Monday Qualifier

Monday Qualifier: The Path to a PGA Tourney

Imagine teeing it up for a PGA Tour event… even if you’re an amateur golfer. It’s 100% possible if you have a few great rounds in your game.

To get to the biggest stage of golf, you must go through the gauntlet known as Monday qualifiers. These are some of the most competitive events in the world and can truly change someone’s life. 

Keep reading to learn more about qualifying for a professional golf tournament to see if you have what it takes. 

Monday Qualifiers – The Step-by-Step Process

First off, you might be thinking, “What are PGA Monday qualifiers?”

It’s a good question. I’m sure you’ve heard announcers on TV say something like, “He shot 65 on Monday to qualify for this event.” Or, “He didn’t have any status so he had to Monday qualify just to get here.”

A Monday qualifier is the process to get into a professional golf tournament. It’s a little different process for each tour but we’ll outline them all in this article. Let’s start with the PGA Tour where the world’s best golfers compete for huge purses. 

To qualify for a PGA Tour event, here is a quick overview of the process:

  • Find your event → Register for pre-qualifying site → Pre-Qualifying Event (18 Holes) → Top scores get into Monday Qualifier (18 Holes) → Top players advance to the tournament.

In the old days, you could just sign up for a Monday site and give it your best shot. But as there is so much interest in it these days, you first have to go through pre-quaifying, just to make it to the Monday qualifier. 

I’ve competed several times to try and get to a Monday qualifier and haven’t had any luck (yet). It’s more competitive than you could imagine as you get some of the best players in the world all hoping for a shot.

You’ll get a little bit of everything in these qualifiers; amatuers like myself, mini tour professionals, teaching pros, ex-PGA players, Korn Ferry pros, and professional golfers who don’t have status anymore. 

Can anyone play in a Monday qualifier? 

Yes, as long as you’re willing to spend some money! In fact, a guy lost his fantasy football pool and had to play in a Monday qualifier… he ended up shooting 111 and likely has a lifetime of shame too. 

But before getting into the field and typical scores, let’s dive into the first step – finding your event. 

Step 1: Find Your Tournament

First things first, sadly, you can’t qualify for any PGA Tour event on the schedule. I know every golfer on the planet wants to tee it up at Augusta National in April for the Masters, but it doesn’t work like that. 

Monday qualifiers only exist for a certain number of tournaments each year. These are known as “Open” events; such as the Valero Texas Open, Waste Management (WM) Open, or the Farmers Insurance Open. There are no qualifiers for events like the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am or the BMW Championship.  

I live in Scottsdale, Arizona so each year I try for the WM Open in January. It’s usually best to find a site that is local as almost all qualifiers are near the tournament site. 

Step 2: Register for Pre-Qualifying

Once you find your event, it’s time to get your credit card out and pay for the big day. You might be thinking, “How much does it cost to play in a Monday qualifier?”

It’s not cheap. In 2022 it was $250 for my qualifier and the golf course was not a $250 course to say the least. Luckily, yu get to choose the site as there is usually more than one since so many players want a chance to compete. 

For example, since the WM is such a popular event (and evyerone wants a chance to play in it), there are eight qualifying sites! In the 2022 WM Open, there were 78 players in each field so 624 players trying to get to the next qualifying event. Pre-qualifying is the week before the actual event and are between Monday-Saturday. 

You can only pick one site so make sure it’s a golf course that you love. I always choose the same course as I’m familiar with how they set it up for the event and feel it suits my game. 

Monday Qualifier

Step 3: Pre-Qualifying

Once you find your pre-qualifying site, it’s a good idea to play a practice round at the venue. That way you can evaluate the course conditions and get fully prepared for the big event. I typically do my practice round the day before so the course conditions are nearly identical to the qualifier.

Then, it’s time for the bid day. Go out and play 18 holes with one intention – make it to Monday. It’s hard to not play overly aggressive as you know a good score (and nearly perfect golf) is needed to advance.  

The course is set up very difficult in most cases, especially if it’s a flat, easy golf course. In my 2022 pre-qualifer we had tough pins and bone-chilling wind which made for a long day.

A pro in my group quit on hole 17 because he couldn’t stand it anymore (and didn’t want to see his total score). Six of 78 players had a WD (withdraw) next to their name that day so he wasn’t alone. 

My round didn’t go as planned after making a double bogey on the first hole. But I stuck with it and hit a perfect shot two holes later and holed out from 143 yards! Sadly, it wasn’t a good omen as I didn’t make it to the Monday so my journey was over. But don’t worry, I can still take you through the rest. 

