Tadd Fujikawa plans to turn pro in approximately two and a half weeks at the PGA Tour's Reno-Tahoe Open. He had received a sponsor's exemption into the event becoming the youngest player in over 50 years to make a cut in PGA Tour event when he accomplished the feat at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January.
After consideration of the matter and significant success in amateur and minor profession events, Fujikawa determined that there really was no reason for him to remain as an amateur. In a statement released from his Houston-based representation group, Fujikawa said, "I will work hard to achieve my dreams as a professional golfer and to be a good representative for Hawaii."
Most people who have been critical of this decision have probably cited that Fujikawa is just 16 years of age and likely does not possess the talent level to sustain success on the PGA Tour in the long-term. They likely point to Michelle Wie, Ty Tryon, Casey Wittenberg, and some others in recent memory that have struggled to be victorious and maintain their status at the highest levels of professional golf.
My argument, though, has very little to do with the talent that Fujikawa possesses. Tadd made a cut this year in his only PGA Tour start. That's a 100% cuts made clip. And while I am concerned about his ability to sustain himself long-term, it is not because of his talent level.
Rather, I am worried about Fujikawa because he is 16-years-old and about to become a professional golfer. Being a professional golfer changes your life — especially for someone so young. Tadd will no longer by playing for future opportunities when he turns pro. Those opportunities will present themselves now, and he will have to perform well in order to capitalize upon them.
Fujikawa and his representation will have to find a way to form sponsorship deals. After those deals are secured, Tadd will then have to play at least moderately well in order to maintain those sponsorships after the initial buzz fades. He may very well struggle to secure deals nearly as lucrative as fellow Hawaiian Michelle Wie because Fujikawa lacks the ability to transcend the game and draw in people from the general sports culture. Although he is a good kid with a great story, he does have a dynamic, natural draw.
Therefore, Fujikawa is going to have to make a living on his golf game. Sponsorship deals will not bail him out in the way that Wie's deals have bailed her out financially from her recent abysmal performance on the course. Regardless of how good of a golfer Tadd proves to be, there is an incredible amount of pressure to be a professional golfer because one only earns money by making cuts. He will face pressure to do so week after week. What used to be playing for broke and for fun will quickly become for paychecks. The game — or any favorite activity — can lose its luster if the purpose for doing it suddenly changes.
Tadd may very well be able to handle all of these things and do so with modest success. My question of contention to Fujikawa and you as reader is: why would you do it? When I was 16-years-old, I was enjoying high school love, making lots of friends, learning how to drive, and not working. Basically, I was enjoying being my own age. Even with a talent for golf as extraordinary as Fujikawa's, I could never even fathom giving up the high school dream life to become a professional golfer.
I would rather wait until I at least had finished high school and some of college and been able to fully enjoy my adolescence. After all, the money from professional golf is not guaranteed. Thus, the old NBA argument that one needs to cash in while they can is simply not valid. In golf, there is very little up-front money — only sponsorships — and therefore cashing in only happens when you play well enough to make cuts and earn the money. The money is hypothetically there, but only if you can take it. For me, I'd much rather wait until I had enough living the sweet life and then try to make bank.
The 5'1", 16-year-old Fujikawa said that he still intends to finish out high school and move onto college for his higher education — the Michelle Wie plan. As a graduate student, I worked a part-time job in addition to my studies. At the minimum, it was annoying. At its worst, it was frustrating, limiting, and not desirable at all. Assuming Fujikawa would place at least some significance on his education, the balance of schooling and a full-time job as a professional golfer would be extremely difficult. It would be something I'd rather avoid at all cost.
Socially, professional golf can be brutal. Stop Cristie Kerr the next time you see her and ask her how much fun it was to be the youngest player on the LPGA Tour for the first three years of her playing career. She will openly admit that she struggled because she was so young. It made it difficult to form friendships, find common bonds, and develop a comfort level with the talented professional surrounding her every week. It took her years to become comfortable in her own shoes and competition. Fujikawa would likely face a similar situation on the PGA Tour if he were able to earn his Tour card.
I'm not writing all of this to dissuade Tadd Fujikawa from becoming a professional golfer. I wish him all of the best and hope he succeeds. I doubt that I could do it, even with his talent.
Rather, I write because this debate is so often based upon the topic of pure talent. In reality, it is often that pure talent has very little to do with the youth in question. They have it. Instead, the issue is what the child may be giving up in order to fulfill their desires now versus waiting until a later stage of maturity. Remember that these golf prodigies are children. They should be encouraged to live their childhood to the max. If they do not and later go on to fail because of any host of reasons, they will live to regret it. In the end, being forced to grow up too soon can be one of the greatest tragedies in a child's life.
It is my hope that Fujikawa, his family, and support network all recognize this and will do everything in their power to make sure that the beaming smile which graced the Sony Open in Hawaii will still be there even if the road gets bumpy.
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