How good does your average round have to be to be a professional golfer? Originally answered on Oct. 10, 2015.
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Answer by Jeff Markgraf, golf equipment technician and professional club builder for over 17 years:
To give you an idea of the types of scores PGA Tour players shoot, here is Phil Mickelson's USGA handicap sheet from 2013:
As you can see, Phil was a +5.2 but had been as low as +7.2 (very stout). Remember, a Tour player's game has to travel. These guys shoot low numbers on courses they aren't familiar with, or they see one week each year. That's hard. These are scores Phil posted in Tour events as well as at his home course. Get this: Phil's brother carries a +3.7, and he's not even a pro!
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At one point around 2005 or 2006 Tiger's handicap was calculated to be +7.9. Jim Furyk had the next lowest handicap at +6.7. If they were playing in a 4-day handicapped event, Tiger would have to spot Furyk 5 shots for the tournament!
Some other examples (from 2013): Aaron Baddeley +6.2; Martin Kaymer +5.8; Kevin Streelman +6.2; Paul Casey +4.6; Billy Mayfair +5.2; Chez Reavie +4.5; and Geoff Ogilvy+6.2. It's been roughly calculated that the guys on the bottom of the money list who barely keep their card are at about +4.0.
This is a true story: A good local junior player with some national tournament experience was hanging out at the golf shop one day and explaining to a group of regulars the steps he was going to take for his golf career. He planned on winning the club championship, then stated he would win the U.S. Amateur and British Amateur, then turn pro. The private club his family belonged to also had several PGA Tour/Champions Tour players and a couple of USGA amateur championship winners who lived in the neighborhood. One of the regulars said, "Kid, maybe you should try beating the guys who live on your block first!" It was a harsh reminder that as good as he thought he was, there were a handful of players within spitting distance who could smoke him all day long.