What do high-achieving pro athletes do to keep their competitive juices flowing after they’ve retired from their respective sports? Many take up golf, and some even showcase their skills on the celebrity pro-am circuit. But for a select few who desire even higher stakes, there’s the PRO Tour — an invitation-based tournament series created specifically for former pro athletes. The criteria for consideration: A player must have a minimum of two years of professional playing experience in their sport, a verified single-digit golf handicap, and a demonstrated commitment to preparation, professionalism, and competition.
Interested athletes can apply on the tour’s website to be considered to participate. In its inaugural season, the PRO Tour staged six regular-season events followed by two playoff events. Each event had a $500,000 purse. Top finishers in each event earn priority placement in subsequent events, while new additions to the tour are rotated in over the course of the season. The PRO Tour utilizes a modified Stableford scoring system, in which players earn positive or negative points on each hole based on their score. The player with the highest number of points over the course of the tournament wins.
It’s a fun and unique concept — and one that tennis-pro-turned-pickleball-pro Jack Sock was excited to be a part of, as he explained to hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz on this week’s episode of Subpar.
“They are a blast,” Sock said of PRO Tour events. “I played my first two this year down in Biloxi [Miss., at Fallen Oak] and then over at PGA National.”
PGA National is famously tough, even for PGA Tour professionals, who play the course annually in the Cognizant Classic. Knost wanted to know: How was it for Sock?
“For guys that play probably up a little bit, obviously, on boxes, no excuses,” Sock began. “Got in late, and then we had, first day, it was 35 mile an hour winds. And then 30 mile an hour winds, I think for the second day. It was a disaster.”
“At least it’s Stableford and you can pick up,” Knost joked.
“Yeah, I mean that was honestly the nicest part,” Sock agreed. “Like, you just throw one in the water and like, all right, maybe hit another and then get out of there.
“But, yeah, the guys that shot well, they just managed the course, insane,” he continued. “But conditions were tough. But it’s always, it’s just fun to be there.”
Despite the tough playing conditions, Sock said he’s looking forward to playing more events as the PRO Tour prepares to launch its second season.
“If a PRO Tour pops up and I’m able to play it, 100 percent, yeah,” Sock said. “I just wanna work on my game and kind of get more involved in in the golf space in general as well, going forward in the future.”
For more from Sock, including how he managed to cultivate his incredible clubhead speed, check out the full episode of Subpar below.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: golf.com
