14-handicap computer engineer and somehow managed to turn pro before running out of money, constantly bootstrapping my way forward. I’ve won qualifiers and set venue records in the World Long Drive Championships, finished fifth at the Speedgolf World Championships, coached all skill levels as a PGA of America professional, built industry-leading swing speed training programs for Swing Man Golf, helped advance the single-length iron market with Sterling Irons®, caddied on the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions, and played about 300 courses across 32 countries.
It’s been a ride, and I’ve gone both deep and wide.
So while I can consult and advise from a lot of angles, let me keep it to a few things I’d tell the average golfer who wants to improve.
1. Think About What You Want
Everyone has their own reason for picking up a golf club.
Oddly, as a professional athlete, I’m not internally driven by competition. That can be challenging, as the industry currently prioritizes and incentivizes competition over the love of the game.
For me, I love walking and being outdoors. Nature helps balance my energy. I prefer courses that are integrated into the natural beauty of their surroundings. I’m comfortable practicing alone. I’m a deep thinker, and I genuinely enjoy investigating the game, using data and intuition to unearth unique, often innovative insights. I’m fortunate to be strong and athletic, so I appreciate the chance to engage with my abilities. Traveling feels adventurous. I could go on.
You don’t have to overthink it like I do. For you, it might be as simple as hitting balls to escape work, hanging out with friends, and playing loosely with the rules and the score.
The point is to give yourself permission to play for your own reasons, and let that be enough.
But if improvement is your goal, thinking about your destination—and when you want to get there—is important, because it dictates the steps you need to take. When I set out to go from a 14-handicap to the PGA TOUR as quickly as possible, the steps I needed were very different from those of a working golfer trying to break 90 in six months. That’s also different from someone who just wants a few peaceful hours outside each week, away from work or family.
None of these goals are better than the others, but each requires a different plan that you can work backward from.
2. There Are Lots of Things That Can Work
One of the challenges of golf is that, although there are rules for playing, there aren’t clear, industry-wide standards for how to best play the game. There’s a lot of gray area.
You might hear a top coach or trainer insist that a certain move is the best way to swing or train. Then you dig a bit deeper and, much to your confusion and frustration, another respected coach or trainer says something completely different. I don’t think anyone is trying to confuse you—at least I hope not. It’s just where the industry is right now.
You have to be careful with advice from tournament pros, too. They might be great at scoring, but they’re also human and sometimes just as susceptible as amateurs to believing things that don’t really move the needle. Tour players might describe what they feel, but that’s not always what they’re actually doing when assessed with technology.
I recently ran a test on my YouTube channel (which connects to my GolfWRX article “How to use your hands in the golf swing for power and accuracy”), and, interestingly, two of the most commonly taught hand actions produced the worst results in the test.
Coaches can certainly help. If you find someone you connect with to help navigate, that’s great. But there are many ways to get the ball in the hole. In the current landscape, you may need to seek multiple opinions, think critically, and use your own intuition to discern what seems true and whose advice resonates with you.
I’d recommend seeking someone who is open-minded and always learning, because things constantly change. Absolutes like “correct” or “proper” should raise a red flag. AI can be useful, but it tends to confidently repeat popular advice, so proceed with caution.
3. Get Custom Fit
If you’re serious about becoming a better player, getting custom fit is hugely important. There’s no sense fighting your equipment if you don’t have to. Most better players get fit these days and, if they don’t, they’re usually skilled enough to work around clubs that aren’t ideal.
If you plan to play for a long time, it’s worth spending a little more upfront to get something that truly fits you and your game, rather than continually buying and discarding equipment.
Equipment rules haven’t really changed significantly since the early 2000s. To stay in business, manufacturers keep pushing those limits. If you pull a bunch of clubs and balls off the rack and test them, you’ll find differences. I’ve tested two new drivers and seen a 30-yard total distance gap. Usually, the issue isn’t bad equipment; it’s that the combination of components simply isn’t the best fit.
