For the big hitters on the PGA Tour it can be all private jets, courtesy cars and fully comped luxury hotel stays via sponsors – but what about when you drop down a level?
We at times only hear about the Korn Ferry Tour when talking about who will graduate off it and into the big leagues of the PGA Tour, but now we’ve had a fascinating insight into life on the second rung of the golfing ladder in the USA.
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It was by far the 28-year-old’s biggest payday of his career, over three times as much as his previous best in fact, and so it meant a pretty profitable week to say the least.
The breakdown Nicholas gives of his expenses though makes you realize just what a tough grind it can be and why so many players give up chasing the dream after a few seasons.
And that’s even though some expenses for Nicholas such as his caddie’s bonus and a payment to his mental coach are based on his earnings – a lot of cash is soaked up whether he does well on the course or not.
Of the $11,500 or so of expenses for the week, $6,825 went to his caddie, which included a $1,500 flat fee he gets paid per event and then a bonus of around 12% of the on-course earnings.
Everything else though needs paying for every event regardless of performance, and things like flights, car hire and accommodation will likely vary drastically from week to week.
And as Nicholas says himself, sometimes he has vouchers or air miles and the like to keep the expense down at certain points – but going on his list for the Compliance Solutions Championship it’s around a $5,000 outlay for the event.
That’s including paying for his caddie, travel, accommodation and food for the week, and that’s a bill that needs settling whether he wins any prize money or not.
On this occasion, Nicholas also got a chunky $20,000 bonus from his sponsors for his third-placed finish to ensure a bumper payday – but week-to-week life on the Korn Ferry Tour looks tough.
