From your first tournament to the PGA Tour - understand the complete pathway to professional golf.
Professional golf is a complex system of tours, tournaments, and qualifiers that spans the globe. The following diagram shows the typical career progression from amateur status to the pinnacle of the sport.
Explore the path from amateur golf to the PGA Tour. Click on any stage to learn more.
Every step of the professional golf pathway
Build your skills through junior golf, high school, and college competition. The best amateurs develop through programs like:
The traditional pathway to earn your tour card. A multi-stage qualifying tournament that tests your game under pressure.
Gain professional experience and earn your way up the ladder on these tours:
Top finishers earn Korn Ferry Tour status
Path to DP World Tour membership
The official developmental tour of the PGA Tour. This is where dreams become reality.
The pinnacle of professional golf. The world's best players competing for the biggest purses and most prestigious titles.
Other ways to earn your spot in a PGA Tour event
Open to any professional golfer. Compete for 4 spots in that week's tournament field.
Tournament sponsors can invite promising players or local favorites to compete.
Major championship winners and other special categories receive automatic invites.