It’s like wearing a new pair of floppy clown shoes. Sure, they’re shoes—but you won’t sprint your best in them compared to track shoes that fit perfectly.
Be wary of what’s called custom fitting, too. Sometimes the term is used as a marketing strategy rather than an actual fitting. In some retail settings, fitters may be incentivized to steer you toward higher-priced components. That doesn’t automatically mean it’s not the best fit, but you should be aware of potential biases.
I learned a version of this lesson outside of golf. Years ago, I bought a tennis racquet at a big box store from a seemingly knowledgeable employee who thought it would suit me best. The racquet gave me tennis elbow, and I spent months recovering with rest and acupuncture. The next season, I invested more time and money to find what actually fit me, and I walked away with something amazing that I still play with years later.
So if you’re going to get fit, be smart about it.
Find someone you believe has deep knowledge—possibly with certifications, but not necessarily. Make sure there’s a wide inventory across many brands. Check recent reviews for the individual fitter if possible. Make sure you trust that the fitter has your best interests at heart. If they’re wearing a hat or shirt with a specific brand’s logo, proceed with caution. Unless you specifically want a certain brand or look, be wary of upsells, especially if two options perform nearly the same.
Also, while golf is called a sport of integrity, there’s a thread of manipulation in the industry. I once drafted an equipment article for an industry magazine, structured just like one of their previous popular stories, with matching word count and great photos. The assistant editor loved it; it was useful to readers and required little work on his part. But the editor-in-chief nixed the story. When I asked why, I was told it was because I wasn’t an advertiser. It turned out the article I’d modeled mine after was a paid ad cleverly disguised as editorial content.
I really dislike games, clickbait, and fear-based manipulation. I hope this changes, but golfers deserve to know it exists.
4. Distance and Strategy Matter
There’s a real relationship between how far you hit the ball and your scoring average, even at the PGA TOUR level.
I experienced this early in my pro career. I started as a power hitter, swinging in the high 120s and breaking 200 mph ball speed with a stock driver.
Back then, some instructors advised swinging at 80%, so I tried slowing down for more accuracy. That worked fine on shorter, tighter courses. But on longer setups, I was coming into greens with too much club, and par 5s stopped being
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Mark
Jul 5, 2017 at 12:53 pm
Not true at all. Two examples that disprove your theory: Greg Norman and Larry Nelson. They both took the game up “late” in life in terms of putting in the hours to be a tour professional. Norman played other sports before taking up golf, in which he became a scratch golfer very quickly. Nelson did not take up golf until after serving a tour of duty in Vietnam. Plus, there are plenty of college players and mini tour players that put in tons of practice hours but never make it on tour.
Russell
Jun 30, 2017 at 8:52 am
You can’t have it both ways, your either a pro or amateur! Take your medicine and stop whining
You could win a get a naff golf bag 🙁
Devilsadvocate
Jun 30, 2017 at 1:59 am
Oh yea? Look up the guy who tried to practice golf for 10k hours and see where that got him… takes more than time it takes talent… tour pros have the talent
SS
Jun 29, 2017 at 3:24 pm
There is a simple way to end this. The PGA should get rid of A-3 classification. If touring pro’s really want to play in our national, section and chapter events then they can enter into the PGM program and work at a PGA recognized facility for what usually amounts to 60+ hours a week for very little pay and barely enough time to hit balls or even play golf. Mind you on top of insane work hours you will still need to complete 3-5 years of level 1-2 and 3 book work. Guys like Omar get to hit balls and play golf all day every day and for some reason he gets to wear the same badge that so many of us busted our rear ends to earn. I challenge him to do any of the most basic of tasks. How about log into TPP and set up a member/guest tournament. Good luck!
TG
Jul 2, 2017 at 5:30 pm
From one club pro to another….This is the greatest comment of all time! TPP is a blessing and a curse but there is no way that any of the tour players could could set up a tourny or purchase merchandise and have to deal with the invoices while trying to run a league at the same time.
