Chasing The Dream by Robert

There are those who “chase the dream” that are trying to figure out when they will have to stop. Some it is due to lingering injuries or illness, but most it is due to the clock ticking and marginal golf games to play at that level. A good friend and college teammate of mine, Gary Hallberg, is in that situation. He qualified here this week (in a playoff) knowing that he has to make the best of every event he plays in to try to gain exempt status on the Champions Tour. He is currently 61st on the money list (top 30 at the end of the year are fully exempt) and only has partial access to events, so he has to play really well when he does get in. If he does not make the top 30 he will go back to qualifying School and, I believe, only the top 8 earn full exempt status. There is a HUGE amount of pressure as a fringe player on the Champions Tour, because there are not a whole lot of other options (like the Nationwide Tour for the aspiring PGA Tour players). Also, how long to you try to “keep the dream alive”? Gary is 52, and these are, ostensibly, his best years (generally from 50 – 56 or 57) to be playing the Champions Tour. I know that Gary has been in a bind financially for a number of years, and the sad part is that I (nor anyone else) knows what Gary would do for a living if he did not play golf. Though I know Gary well, there are a lot of players just like him, “chasing the dream”.

Mark Hourigan said that something he has given some thought to after talking with players and caddies over the past couple of days is “balancing normalcy”. The players that have done a great job in all aspects of their lives (both professionally and personally) are a rare breed. There is a player out here (whom I will not name) whose older children by a previous marriage will not speak with him. There have been countless divorces and estranged families. Aside from significant help from friends, a number of players may have had to file for bankruptcy while chasing the dream. Gary Hallberg is not the only one I know that has a limited set of marketable skills outside of playing golf – most of these guys would be challenged to find a job with their skill set in this economy and approaching their mid-50’s in age.