Jason Dufner yesterday clawed his way to his first major, the PGA Championship. I button-holed him in the locker room and asked for his Top 10 Pieces of Advice to aspiring pro golfers. Here they are:
#10 To make it to the PGA TOUR, play the minis for a year, then try Monday Qualifying for a Web.com event. You might get lucky like me and stay awhile. In my case, three years (first time, anyway; I had to come back a couple more times).
#9 When your play on the Web.com gets you your PGA TOUR card, go for it!
#8 When you lose your PGA TOUR Card your first year, play hard again on the Web.com. When you don’t play as well as before and fail to get your card, try Q-School. But don’t worry when you flunk; the experience will come in handy.
#7 When you still don’t play well enough the next year to get your card, try Q-School again. When you bust that—remember, experience counts!—play harder on the Web.com.
#6 When you play your way onto the TOUR again, don’t be disappointed when you lose your card again. Also, don’t be disappointed when you flunk Q-School again trying to get it back. It’s no big deal. You know you’re a good player. Stick with it. When you win the PGA in a few years, nobody except you will remember all this grind anyway.
#5 Play another year on the Web.com. When you don’t qualify off the Money List, go to Q-School again. Third time’s the charm. At least it was for me.
#4 Copy Ben Hogan’s swing, only cut a foot off it. Also, draw the ball; don’t fade it. And remember his wife Valerie’s advice, “Just hit it closer to the hole, Ben, and you won’t have to worry so much about putting.” Expect gushing remarks from commentators, even Brandel Chamblee.
#3 Once you’re known on TOUR, you’ll need to know how to avoid autograph seekers when entering the clubhouse before a round and when leaving it after. Two tips: First, never wear your sponsor’s cap (sometimes I forget this). Second, always wear shorts, a tee shirt, sneakers, and a backpack. [Note: Keep your TOUR credential handy, you’ll need it when the Pinkertons stop you . . . and they WILL stop you.]
#2 Learn to relax. I do something you may have seen others copying. Try it. It’s especially valuable when you’re paired with certain intense players (Jim Furyk, for example).
And the #1 piece of advice I can give to aspiring pros . . .
Don’t worry about finding your Dream Girl. Become a PGA TOUR star, even if it takes a while, and she’ll find you!