Ken Allard
Feb 7, 2018 at 6:35 pm
Nice post.
ooffa
Jun 29, 2017 at 1:12 pm
That’s not true!
ooffa
Jun 30, 2017 at 10:34 am
Ya, Still not true!
Marc
Jun 29, 2017 at 11:57 am
As a PGA of America Class A professional I am perfectly fine with Omar winning the PNC at Sunriver. I can admit when I got beat (played poorly enough to not even make the cut out there). The guys who are whining about Omar winning are the same guys who whine about the guys in their section who win mostly everything and every one of the 41 sections has these players. Common things I hear are “they must be playing everyday”, “they must do nothing but practice all day”, “they don’t spend any time in the shop or running tournaments’, etc, etc. Been hearing this for years and I’m only 31. The guys who are better players are by and large good players because they either a) have been a good player for a very long time regardless whether they spent time on a major tour or not, b) make their game one of their priorities by taking the time the vast majority of PGA professionals do not take or c) have access to facilities/personnel to be able to take that next step of golf ability. I can give several examples of A just in my section or neighboring MET section alone but I firmly believe and have personally witnessed B over and over so many times it is almost depressing. Yes the golf business is not as much fun as everyone outside it thinks it is. Yes there are long hours. Yes you do not have the time to devote to your own game that one would like. But the guys who are good players (yes even the ones who are former touring professionals and there are plenty of them) have to constantly work on their games or risk falling by the wayside. Contrary to the opinion of these article which basically claims every club pro is a hack, there are some very good players in every section. Bad players are afraid someone is going to take their money “unfairly”. Good players welcome the challenge as it only elevates their game.
DK
Jun 29, 2017 at 10:33 am
There really should be a separate classification for club pros who are ‘playing pros’. These would be the guys/girls ineligible to play in amateur events. I really don’t understand why we cannot have PGA members who maintain amateur status? You have all the benefits of the PGA (you know, like your free magazine) but don’t compete for prize money.
The dude
Jun 29, 2017 at 5:50 am
$1 says OU will be playing the champions Tour in 2 years
justin case
Jun 29, 2017 at 7:35 pm
That will be a tuff go. They give a limited number of cards out and if you do not earn one, you will not be playing. No road to the Champions unless a former player has made at least 15M in their PGA Tour career or you play well enough to get one of the cards at Qschool.
Jalan
Jun 28, 2017 at 10:59 pm
Do you also believe someone who played as a professional should never be able to regain his amateur status? If, as you say, playing pros are on a completely different level than club pros, and you cite their responsibilities as pros as a reason. If this holds true, then how can pros justifiably be allowed to return to amateur status. Their games haven’t changed. Yet, many pros club, mini tour etc. do just that.
Either you are a professional, or you aren’t. If you don’t like the rules, petition to have them changed. However, until that happens, I don’t think it’s fair or decent of you to complain and criticize someone in a public forum.
Chris Hansen
Jun 28, 2017 at 10:24 pm
It would seem the question is, if it’s open only to club pros, how did OU qualify under that status?
Seems like we’ve glossed over that detail to support the Mr. Clark’s argument, but it’s worth mentioning.
Mr Clark is fundamentally sound, however – this would be like the varsity player being allowed to compete at the JV level.
I went to a private high school in New England that had a nationally ranked hockey team. My Sophomore year, our best player made the 1984 Olympic team as a starting center. He was already an amazing player in HS, and this was in a a HIGHLY competitive league that routinely graduated kids with full-ride scholarships @ D1 schools and NHL contracts. When this kid came back form the Olympics mid-season, they allowed him to play, but put him on Defense. He scored 8 goals his first game and they had no choice but to bench him for the rest of the season.
