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Becoming a PGA Tour Player
Do you have aspirations to become New Zealand's next Michael Campbell? Read on.....
A player wishing to earn his or her living playing Professional golf tournaments must first gain a Tour Card at a Qualifying "School" run by the various Tours around the world. The New Zealand PGA is associated with the PGA Tour of Australasia which controls and organises such qualifying tournaments in October in Australia.
TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL
The school is purely a playing test, and involves two stages. In Stage 1 professional golfers, and amateurs with a set maximum handicap, play three rounds of golf, and a certain number pass through to Stage Two. Here they meet those players on the Tour who failed to retain their Playing Card in the previous season, and other players who are exempt from the first Stage. A modest number of these players will gain the right to play on the Tour in the following season.
While those who gain a Tour Card with PGA Tour of Australasia are required to join either the PGA of New Zealand or the PGA of Australia, their PGA membership is limited to playing in approved tournaments. Before a Tour Player can become a full member of the PGA of New Zealand he must satisfy the requirements of the PGA of NZ through a process called the Bridging Programme - completion of this programme will give fully qualified PGA Teaching status. Entry to the Bridging Programme is subject various conditions and the player retaining his playing card for five years or displaying a consistent level of performance on any recognised PGA Tour.
AMATEUR STATUS
Amateur golfers remain amateur until they commit to Stage Two of the Player School, when they automatically forfeit their amateur status.Players who compete in Stage Two but fail to gain a Card will therefore be in limbo until they either gain a Tour Card at another School or regain their amateur status. In the latter case this is usually granted by the New Zealand Golf Association after a stand down period of six months. However, any player who forfeits his amateur status a second time has normally lost it for life.
Further information on the Tour School, and application forms, may be obtained from:
PGA Tour of Australasia600 Thompson RdSandhurst, VIC 3977, AustraliaFax: +61 3 8320 1911Website: www.pgatour.com.au
Please note that application forms are not normally loaded to the Tours website until September of each year.
Other Q-Schools
Please see the follwing tour websites for information on other Q-Schools:
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