Too Good To Quit

I stood beside the 18th green at Starr Pass Golf Course with Jhared Hack after his second stage of Q-School ended in Tucson, Arizona. It was the kind of December afternoon where the sky is so clear you can see out the outline of the moon, and the fairways are so vibrant they look artificial. It was a day when some futures came sharply into focus and others grew harder to see.

My friend had just completed his fourth round in the desert—and missed advancing to Final Stage by eight shots. At 36, Jhared was staring down the reality that his season was over.

At the beginning of last summer, Jhared’s bank account held just $214. Six weeks later, he’d earned enough on the mini tours to fund trips to both PGA Tour and DP World Tour Q-Schools. It had been his best stretch of golf in years: multiple wins, nearly constant contention, and a renewed sense of belief. None of it was enough at Second Stage.

As players around Starr Pass embraced their supporters—some celebrating, others consoling—Jhared stood next to me, staring back at the 18th hole, frustrated.

“I’m too good to quit,” he said. “I’m thinking about going to play in India.”

After Q-School, most players retreat. They lick their wounds, weigh their options, and decide whether they can stomach another year of Monday qualifiers and mini-tour entry fees. Without Korn Ferry Tour status, some head to Americas Tour Q-School in the spring. Others chase opportunities in South Africa, Europe’s developmental circuits, or China. Jhared, however, was talking about something I knew almost nothing about: qualifying for the Tata Steel Pro Golf Tour of India.

Jhared had played a few events in Morocco early in his career and had come within reach of DP World Tour Final Stage two years ago. As far as I knew, that was the closest he’d ever been to India. I wondered if this was denial—or bargaining—setting in. Most players swear off golf entirely after missing Q-School by that kind of margin.

But Jhared had heard that the PGTI offered a pathway to the DP World Tour for top finishers, and instead of backing away, he leaned in.

Launched in 2006, the PGTI was originally limited to Indian golfers before opening internationally in 2018. It now offers world ranking points and operates in partnership with the DP World Tour. Regular season purses range from roughly $110,000 to $220,000, with entry fees of just $25. In 2026, the DP World Tour will stage two events in India, with purses of $2.25 million and $4 million.

Jhared paid $225 for PGTI Q-School and boarded a plane.

Four and a half hours to JFK. 14 hours to Delhi. A six-hour layover. An hour and a half to Ahmedabad. Another hour to the golf course. Along the way, he watched the entire season of Stick on Apple TV, two episodes of Planet Earth, and slept when he could. 27 hours later, he arrived.

After extensive research and conversations with players already on the tour, Ahmedabad hasn’t been much of a culture shock. Jhared expected a different standard of living—it reminds him of Morocco. The sun is filtered through a persistent haze. The food is bolder and more flavorful than he anticipated. Locals have been warm, curious, and welcoming.

The golf course is firm, flat, and tree-lined, though the greens, Jhared says, “have elephants in them.” Even as jet lag creeps in, he believes he’ll succeed. He’s grateful to be here—on the other side of the world, still chasing the thing he believes in.

Jhared will compete in a 36-hole First Stage qualifier this week. Final Stage, a 72-hole test, follows at month’s end. If he succeeds, he’ll have access to roughly 20 events this year with winner’s checks ranging from $15,000 to $30,000.

Many people travel to India searching for peace, spirituality, escape, or enlightenment.

Who knows what Jhared Hack will find on this unlikely golf adventure.

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