There is no comparison when you’re talking about athletic performance at this level.
dennis clark
Jun 28, 2017 at 9:56 pm
Authors note: I’m pushing 70 years young so there is NO personal animosity or bitterness just a suggestion to the PGA. FYI, A-3 members pay minimal dues, have no continuing education requirements and no club affiliation or responsibilities. The point is lets have a national championship for guys who work a club for a living. Just sayin…
peterpro
Jul 2, 2017 at 11:47 pm
Thankyou…… the PGA should eliminate the A3 member…. it is not fair they do not have any education or emplyment requirements like all the other members????
moses
Jun 28, 2017 at 9:55 pm
Omar Uresti was once a top 100 player. Geez why don’t we let the likes of Tiger and other former #1s do the same thing that Uresti did. Yes that would be just awesome.
larry
Jun 28, 2017 at 9:41 pm
I see my teaching pro on the range at the club 50 -60 hours a week and he’s supposed to compete with guys like Omar and Small who play and practice all day? Great article Dennis and it’s a joke that those guys can play in tournaments like this against guys who actually work all day.
Rwj
Jun 28, 2017 at 6:33 pm
Should tour pros be able to play in a club championship? By this authors tone, they shouldn’t. They play golf for a living, then come to the club to beat the everyday members for a club championship
Simon
Jun 28, 2017 at 6:32 pm
Perhaps the current rules don’t capture the intent of the PGA tournament being run by and for club pros. However if a pro formerly played on tour, but is now plying his trade as a club pro, how would you react? Surely those pro golfers who don’t quite make it on tour usually go back to being teaching pros at golf clubs. What is the problem there? Even if they had extensive experience on professional tours, they are still club pros now. It sounds like Uresti isn’t in this category, but I don’t think you are going to eliminate the problem completely by confining qualifying to club pros only.
Shortside
Jun 28, 2017 at 5:51 pm
Completely agree. I was wondering why the rules hadn’t been changed.
JC
Jun 28, 2017 at 5:04 pm
The PGA is a labor union and they hate anyone or anything that threatens their way of life.
Stephen T
Jun 28, 2017 at 3:56 pm
2nd place guy won a tourney for $100K first place last year – 3rd place has 2 W’s on the Web.com tour – maybe by the time we get to 9th place we will get someone acceptable to the author??
Old Putter
Jun 28, 2017 at 3:55 pm
Pros break par, club pros should be able to break par…
stop whining
Ude
Jun 28, 2017 at 9:06 pm
and you break wind
Jerry Dussel
Jun 28, 2017 at 3:53 pm
I was a professional golfer for a few years but couldn’t make it so I just bought my amateur status back from the USGA for $34 and won some decent am tournaments
Paul McMillan
Jun 28, 2017 at 3:50 pm
Dennis,
You cant have it both ways.
If I was a member of the PGA I am a member regardless of what I do as a golfer. Club pros and touring pros are just the same-pros. Some are better than others so they make a higher income touring the tournaments. There are abundant examples of club pros and assistant pros making a highly successful career on the tour. Ian Poulter springs to mind immediately. I would also argue that many touring pros on the lower circuits and the lower end of the PGA and other world tours earn significantly less than some senior pros in the exclusive clubs of the US.
Jam
Jun 29, 2017 at 1:44 pm
What are you even talking about? Club pros are not the same as touring pros. Club pros have to work in the golf industry, touring pros only have to work on their own game. It’s night and day different. The issue is that there are work requirements that touring pros don’t have to adhere to.
ROY
Jun 28, 2017 at 3:16 pm
It was a phenomenal day for one lucky golfer at Sunnybrook Golf Club.