Scores tend to be crazy low in these pre-qualifying events. The weather made my site difficult and 69 (-3) advanced. But other qualifying sites had 62 or 63 to advance to Monday… that’s crazy good golf. 

Step 4: Pay For Monday Qualifying and Practice Round 

If you’re lucky enough to advance to Monday, it’s time to register for part of the event. That’s right, the Monday isn’t included in the original $250. 

Prices vary for the pre-qualifer depending on your status when registering for the Monday qualifer. For example, amatuer entry fees are lower than professionals and range from $100 to $500 for the day. 

Sadly, the Monday qualifier isn’t at the actual venue and instead a course nearby. 

Step 5: Make it Through Monday Qualifier

The Monday of the event is where the magic happens. This is where all the players who made it through pre-qualifying advance to the Monday. 

The field is also comprised of big names, amateurs, mini-tour pros, and more. You literally never know who you could get paired up with. 

For example, in the 2022 WM Open Monday qualifier some name you might recongize were Aaron Baddeley, Scott Harringont, and more. Once again, scores are low to get to the PGA Tour event. Almost always there’s a tie and golfesr play until it’s down to the number of qualifiers allowed into the event. Talk about high stake golf, each shot is very intense! 

Then, if you make it in the event you have Tuesday and Wednesday to complete practice rounds and get ready for Thursday. Talk about a whirlwind week of golf! 

If you want to follow the action through the season, make sure to follow Monday Q Info on Instagram. They provide tons of updates so you can monitor activity of certain players and root your favorite people on from the distance.

Monday Qualifying for Other Tours

The process of playing in a PGA tour event is intense and much more difficult than other tours. Here is additional information of the process.

Korn Ferry Tour

The KFT has a similar process but skips the pre-qualifying the week prior and goes straight to the Monday qualifier. There are usually multiple sites with each one having several spots for the event. But they do fill up quickly so make sure you register in advance as spots tend to fill up quickly. 

When I was writing this article I played with two guys who regularly travel and compete in Monday qualifiers for the KFT. They said the competition is unreal and that scores are usually -9 to -12 even to advance into the tournament! As one of them said, “One bad break and you have no chance of advancing.”

Yikes! Plus, they said the courses are rarely the nicest or most well maintained either. Less than perfect golf courses paired with high travel costs and insanely low scores make for a difficult challenge. 

Other tours that skip the pre-qualifying include the PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latin America.

LPGA Tour  

According to the LPGA Tour website, there is a local qualifier (no pre-qualifying) too. They allow local qualifying for more than 15 events and two qualifiers advance into the tournament. Entry fees are about the same price ($200 to $250). 

Qualifying for US Open

While you can’t try to qualify for every tournament on the PGA Tour, there is one major that allows the everyday golfer to compete – the US Open. Like a normal tour stop, this is a challenging process where the odds are against you but there’s nothing like the challenge. I’ve tried four of five years (they didn’t have anything in 2020 thanks to the pandemic). 

The process starts with a local qualifying 18 holes at a site you choose. These sites tend to be great golf courses in difficult conditions. The course I try out on is normally 7,300 yards with tucked pins, firm and fast greens. Needless to say, the conditions aren’t easy.

If you’re one of the players to advance (they usually take 3-5 spots, plus ties) and 1-2 two alternates, then you advance to sectionals. The sectionals take place in June and is a marathon day of golf – 36 holes (while walking). Each sectional site has a few spots in which players will earn a spot in one of the most prestigious events of the year. 

Final Thoughts

While it’s not easy (by any means) to qualify for a PGA Tour event, it is possible thanks to local Monday qualifiers. 36 holes is all that separates you from playing in a professional even on the biggest stage. And only 18 holes for Korn Ferry or other PGA events. 

But excellent golf is required and a little bit of luck. If you do wish to enter, make sure improve your game as much as possible so you’re ready for the challenge.

Remember, as long as you can advance through the pre-qualifier, you can get into the Monday. Then, you never know what might happen. All it takes is an epic round to play in a PGA Tour event, whether you’re an amateur or professional golfer. Just remember, if you try out as an amateur, you won’t make any money if you do make the cut (but will make plenty of memories). 

The Korn Ferry Tour is slightly different and easier but still requires some great golf. But if you like to test your game (or don’t’ have any status on a professional tour), this is the process to get to the big stage.

If you want to learn more about becoming a professional golfer, make sure to read our full post here

Michael Leonard

Michael Leonard

Michael is a friend and contributor to the Left Rough. He is a full-time writer, podcast host of Wicked Smart Golf, and mental golf coach. He’s played for 25+ years and regularly competes in amateur golf tournaments in Arizona.