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Opportunity beckons off the course for PGA IGI graduates

A CAREER in golf is much more than swinging a club.

And now, those interested in pursuing such an avenue are starting to realise the endless opportunities that await them off the course if they’re not good enough to make it on the tour.

The PGA International Golf Institute has produced some wonderful success stories in its time and you don’t have to look out on the fairways to find them.

Yes, the perception that if you don’t turn pro after your training ‘you’ve failed to make it’ is a view now dead and buried deep in the bunker.

While only the smallest percentage of budding pros make the grade, the remaining majority still end up living their dream in other capacities.

Welcome to the new world of golf, a world international PGA IGI graduate Duc Pham now has at his feet.

Pham graduated from IGI in December 2008 after coming out to Australia from Vietnam in 2005.

A quick course in English kick-started a journey that saw him pass his PGA IGI golf-specific Diploma of Business with flying colours, while he fine-tuned his game to a point where he is now ready to secure a professional traineeship.

While his main goal is to play golf for a living, Pham is a realist and knows if he fails in his bid, he has plenty to fall back on thanks to his hard work through PGA IGI.

“My time at PGA IGI has gone so quickly, but the variety it gave me in terms of education in golf management is going to be so valuable for my career,” Pham said.

Holding a PGA IGI certificate will do wonders for Pham, so much so that he believes he could head home to Vietnam tomorrow and get a job.

But that’s not Pham’s style – he wants to stick it out in Australia and see how far he can take his qualifications.

“My main goal will be to try and turn pro by way of a PGA traineeship and then later on maybe get into the business side of things,” he said.

“Obviously trying to become a full PGA member is everyone’s goal,” he said.

Pham is not lost on the added bonus from holding PGA IGI qualifications .

Should he be successful in obtaining a PGA traineeship – he will only need to complete one full year, not the standard three-year course.

While his father is keen for him to push for a playing career, his mother is hoping he secures a job in business.

Either way, it’s a good problem to have knowing you have a chance to do both in the not too distant future.

“It’s just another few years of hard work, but there could be a few opportunities there for me, particularly with talk of a golf academy opening up back home in Vietnam, so who knows?”

PGA IGI Marketing and Student Recruitment Coordinator Joshua Madden reinforced the need for potential PGA IGI students to open up their minds.

“There’s lots of jobs within the golf industry – it’s not all about turning professional and getting on tour,” Madden said.

“In Duc’s case – he can go all the way to the top back home in Vietnam purely because of his Australian education and experiences here.”

DECISION TIME: 2008 PGA IGI graduate Duc Pham now has qualifications to fall back on after moving to Australia from Vietnam to pursue a career in golf.

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