To Whoever Needs to Hear This,
I used to think becoming a professional golfer was just what I was going to do. Not in an arrogant way — it’s just what my life had always pointed toward. Junior golf went well, college golf went well, and I figured if I kept doing what I’d always done, I’d eventually end up on the PGA Tour.
Then I got to college and realized something pretty quickly: everybody was good. Like… REALLY good. Guys that were the best player in their hometown, state, country club, whatever — all in one place. And honestly, I loved that part of it. It pushed me.
After college, I started grinding mini tours. A lot of MLGT events, state opens, random qualifiers, splitting Airbnbs, driving all over the place trying to Monday into anything I could. Eventually, I got conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour and got into a decent number of events.
And the funny thing is… I actually felt like I played pretty well. My mental game was solid. I wasn’t overwhelmed. I wasn’t “falling apart” under pressure like people imagine. I just realized how insanely hard professional golf really is.
Out there, EVERYBODY can play. Everybody hits it great. Everybody has a story. Everybody has worked their entire life for the same dream you have. And doing it week after week after week — mentally, emotionally, financially — is a completely different challenge than most people understand from the outside.
Later that year, I went back to Q-School trying to improve my status and didn’t get through. And honestly? I kind of knew. Not in a depressing way — just realistically. I knew how hard the road ahead was going to be. More mini tours. More travel. More financial stress. More years of chasing something that statistically almost nobody reaches.
So I walked away.
And I’m proud of that decision.
I’m 28 years old. I have a college degree. I’m excited to start building a career and a life outside of golf. And most importantly, I don’t have regrets.
That matters to me.
Because when I’m 50 someday, I’ll never have to wonder, “What if I had tried?” I DID try. I gave professional golf a real shot. I got farther than most people ever do, and I’m proud of that.
The dream of playing on the PGA Tour was real. It was my dream since I was a little kid. But I also learned something important: walking away from a dream doesn’t mean you failed. Sometimes it means you’re mature enough to recognize when the pursuit is costing more than it’s giving back.
Golf taught me discipline. Accountability. Resilience. Time management. How to fail publicly and keep showing up anyway. Those lessons don’t disappear because competitive golf did. I’ll take them into the rest of my life forever.
So to younger players chasing the dream — go chase it. Seriously. Don’t spend your life wondering “what if.” Give yourself the chance to find out.
But also understand this: success is not tied solely to whether you make the PGA Tour. And if there comes a time when the chase becomes unhealthy, overwhelming, or no longer aligns with the life you want, don’t be afraid to pivot.
You are not quitting on yourself.
You are simply moving forward.
And there’s a lot of life waiting for you beyond the game.
— Ryan, a guy who tried it