Bob Dicesare of the Buffalo News has written a great column on local golf star Jake Katz and his desire to become a professional golfer. Dicesare does a great job of expressing just how damn difficult it is to make it at the professional level. While we celebrate the talents and riches of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, we rarely get the stories of the guys who scrape by on smaller tours for years, hardly ever earning a good buck.
Dicesare references Justin Regier, “who shot 62 at the 2007 Porter Cup, contended for the title. No other recent local amateur seemed better prepared to ascend on the pro circuit. Regier’s still at it. He’s playing the Canadian PGA Tour. And do you know what he’s made this season in eight events? Try $571.”
Dicesare is right. Trying to make it in professional golf is like trying to make fire with on stick and a shoelace. That shouldn’t discourage Katz and others though, it should motivate them. There’s nothing more commendable than watching people chase their dreams regardless of the odds.
So here’s to Katz who will turn pro in a few weeks or months – the road is tough, but may you be tougher.
