So you want to be a Tour Pro?

We have know Marcus for a couple of years now. He impressed us because he had given up club membership and his car to get on tour. We are going to follow Marcus over the next 12 month in his efforts to get established on the tour. Many people say they would love to be a tour player but ultimately its a question of what are you prepared to give up or do to get what you want. If you have these aspirations follow our regular updates with Marcus. 

‘I would work in a shop from 8-5 and then work in a nightclub until 4am’

How Marcus Mohr pays for his golf and the astonishing lengths that he will go to.  

I always believe that if you’re out earning it you’re not out spending it. I’ve done a variety of jobs to subsidise my golf so I’ll work for it in the winter and pay for it in the summer. If you don’t make a cut then you won’t get paid so the more I can put aside, the better. I’ve worked in retail a lot as that is a good way to guarantee some work and I’ll need as many hours as I can get over the winter and retail is generally the lowest hanging fruit for work. I’ll always be that person to go in and ask rather than set up an interview, I think I’m better in person than over an email I’m good at selling products and just need to point out the facts.  

For a couple of years I’ve worked in a shop from 8-5pm and then worked at a nightclub from 8-4am. Physically and mentally that is the most tired I’ve ever been but I’m not blessed with financial backing so it was a case of needs must. That really taught me some resilience and to really make the most of my limited time to practise. I’ll think of that period, when I was barely sleeping and on the minimum wage, and I’ll use it as fuel and, when I do succeed, it’s only going to be sweeter because of times like that.

I can rip out a kitchen now and install units and I know the differences in tile adhesives, how to solder copper piping, do some basic plumbing. Once I underpinned a house so I had to dig the footings out and pin it up and re-brick it and you only get one chance at it. Another time we were carrying a triple-glazed window up the stairs and the catch slipped and slid down and ripped my mate’s thumb apart, exposing the bone, but he didn’t drop it and I thought that was incredible.

I don’t think I’m that talented so I have to  keep working at it to be any good. In events I’ll never make excuses over the weather as I can put up with that but I can’t put up with not playing golf for a living. I think all the work I do away from golf has made me a more rounded person and it also adds some real strength. When you are building a wall in someone’s garden it requires a lot of shovelling, digging and lifting and then I’ll be in the gym at 6am doing a double session. In the evenings I’ll be at the range or the gym and hitting balls into a net so I don’t have too much trouble sleeping.

At the Alps Tour Q School a player asked if I was looking forward to the holidays and I said that I was fitting a kitchen two days later. I’d love to have some sponsorship and you get some natural waves of negativity but all this adds substance. And I do believed that in a year’s time I’ll be finishing the season on the European Tour and that’s how you have to think.