Gut Check Time

Filed in archive Golf News on January 2, 2007

Photo Courtesy Score Golf

Have you ever wondered what life must be like on the PGA tour?

I remember many years ago caddying for a friend at the Canadian Open pro-am tournament.

The pro assigned to our foursome was a young player named Tom Gleeton. I'll always remember him because he was such a nice guy - the epitome of a PGA player or, at least, how the PGA would like its players to be.

Gleeton was a rookie; he'd just earned his tour card out of university and was eschewing the family insurance business to try his hand at pro golf.

He talked about his early experiences on tour: the seminars on financial planning, how to deal with the press, etc. He was very excited.

Gleeton struggled. Not just at the Canadian Open (made the cut; finished last; earned $2300) but for the rest of the season and he lost his card. I think he's in the family's insurance business now.

Last week, I came across a golf blog at scoregolf.com written by Canadian golfer, Ian Leggatt. Leggatt speaks about life on the big tour but he's also very candid about life on the mini tours around the world. It's a real eye opener. And it's not a pretty picture.

Life "on the way up" is the back story you never hear about. When a young player appears to burst onto the scene and capture an event, a new star is born.

But, like the never-been-heard-from-before rock band with their first number one hit, there's always more to the picture.

And Leggatt is very clear about that. Long hours hitting balls, putting, practicing, practicing, practicing. And then the frustration (even the pros suffer from the cruel inhumanity of golf!), the desire to quit and do something else.

It's not easy. The flowing swings we see on TV every week, the wonderful short games these players have, their smooth putting strokes, are not borne of talent alone. Talent is the starting point. What we see is the culmination of just one thing: sheer hard work.

I would love to have Ian Leggatt's swing and short game. But I don't know if I could pay the price to get it.

Check out his blog at Score Golf. He's under Opinions and Analysis on the home page. It's worth the read.