From the Editor
18 years later, another Michigan native, Jason Buha, jumps on the Tour merry-go-round in hopes of snatching a gold ring. Nowadays, just making the Tour is a notable achievement in and of itself. The explosion in world golf, college golf and the mini-tours all have greatly expanded the sheer number of talented golfers. As it's often been said, the depth of field in the modern game is so deep it makes comparisons of players records in different eras quite a spurious pastime. But what it takes to make the grade and to compete on the most competitive Tour in the world really hasn't changed. You better be very, very good. To me, I find it amusing to listen to players with limited achievement voice their sudden aspirations for making the Tour. Now, I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade after one has won a state or local event but to me getting to the Big Show of Golf is similar to landing a lead role on Broadway: expect to pay your dues with a series of small roles and successes. There are few if any overnight successes on the Tour or in the Big Apple. Look at Tiger Woods. The guy's the best player on the planet but at 24 years old he's a wily veteran of the game with 22 years of experience behind him.
So what does it take to make the Tour? Well, for starters would-be Tigers and Tigresses out there should be asking themselves some of these qualifying questions, drawn from the hard-earned observations and experiences of Tour veterans:
After interviewing Jason Buha for the Q & A found in this issue, I'm convinced that the Dearborn native has the right stuff to follow in the footsteps of Dan Pohl, John Morse, Eric Booker, Kelly Robbins and Becky Iverson out on the Tour. Certainly, he has a good grip on all of the above questions. As such, it'll be a treat to follow his adventures in the coming months. And along the way, Buha has agreed to share his thoughts and experiences about life on the Tour with Michigan Golfer readers this year.
So as this magazine walks down its 18th year, were proud to have Jason Buha leading the way.
With this issue, I'm also pleased to announce the addition of Kelly Hill as Managing Editor for Michigan Golfer. Kelly will be assisting me part-time in sorting out the copy demands of the magazine while also continuing to be a regular and savvy contributor. Kelly is a fine and reliable writer with a good sense of the game and the golf industry here in Michigan. He's also a tireless stringer and freelance writer for the Grand Rapids Press. Because of those pressing duties and for all of the time and attention devoted to his wife Sandy and three young children, Kelly was a natural choice for me. You see, he's not as likely as yours truly to sneak off to the golf course in the middle of a deadline. Welcome aboard, Kelly.
Terry Moore
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