The next ‘wave’ of young Sunshine Tour players is already crashing ashore on the DP World Tour with Thriston Lawrence’s breakthrough win at the Joburg Open. So, in the spirit of last month’s column about getting together and financially backing these youngsters on the rise, let’s unpack a few things.
If there is one undeniable truth, it’s that there are two types of pressure in golf. The first being the ‘unhealthy pressure’ of needing to hole a putt on a Friday afternoon to make the cut, as a player with limited (or zero) money in the bank.
This pressure is like nothing else in the game, as a poor stroke, negative thought or wrong line can mean the end of you as a Tour professional. The bottom line is that without access to funds, there is no way to travel to the next event, let alone pay monthly bills.
The other is the ‘healthy pressure’ of walking up the final few holes in contention, as you have already made the cut so it now feels like the game we grew up dreaming about.
I have had moments where I could not watch a player stand over that putt that would decide whether he played the next event, or would have to send out his résumé the following week. Let alone when that ‘player’ is actually you!
That said, and following on from 15 years of these experiences myself, I say that a promising young player, with funding, is no more than three full seasons away from earning either his DP World Tour or PGA Tour card.
Think of it as paying fees towards a degree which unlocks the world of golfing superstardom. The only other key ingredients required are professionalism in his work ethic and a great support structure in the form of mentors and management.
We will use Thriston as an example of a typical Sunshine Tour player with all the talent, but still playing towards his big break. Having teed it up with him on numerous occasions it was clear he had something special. Now, if a group of us got together and offered to pay all his Sunshine Tour expenses (R300,000 per year) in return for 30% of prize money, there are not many players who would turn that down.
I know, because I’ve travelled with dozens of them over the years and that’s the equation which kept coming up in our hotel room chats – 30% of Tour earnings in return for a monthly salary, to cover travel expenses.
If a player like Thriston had taken up a group on this three years ago, this is what it would have looked like:
- 2019-20 season – R300,000 in, R414,000 return
- 2020-21 season – R300,000 in, R31,000 return
- 2021-22 season – R300,000 in, R810,000 return
Once a player earned their PGA Tour or DP World Tour card, the numbers would change but the premise remains – ease a professional golfer’s financial pressures to allow him to focus purely on making birdies every week and soon we all win together.
Thanks to those of you who reached out last month. We will be launching this platform for funding and career management in January, known as ‘Team Player’, and look forward to any more of your suggestions as we gather momentum towards opening doors for the ‘next wave’ in 2022.
– This column first appeared in the January 2022 issue of Compleat Golfer magazine. Subscribe here!