One hundred thirty-seven professionals and 11 amateurs teed off Tuesday at the Haverford Trust Philadelphia PGA Classic, but only one man took home the $100,000 grand prize – the largest prize of any one-day local PGA tournament in the country. (From June 2016)
Seems 2nd place finisher has won more that Omar here lately – Maybe he should not have been allowed to play
bms
Jun 28, 2017 at 9:58 pm
But Roy he was completing again club pros like myself not touring pros
ROY
Jun 29, 2017 at 10:31 am
Third place has 2 Web.com victories, 5th place has made 2 of 3 cuts in PGA tour events this year. These are guys still playing at an elite level – not against guys running scramples and selling merchandise
leo vincent
Jun 28, 2017 at 2:44 pm
Omar Uresti has no status on any major pro tour.It’s not like Dustin Johnson going out and beating up on club pro’s.Also he is not exactly in his prime at 48 yrs old.He should be allowed to play
Jam
Jun 28, 2017 at 4:22 pm
It has nothing to do with being in someone’s prime, it’s the fact that he doesn’t work in the golf industry. He plays golf full-time. Everyone else has to maintain certain hours at a job within the industry.
David Hueber, Ph.D.
Jun 28, 2017 at 2:11 pm
Dennis,
You made a number of valid points in your article, “The Difference Between a Club Pro and A Pro Golfer.” I am sympathetic because of my PGA roots…my dad was a club pro. However, I also worked for the PGA TOUR back in the day when the PGA TOUR and the PGA got divorced and remarried over who was going to control the brand name, PGA. The final settlement was that they would share it. PGA TOUR Properties was created to segregate and market both brands. At the heart of the issue was the access of PGA members to the PGA TOUR. As part of that agreement, the Tournament Players Series was created to provide greater access for PGA members to play professional golf and the number of spots for PGA members on the PGA TOUR was reduced. Lastly, 20 PGA members would be eligible to play in the PGA Championship and former PGA TOUR members would be eligible to play in PGA events. In my opinion, it probably makes sense to have some time period before PGA TOUR members can play PGA events, just as the USGA does before former PGA TOUR can regain their amateur status.
farmer
Jun 28, 2017 at 8:16 pm
Hogan had a job as a head pro at various country clubs prior to WW2. Very common in those days.
M Singleton
Jun 28, 2017 at 1:34 pm
As a former PGA Professional, I feel like this article was a waste of my time. Omar Uresti has every right to compete in this event. It’s funny reading some of the ridiculous comments made. There’s always at least one sore loser in the crowd. It’s more than unfair to point fingers at Omar because of his role at a club. I would bet there are many in this event who are “vanity pros” who entertain their members with their games, connections to exclusive clubs, etc.. It was not a shock to see comments made about Mike Small. Come on people! Omar and Mike are obviously talented, and have chosen to be club pros – IT’S THEIR CHOICE! It doesn’t matter how many events they have competed in. There are rules established for those wishing to be reinstated to amateur status. There are no rules for tour pros becoming club pros. Club pros play in many PGA Tour/web.com tour events each year. Reminds me of golfers who say teams weren’t fair because we didn’t win. Thanks for giving me a great laugh…
Jam
Jun 29, 2017 at 1:48 pm
You don’t get it. How is Omar a club pro? He doesn’t do anything but work on his own game. He is exactly the same (minus the nominal annual dues) as a college kid who just graduated and turns pro. They both work on their own game only and play in the tournaments they can.
Rick Kimbrell
Jun 28, 2017 at 1:09 pm
Like it or not, Uresti qualified under the current rules as they are written. He should be allowed to play. Looks like the PGA needs to take a look at the qualifications and make some changes. Until they do, other “club pros” in similar situations to Uresti can try to take advantage of the rules as they are written today. Just like in the Rules of Golf…sometimes you can use them to your advantage and other times you get penalized. Uresti used the PGA qualification rules to his advantage.
JJVas
Jun 28, 2017 at 1:04 pm
Welcome Dennis and other PGA members! This is what we working Am’s get to do in club championships, state and regional Am’s, and my favorite, the new and unimproved mid-am, where I get to play against 25-year old (instead of 30-year old) former pros. Again, welcome!
