Paul Conroy spent the summer playing golf in America having turned professional in June, but on Tuesday the dream will really begin when he tees it up in the First Stage of PGA Tour Q-School at the Country Club of Ocala in Florida.
It’s already been a good week for young Irish prospects in Florida after Sara Byrne and Lauren Walsh advanced to the Final Stage of LPGA Q-School and Conroy is looking to make a splash Stateside after a summer of learning on the PGA Tour Americas, the third tier in the US.
“It was nice playing all summer as a pro and getting that experience under my belt, but definitely looking forward to Q-School coming up this week and see how it is,” said Conroy who made four cuts in eight starts on the Americas Tour including one top-20 finish.
The Enniscorthy golfer has already experienced the harsh realities of Q-School on the DP World Tour’s First Stage when he was part of an unfortunate Irish quartet who all missed the cut after the event was reduced to 36-holes for inclement weather.
Conroy narrowly missed out on the top-18 and ties by two shots in Austria so he is relishing the prospect of a full q-school experience this week.
“I played the DP World Tour Q-School this year but it got shortened so I didn’t get the experience of what it would be like in the final round so I am definitely looking forward to it,” explained Conroy who can secure PGA Tour Americas Status by advancing through the First Stage while Korn Ferry Status can be achieved in Stage Two with just five PGA Tour cards available at the Final Stage.
“You will have some weeks where you are on the other side of that draw after two rounds so to miss out by such a small margin is very disappointing but who is to say there won’t come a time when I’m not on the right side of it after two rounds. That’s golf you will get good breaks and bad breaks.
“Definitely a lot of opportunity over here with Q-School. The goal is to progress as far as I can and just keep playing golf, keep the head down and don’t worry about outcomes at the end of stages.”
Conroy enjoyed a successful collegiate career Stateside with Chattanooga in Tennessee where he picked up two wins and became an Irish international.
The 24-year-old is a relaxed character but he has had his eyes opened to the seriousness that is the world of professional golf. The weekly grind on the range is more blood, sweat and tears than having the craic with your college team-mates.
The standard rounds of 69 need to be turned into 67s if he is to reach the next level, but he won’t be getting bogged down in burning himself out.
“It’s a lot different than amateur golf especially on the Americas Tour. In college golf you were told that if you were one, two or three-under you’re not in the worst position in the world. But out here if you shoot those scores you will miss the cut some weeks.
“It’s about playing that bit more aggressively but it is different out here.
“It’s more serious out here. I tried my best this summer to try and keep it the same because it is the same sport you just get paid for it now. Had a couple of friends out there who tried to do the same so we had a good laugh which was nice.
“You can drive yourself crazy if you stayed out there and didn’t have any sort of laugh and I was over serious for the seven days you are there.”
Conroy will make the eleven hour drive from Tennessee to Florida and he is prepared to take the long road to the PGA Tour and stick it out in America for the next few years believing his game to be tailor made to the more aggressive style of golf rather than try and make his home back on the mini tours in Europe.
The Wexford man knows he will have to be patient if he is to make a name for himself, but momentum is huge in sport and in golf, it just takes one week.
“I thought that my game had been progressing year after year out here and I was getting better. The facilities here helped me get that bit better so I thought as long as I am improving there is not much point in changing. There are loads of opportunities out here on the Americas Tour, Monday Qualifiers you can earn a lot of stuff over here. If it’s not broken don’t fix it.
“I would hope to have full playing status in America over the next few years and just keep getting better. There is no right or wrong way to do it but for me if I keep working hard and keep improving it will eventually stand to me.
“I’ve played a lot with former Korn Ferry Tour players and lads who have been around the block. Their thing is to just trust it really. It could take a few years or it could click right away but really just be patient and that’s the general consensus out there.”
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