(Editor’s note: This story originally ran on Aug. 2, 2022, but was updated after Sweeney qualified for a Korn Ferry Tour event on April 24.)
Playing great golf is only half the battle when trying to make it to the PGA Tour. Every tournament comes with a steep entry fee, airfare, rental cars, food, hotels, equipment and more.
If you don’t have a steady sponsor or some type of financial aid, it is very difficult to pay your way to the Tour on your own.
Michael Sweeney, an aspiring PGA Tour player, has been fighting to live out his dream. Sweeney doesn’t have a traditional background in collegiate golf, but hasn’t let that stop him from grinding to the top.
To save up for tournaments and travel expenses, Sweeney decided to not rent an apartment but live out of his car.
“I was originally parking in a little rest stop off of 95 and then I got the boot from one of the security guards,” said Sweeney. “So, I ended up sleeping in the Walmart parking lot most nights … which you know is a classy spot to be.”
Photo of Michael Sweeney. (Michael Sweeney)
Sweeney attempted to qualify for the 2022 U.S. Open and lost his spot in a playoff in Purchase, New York.
“I ended up shooting back-to-back rounds of 69 in the 36 holes and that got me into an eight-way playoff for three spots,” said Sweeney. “Unfortunately, I went par-par in the playoff, but it was an awesome day.”
He finally broke through this week, and will get a start in the Korn Ferry Tour’s Huntsville Open. We go to well-respected scribe Monday Q to pick up the story.
This week Sweeney again spent most of his savings to pay the $500 entry fee for Korn Ferry Monday at the Huntsville Open. He drove up from Florida with another pro. This was Sweeney’s 12th Monday qualifier between the PGA and KFT tours, but he had never made it through. He came to the par-4 18th hole at Huntsville Country Club at 5 under par and thought he needed at least a birdie. Most players lay up on the 366-yard dogleg-right, but Sweeney figured he needed to be aggressive, so he hit a big slice around the corner. His ball ended up in the front bunker about 35 yards short of the green. Thinking he had to get up and down, Sweeney did one better, holing the shot for an eagle. Come to find out, he needed to make that deuce.
The 65 earned him a spot in the playoff, and he advanced with a par on the second hole. On Thursday, Sweeney will tee it up in his first event on any of the tours under the PGA Tour umbrella.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that money for the rest of the week is tight. Sweeney has almost reached the $800 limit on his credit card, so he can’t book a rental car. As of Monday night he still wasn’t sure how he was going to get around for the week. His dad paid for his hotel room, which has the kind of amenities you’d expect for a place with a weekly rate of $500. The Google reviews are littered with complaints of bed bugs, customers being charged for nights they didn’t stay there and drug dealers and sex workers frequenting the parking lot.
In addition to his love for golf, Sweeney raps in his free time. He doesn’t advertise it, but his beats and rap lines are almost as impressive as his golf game. You can find him on Spotify here.
Listen to a full interview with Sweeney and Averee here.