Jim
Jun 28, 2017 at 1:02 pm
Let me know when he doesn’t touch his own clubs for a week and a half before the 3 day memeber guest, helps wash golf cars or load bags more than once a season…or plays first 10 rounds of the season with half a brain plugged in because he’s training kids to be caddies.
There are still elite clubs that value competitive pros, assistants and teachers who are practically immune from operational duties who play virtually everyday, every week in section events and every pro-am with members…God bless em. Good work if you can get it. I’m in probably the best section for that, but I can tell you we lost 60+% of THOSE jobs during the crash, and still have NOT fully recovered.
Someone would raise this issue in section meetings about “who actually WORKED as an assistant” rather than a semi-sponsored full time player, and would be routinely shot down by the director or board…
(no doubt most of whom hoped they might get that gig one day)…
Jim
Jun 28, 2017 at 2:23 pm
…there’s also an entirely different ability to perform in front of the world as opposed to a few hundred people – many of whom you recognize.
There’s been more than a few guys who couldn’t quite make that transition. ‘Someone I knew’ used to play often with an assistant at one of the nicest toughest courses around and even as a legit +2 would get creamed there, Winged Foot – any of the best tri-state courses they’d get to play as guests.
The shark in the story won a few pretty notable (not PGA) events and absolutely earned spots in a couple tour events.
I played with him @ one of the most famed NE courses – with ‘one foot in the rough’ from the blacks where he shot a 63 and crushed us – not 2 weeks before carding 86/NC in the big show…
I beleive that if he had some kinda ‘Bad Hair Wimberly’ big time sponsor for a year to not do anything but travel, play & practice, he could if absolutely made a fine living on tour
JC
Jun 28, 2017 at 9:07 pm
Union guys hate free market guys….
Bob Parsons
Jun 28, 2017 at 12:53 pm
College coaches are glorified recruiters and chaperones. Mike Small is only allowed to compete due to the Illinois PGA granting college coaches PGA Member Status. He should NOT be competing against club pros.
Jam
Jun 28, 2017 at 4:26 pm
Agreed.
Tim Rice
Jun 28, 2017 at 12:37 pm
If club pro’s can’t compete with PGA tour pro’s, then why bother allowing them entry into the PGA Championship?
Bob Parsons
Jun 28, 2017 at 12:56 pm
Same reason Augusta National lets the Mid-Am Champ in every year… Because they make the rules and they say so. Before this year no Mid-Am Champ had ever made the cut. Just so happens Hagestad (former USC Trojan) plays every day and “works in finance”.
ROY
Jun 28, 2017 at 3:07 pm
HOw many club pros made the cut in the last 2 or 3 PGA’s??
Scott
Jun 28, 2017 at 12:33 pm
At least you see head to head how a club pro stacks up. Sure, it is a feel good story to let them into the PGA, but they have zero chance. You might as well hand out exemptions to the club pros that sell the most merch or do the most charity work.
N. D. Boondocks
Jun 28, 2017 at 12:20 pm
Mostly, I would like to know WHY Omar wanted to play in this. A cynic would say he just finally wanted to win ‘something’. I’m not a great golfer, but I can play decently. I can assure you I wouldn’t get any satisfaction at all by beating a beginner in a head-to-head match. And that’s kind of the ability difference this author is pointing to.
Duh
Jun 28, 2017 at 1:59 pm
How about a spot into the PGA championship, for a start.
BJ
Jun 29, 2017 at 10:08 am
Exactly.
And a good finish in the PGA Championship can start the ball rolling to get his career re-booted.
Patricknorm
Jun 28, 2017 at 12:13 pm
Excellent article. This is simply a PGA tour pro taking advantage of the nuanced rules.
Yes, there are a handful of working club professionals who might occasionally have the game to briefly compete against a seasoned tour pro. These club pros qualify to play the PGA championships each summer. It’s a reward for their dedication and skill to the game and yet they all have full time club duties.
