Playing in a pro-am golf tournament, teeing it up alongside a tour professional, is an aspiration for many amateur golfers. It’s an incredible opportunity to get a front-row seat to greatness and see how your game compares on a championship-ready course. This article breaks down the actual ways you can earn a spot in one of these coveted events, outlining the different paths available to you.
Before we get into the "how," let's quickly cover the "what." A pro-am, short for professional-amateur, is a tournament where a professional golfer is paired with a team of amateurs. Most often, the format is a scramble or a "best ball" event. In a best ball format, each golfer plays their own ball from tee to green, and the team takes the lowest score on each hole.
The vibe is generally more relaxed than a standard tournament. The focus is on camaraderie, fundraising for a charity, or providing value to corporate sponsors. Your job as an amateur is not necessarily to shoot the round of your life (though it's nice if you do!), but to be a good playing partner, keep up the pace, and enjoy the day. You are there to contribute to the team score when you can and otherwise stay out of the professional's way so they can prepare for their tournament.
This is, by far, the most common way to get into a pro-am associated with a major tour like the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, or Korn Ferry Tour. These big-time events, like the AT&,T Pebble Beach Pro-Am or the Waste Management Phoenix Open's Annexus Pro-Am, are massive operations powered by corporate sponsorships.
Companies pay significant amounts of money to be associated with a tournament, and a key benefit of that sponsorship is often a team or multiple teams in the big Wednesday Pro-Am. That spot is an asset the company can use to entertain clients, reward high-performing employees, or donate to a partner charity.
The cost is the main thing to know here. A single playing spot can be valued at $5,000 to $25,000 or even more, depending on the prestige of the event. Typically, this cost is absorbed by a sponsoring company. If you get a spot this way, consider yourself very fortunate. Your golfing ability is secondary, your role is to be a good ambassador for the company that invited you.
If you have a solid game and want to earn your spot based on merit, look for pro-ams that have competitive qualifiers. These are more common at the regional, state, and club level rather than on the major tours. PGA Sections, State Golf Associations, and local golf tours often host stand-alone pro-am events or series where amateurs can qualify to play.
This path requires tournament-tested skill and a verified handicap. It’s where you truly put your game to the test under pressure.
You cannot compete without an official Handicap Index. This ensures fair competition and is a non-negotiable requirement for any legitimate qualifier. You can get a USGA/GHIN handicap through your local golf club or by joining an eClub through your state's golf association website. Once you have it, you must post your scores regularly and accurately. Many qualifiers will have a maximum handicap limit, often somewhere around a 10-18 index, so you need to be a reasonably skilled player.
You need to know where to look for these opportunities. Here are the best resources:
Once you sign up for a qualifier, the real work begins. Your weekly 85 with your buddies won't cut it. You need a game that holds up under pressure.
Sometimes, getting into a pro-am comes down to a bit of luck. These opportunities are less predictable, but they happen more often than you might think.
Congratulations, you're in! Now, how do you make sure you have a great day? It's simple: be a pleasant playing partner.
Getting into a pro-am is an achievable dream. Your path could be through a corporate connection, by earning a spot in a competitive qualifier, or by simply being in the right place at the right time. By understanding these different routes, you can start taking actionable steps to put yourself in a position to tee it up with a pro.
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