While the game itself is often called just golf, the world where players get paid to compete is most commonly known as professional golf. But that simple name stands in front of a massive, global system of tours, tournaments, and career paths that can be a little confusing for fans and new players alike. This article will walk you through the entire landscape of professional golf, explaining the major tours for both men and women, what the Majors are, and the different ways a player can actually call themselves a professional golfer.
So, what is professional golf called? It's called professional golf. There isn't a single, catchy brand name like the NBA or NFL that covers the entire sport worldwide. Instead, it’s a collection of separate organizations, or "tours," that operate in different regions and for different groups of players. Think of it less like one big league and more like a connected universe of them.
You have the top-tier tours where stars like Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda compete for millions, feeder tours where up-and-comers fight to earn their spot, and even senior tours for the legends of the game. For a fan, knowing how these pieces fit together makes watching the sport much more rewarding. For an aspiring player, it provides a roadmap of the journey ahead.
If you follow a sport like tennis, you’re familiar with the ATP and WTA Tours. Golf has a similar structure, but it's more fragmented and regional, with a few tours standing out as the clear leaders. These are the stages where the best players in the world showcase their skills week in and week out.
The PGA TOUR is the premier and most prestigious professional golf tour for men in the world, primarily based in North America. When you see the biggest names in men's golf on TV on a Sunday afternoon, they're almost always playing in a PGA TOUR event. It's a season-long competition where players earn points for the FedExCup, culminating in a playoff series that crowns a season champion.
Formerly known as the European Tour, the DP World Tour is the leading men's professional tour in Europe but boasts a truly global schedule with events across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East as well. It has a strategic alliance with the PGA TOUR, which means the top players from the DP World Tour can earn their way onto the PGA TOUR.
Launched in 2022, LIV Golf has significantly disrupted the professional golf landscape. It’s an invitational golf series that attracted some of the world's biggest names with a different format and guaranteed-money contracts.
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour is the top-tier tour for women's professional golf. Much like its male counterparts, the LPGA is a global organization with players from dozens of countries competing all over the world. The talent level is incredibly deep, and the competition is fierce every single week.
Above the individual tours sit the Major Championships. These are the four most prestigious events in men’s golf and the five most prestigious in women’s golf. Winning a major defines a player’s career and cements their legacy in the sport. They are not run by a single tour, but rather by different official golf bodies, which adds to their unique character and prestige.
For fans who watch the stars on Sunday, it's easy to forget the incredible grind every professional endures to get there. It’s a long, expensive, and mentally taxing journey that weeds out all but the most talented and resilient players.
The most common path for today's male golfers in the U.S. is through high-level NCAA college golf. After college, the goal is to earn status on the Korn Ferry Tour. Playing on the KFT is a non-stop battle. At the end of the season, a set number of players who have earned the most points receive a coveted PGA TOUR card for the next season. The pressure is immense.
Q-School is an infamous and grueling multi-stage tournament that gives players a chance to earn playing status on various professional tours. It’s a marathon of high-stakes golf played over weeks, and a few good rounds can change your life, just as a few bad ones can send you home for the year. Success at Q-School can grant a player status on tours like the Korn Ferry Tour or the PGA TOUR's international affiliates.
The life of a professional golfer isn't limited to just those who play on the big tours. There's another entire world of golf professionals who are critical to the health of the game.
This is one of the most important distinctions in professional golf.
For players who turn 50, a whole new competitive life opens up on senior tours. The PGA TOUR Champions provides a stage for legends like Padraig Harrington and Steve Stricker to continue competing at a high level. It's wildly popular with fans who enjoy watching the players they grew up with. Similarly, the Legends of the LPGA gives iconic female golfers a place to continue their playing careers.
"Professional golf" isn't a single league but a worldwide ecosystem of tours, a pyramid of talent with the Majors at the very top. From the club pro teaching beginners to the superstar sinking a final putt on the PGA TOUR, there are many ways to build a life and career in this incredible game.
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