If a club pro was good enough, committed enough and financially stable to compete in 30 events each season, then they would. You just have to accept that a top 150 touring pro is far ahead of a club pro.
KoreanSlumLord
Jun 28, 2017 at 12:09 pm
Nowadays club pros are pro shop shirt stackers who hardly play. Things have changed so much since I took the game up in the 80’s. I tell my friends and family to steer clear of the club pros for lessons and to see independent coaches if they want to bring their game to the next level. I wish things were not this way, but I miss the days when the club pros were out every day giving lessons on the tee and playing lessons on the course. The club pros are inside now.
TR1PTIK
Jun 28, 2017 at 12:18 pm
Not sure where you are seeing this because I know for a fact that my club pro is very busy. Perhaps this could be true at private country clubs where drumming up business is not the primary or sole responsibility of the pro, but every public course pro I’ve spoken with stays busy. They have far too much to do to keep dollars flowing in and engaging with the local community.
BJ
Jun 28, 2017 at 12:03 pm
Personally, I’d draw the line this way: If you had status on the PGA Tour or European Tour in the past 5 years or played in 12 or more combined events on the PGA Tour, European Tour, Web.com Tour, or Challenge Tour in any calendar year in the past 3 years, you are not allowed to compete in the CPC. And if you’ve won any event that awards OWGR points in the past ten years, you are ineligible.
Additionally, CPC competitors must have a legitimate job at a PGA recognized facility or coach collegiate golf.
I think that’s a pretty simple fix that eliminates most of the problems.
If a web.com player legit retires from competing and starts folding shirts for five years, then plays, that’s fine.
Jam
Jun 28, 2017 at 1:25 pm
I think you’ve nailed it.
Jim
Jun 28, 2017 at 1:55 pm
Agreed..
JC
Jun 28, 2017 at 9:09 pm
So you need to be a union member to play?
Jam
Jun 28, 2017 at 11:59 am
I agree, I used to be in the golf business and watched a current web.com player dust the rest of us in our State Open. Must have been fun and challenging for him. I think the issue isn’t whether someone used to play on the tour or not, but that they should be employed and meet the minimum hours everyone else is held to. The fact that his only job is working on his game, while everyone else is folding shirts and making tee times makes it feel askew. I agree with the Mike Small argument too, that job doesn’t make sense to me either. He coaches and fund raises for approximately 10 players. I’m not sure how that job is remotely like that of an assistant class A professional who runs junior camps and member-guest tournaments.
Kim
Jun 28, 2017 at 11:47 am
This is very similar to professional golfers regaining their amateur status and then competing against amateurs who have full time careers not in golf. The former professional will have dedicated many years to just playing and competing and that is not the same as working 40 hours per week at another job and playing/practicing on weekends and dark evenings. I wonder what Dennis Clark thinks about that.
Flatstick
Jun 28, 2017 at 12:16 pm
Yes. There are ‘professional’ amateurs and it’s nearly impossible to consistently hang with them. Sounds like Uresti is a ‘professional’ club pro. Same concept. Theroot question is what drives the definition? Status or occupation?
TG65
Jun 28, 2017 at 11:28 am
Dennis, I agree with your “complaint” about ex-Tour Players competing against Club Pros. By extension of your argument, Club Pros should not be allowed to play in the PGA Championship unless they qualify as any other player must. It is crazy to allow 20 inferior (according to your own statements) players to compete in one of golf’s four majors.
Jacked_Loft
Jun 28, 2017 at 11:20 am
Have to agree with you on this. Our club pros can strike it good, but just can’t score as good as a full timer. Kind of like top NCAA or Walker Cup players showing up at the Thursday afternoon men’s pickup.
Judge Smeills
Jun 28, 2017 at 11:20 am
I dont get it, most good club pro players are former mini tour players
Mike Small played a number of years on the PGA and Web.com tours. He now coaches college players but I am sure he plays a lot of competitive rounds with his players
If Mike had won instead of Omar would you have written the same article?
jason01
Jun 28, 2017 at 11:14 am
He is well within his rights to play, How many times has Mike Small won and no gripe at all. He also played for a living before his coaching job.
