John Conley:
I would agree 10,000% that your average golf fan has no idea how much better the PGA Tour players are than just about any group you could compare them to. But unless fans actually get to play with the best players in the world, it will never compute for them.
Here is an example. You may know Damon Green, who currently works for Scott Hoch. In his prime, Damon was probably considered one of the most consistent money makers on the Space Coast tour. He has won close to 80 mini tour events. As one of the stronger players in Orlando, and as a member at Bay Hill, he was given an exemption into the tournament in the early 90’s. Keep in mind that most people would not be able to tell that he wasn’t a Tour player if they watched him hit balls or actually played with him. In the daily Shoot-Out at Bay Hill, he would rarely shoot over par from the back tees.
Once the gun went off in the tournament, he shot 158 or 159. While discussing it afterward, he told me it wasn’t nerves. It was that the course was SO difficult compared to the set up the rest of the year that it exposed the difference in his game compared to the guys on Tour. Keep in mind that this was around the time that the Hogan tour was just starting, so Central Florida was really AAA ball at that point.
Back in the 80’s, Golf Magazine had an article that tried to give people an idea of how different handicap levels would compete on a US Open set up. It stated that a scratch player would most likely shoot around 90, and I’ve always agreed with that (I’m a PGA Professional, with what I would call average ability compared to my peers). Go to your club and find a professional that typically shoots around par. I’m not talking about a guy that may be one of the best players in the Section, but a guy that will typically beat the membership on a daily basis. He would have to play well in the Open to break 90. If you have any doubts, look at the number of world-class players that shoot in the 80’s in an Open. Or look at the PGA Championship and look at some of the highest scores. These guys at the bottom are among the best playing club professionals in the country!!!!!
Another short example. Decent mini-tour player. Shoots 63 at Bay Hill and Lake Nona in the same week. Neither is what I’d call an easy golf course. You’ve never heard of him and never will.
“These guys are good” in no way conveys how good they really are.
Sobe