By: Kevin Cunningham December 7, 2024 Throughout the 2024 PGA Tour season, Michael Kim traveled to various destinations, including Mexico for the World Wide Technology Championship. Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images The existence of a PGA Tour pro might appear luxurious, as they jet-set around the world throughout the year in pursuit of substantial purses. However, achieving […]
Throughout the 2024 PGA Tour season, Michael Kim traveled to various destinations, including Mexico for the World Wide Technology Championship.
Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images
The existence of a PGA Tour pro might appear luxurious, as they jet-set around the world throughout the year in pursuit of substantial purses. However, achieving this lifestyle hinges on the use of jets, and the accumulated costs from airline travels and hotel accommodations can be quite staggering.
The insight into these costs comes courtesy of Tour pro Michael Kim. Kim has emerged as one of the most engaging personalities on social media for golfers. He consistently shares intriguing and valuable perspectives on the life behind the scenes of PGA Tour pros, highlighting both the positives and the negatives.
This level of openness is what modern sports enthusiasts appreciate, and Kim offered a fresh glimpse this week to his audience on X.
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On Friday morning, Kim posted a screenshot of a chart detailing the total amount he expended on flights and accommodations for PGA Tour events in the 2024 season, unveiling an astonishing total: $92,698.11.
This substantial expense accrued while Kim participated in 30 different PGA Tour events throughout 2024, covering locations in Hawaii, Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Bermuda, and various areas throughout the continental U.S.
Kim noted that the total of over $92K included “zero dollars spent on private flights, rarely business class.” Unlike many Tour celebrities, Kim consistently opts for commercial flights, which he remarked likely results in lower travel expenses compared to others, as indicated in his post.
“Can’t imagine the costs of some of the top players,” Kim expressed.
Kim’s experience serves to inform golf enthusiasts about the considerable expenses associated with pursuing a professional golf career outside the elite tier. Substantial expenditures are necessary to have any chance of earning a livelihood, and little financial security exists.
Despite having only one career Tour win, Kim ultimately finished the 2024 season with a profit. Although he missed 13 cuts and achieved only two top-10 placements, his earnings for the season amounted to $1,484,233.
The majority of this income, however, originated from just five tournaments, further emphasizing the financial instability many players on the lower levels of the Tour encounter.
Ironically, the largest paycheck of his season was $310,800 for a T6-finish at the American Express, which was merely his second competition of the year and took place in California, his home state.
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