Despite His Towering LIV Golf Success, Talor Gooch Has Not Forgotten the ‘Broke’ Days of His Career: ‘Grind Your B**t Off’

You probably don’t remember the Talor Gooch of 2015. The struggling Oklahoma native who was trying his luck at different Tours. The disheartened youngster who almost gave up on the hopes of ever playing on the PGA Tour. The 24-year-old who was mulling over getting a Best Buy job even.

The Talor Gooch of today has become the darling of LIV Golf. And why not! His swaggering escapades at the upstart league have put Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, and Bryson DeChambeau in the shade. But LIV Golf & $36 million in riches came much later. Before that, Talor Gooch, who joined Koepka’s Smash GC this year, was swimming against the tide to find a spot on the PGA Tour. Speaking at the ‘Fairway to Heaven Podcast’, the 2023 LIV Golf Individual champion recounts the struggles of his early years.

The Q-school struggles of Talor Gooch

Like most aspirational pros, Talor Gooch wanted to cut through the clutter of Q-school. But, the LIV Golf Pro missed the chance by one spot in his first attempt. “In the second round at TPC Craig ranch, I finished 19 and 18 plays advance so I didn’t miss by a shot; I missed by one spot.” So, the Oklahoma native decided to play in the PGA Tour of Canada. However, the land of Maple Syrup and Northern Lights couldn’t provide any succor to the struggling Oklahoma native, either.

So the prodigal son returned to have a crack at Q-school again. Gooch recounts that after four holes, he “was one or two over par.” With only 14 holes left, the 2022 RSM Classic winner was sure that he was “outside the number now to advance the final stage.”

Sitting in a corner, Gooch was telling himself, “Well, you don’t have any money. (Y)ou’re gonna have to go grind your b**t off, get an hourly wage at Best Buy.” Not that anything is wrong with that, but, Gooch had an ambitious dream to realize and he was still miles off from the finish line.

Gooch recounts berating himself. “I was like you’re gonna have to go work at BestBuy. You got to go sell TVs to fund this dream of being a professional golfer.” His anguish was also compounded by another factor. A friend rather—Jordan Spieth. 

How Gooch mounted a massive comeback

Talor Gooch and Jordan Spieth grew up playing golf together. However, while Gooch was struggling to qualify, Spieth was killing it on the Tour. The 13-time PGA Tour winner raked in five victories that season winning two Majors – the Masters and the U.S. Open. For Gooch, it was sort of a reality check. “I’m sitting there watching a kid who I grew up playing with, like winning majors and crushing it.”

Read More: “Carbon Copy:” Talor Gooch Hints at a Major Format Change in LIV Golf Despite His Towering Skepticism