Trip
Jun 28, 2017 at 11:10 am
This is how nearly all us mid-ams feel when playing against former pros that have regained their amateur status. Welcome to the club.
Flatstick
Jun 28, 2017 at 12:17 pm
Yep
Eric
Jun 29, 2017 at 12:08 am
Exactly. The mid-am tournaments have turned into the “best college players that didn’t turn pro” opens. Hard to compete against guys who basically still play golf for a living while you’re punching a clock 9-5. We all know these cats. They sell insurance, work in “finance”, sell real estate, or are “entrepreneurs.” When really they spend 8 hrs a day at the club wearing penny loafers with no socks and eating every meal from the club kitchen.
larrybud
Jun 29, 2017 at 11:10 am
Bingo. It’s not “fair” that I work a regular job and compete against guys playing every day! (Note, I believe it’s perfectly “fair”).
surewin73
Jun 28, 2017 at 11:07 am
Omar is a dues paying member of the PGA of America since 1993. He should be allow to play and am I glad that he is. Congratulations to him.
Club professional come in multiple sizes. Some work very hard for very little, while others do very little and command much.
So what should disqualify him? Playing on the PGA Tour. Playing on any professional tour. How about one event?
You just sound bitter, Dennis.
If you and other PGA professional are upset, he won. Let me share some advice my pro gave me.
Just practice harder at your craft and play better.
Geez!
Another reason, I dislike the PGA of America and some of its members.
E
Jun 28, 2017 at 11:23 am
WUM hater
mike
Jun 28, 2017 at 11:39 am
a 400 plus pga tournament player and a local club pro are extremely different things, and as the writer says, its not Omar that is in the wrong, its eligibility that needs to and based on alot of the uproar this has caused probably will change. So put the Hater-ade down buds
TR1PTIK
Jun 28, 2017 at 12:12 pm
Obviously, you didn’t read very far into it or simply chose to take what you wanted. Dennis makes some very good points and I agree with him that perhaps there are some events where Tour Pros and Club Pros could/should compete against each other, but Club Pros do not have the time to practice like Tour Pros. More importantly, it is indeed a fact that Uresti is not a Club Pro. He holds professional status with the PGA of America, but the two are very different. The vast majority of Club Pros are too busy running a business operation to practice as much as someone like Uresti. It isn’t his fault that he has the means to not work at a club and practice however much he’d like to, but it is wrong for the PGA to allow him to compete against those who are not afforded the same opportunity. How about we just put you on the basketball court with Lebron, Curry, or Durant and see how you fare against them…
surewin73
Jun 29, 2017 at 11:48 am
TR1PTIK: I did read his entire article. Omar is a professional golfer who played on tour and also hold PGA status as a teaching pro. He is playing within the rules set forth by the PGA, so he should be able to play.
I think it is simple case of jealous and bitterness to write, in my opinion, one side article complaining about. Mr. Clark should bring his concerns and thoughts to the PGA not a public forum in this matter.
Do you have a problem with a professional who regains his amateur status and competes in amateur tournaments. I don’t. To me, he/she is following the guidelines set forth by the governing organization. They are fine. Fact is they are just a better golfer. Does not mean they are always going to win. Just like Omar has not won National Championship every year.
Sven Olsen
Jun 28, 2017 at 12:14 pm
I fully agree!
Here in Scandinavia – at least – many club pros are former tour players, so it seems to me, this is a case of sour grapes?
setter02
Jun 28, 2017 at 6:32 pm
Not really if they are now working as Club Pro’s. He’s only working on his game and nothing else. Even if its written he did nothing wrong, clearly the spirit of the event was tainted, but then again this is golf, a lot is tainted…
bms
Jun 28, 2017 at 10:02 pm
compete i mean sorry