The process of becoming a professional golfer is far from any other sport. It is a long journey that not only takes talent and skill, but also years of accumulated points and experience. 

Unlike other sports where the path to the pros can sometimes be clear-cut, golf requires a unique combination of different factors. 

For most aspiring professionals, the journey begins at the collegiate level. Over the course of their career, they need to accumulate points through different tournaments based on their performance. 

The points collected will grant a college athlete eligibility for the PGA Tour membership, which is the next step before reaching the professional level.

“It is extremely competitive, and if you’re not placing at the top of the leaderboard, you’re not rewarded and you can’t move on to the next stage,” Gophers freshman golfer Jordana Windhorst-Knudsen said.

Throughout the PGA Tour, a golfer’s success and achievements determine if they will qualify as a professional. Additionally, there is a requirement to pass the qualifying level, which will then grant professional status. 

There is a considerable difference between the PGA and LPGA, which is why multiple women on the Gophers team are not sure if they want to go professional. 

“I haven’t quite decided what I want to do, whether that’s playing pro or going into business, I am not sure,” Gophers junior golfer Isabella McCauley said. 

“Going pro is very challenging, especially for women,” Windhorst-Knudsen said. “The pay difference between the PGA and Ladies PGA is very significant.”

After successfully reaching a professional career, the transition from a college golfer to a professional golfer is drastic. 

By no longer being on a team, most of the support system is gone and golfers become individually responsible for their career.

While college athletes often have scholarships and team support, professionals need to secure sponsorship deals, prize money and sometimes even personal investors to cover travel and other expenses. 

Both of Minnesota’s freshmen, Jack Crousore and Chun-Ta Wu, agree that a key part of their collegiate success comes from being surrounded by teammates who all have aspirations to go pro.

“There is no way to succeed by yourself, so being able to have people around you that are supporting you to chase your dreams is a big help,” Wu said.