iStockphoto / Michael Madrid-Imagn Images/Ljupco
Golfer holding a trophy next to PGA Tour pro Davis Riley chipping at The Masters
Every golf course in the world has some ‘local legend’ that members and regulars revere as the greatest around. These are the guys who consistently win club tournaments, might break par with regularity, can bomb the ball down the fairway, and likely even hold the course record. Compared to a PGA Tour pro, however, these guys might as well be playing putt putt golf.
How good are PGA Tour golfers compared to scratch golfers? It is actually quite difficult to compare the two, it’s like comparing apples to tennis balls. Sure they might have a similar shape but everything else is different.
The best way that I’ve found to illustrate how good PGA Tour pros are is from RJ Plunkett on TikTok. He spins a wheel of ‘Random PGA Tour Pros’ and dives into their past and all of their accolades before they made it to the PGA Tour. His latest video was such a perfect example of how ‘there are levels to this game’ that I had to share it with you all.
How Good Are PGA Tour Pros vs Scratch Golfers? Could A Scratch Golfer Break 60?!
This clip dives into the past of PGA Tour member Davis Riley. He is a 2-time winner on the PGA Tour but far from a ‘household name’ in the sense that few people outside of the golf world would recognize his name. It isn’t entirely far to consider him an ‘NPC’ because he has won twice but I think you get the gist.
@rjisntfunny Shoutout Hattiesburg #golf #sports #pga #pgatour #journalism
Ranked 123rd in the world currently, Davis Riley has $11,986,722 in career earnings on the PGA Tour. In 2026 he has two Top 10 finishes and ranks 111th in the FedEx Cup Standings.
Riley is from Hattiesburg, Mississippi and played college golf at the University of Alabama but long before he was playing for the Crimson Tide he was hoisting trophies. He started playing golf at the age of 3 and by 6th grade was already competing on the High School Golf Team. That’s young, right? Well, he won the Mississippi State Championship every year from 7th grade through 10th grade and then again in his Senior Year.
At only 16 years old, Davis Riley broke the Canebrake Country Club course record. He shot a 58. Let that sink in for a moment. At 16 years old he shot a 58 on this par-71 Championship golf course designed by Jerry Pate.
In 2013 he made the final of the US Junior Amateur only to lose to Scottie Scheffler. How’d he lose? Well, Davis Riley was leading through 27 holes but on the 34h hole he assessed a penalty on himself and that handed Scottie Scheffler the win. Davis Riley followed it up the next year making the 2014 US Junior Amateur final only to lose to Will Zalatoris in the final.
A year later, Davis Riley qualified the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in Washington. He was still just a senior in high school at this point.
After that he was off to the University of Alabama where he started as a freshman. He would get his first solo collegiate win in his Junior year and ascend to becoming the #1 ranked college golfer in the world. They’d make the 2018 College National Championship Final only to lose to Oklahoma State with Viktor Hovland and two other future PGA Tour stars.
He skipped his senior year and decided to turn pro. Without tour status he began qualifying through Monday qualifier tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour and finished 18th at a KFT tournament in Bogota, Colombia. After that, he was able to secure sponsor exemptions and was able to earn his Korn Ferry Tour card for the 2019 season.
Then came 2020… The world stopped for a minute didn’t it? Well, golf was thriving. In 2020, Riley won the KFT stop in Panama City, Panama but after that the pandemic hit and KFT had to combine the 2020/21 seasons into one season. When things resumed, he kept his momentum and was able to earn his PGA Tour card and has since won twice on the PGA Tour.
So how exactly does a PGA Tour pro compare to a scratch golfer? Well, Davis Riley won the Mississippi High School State Championship 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 18 years old. At just 16 years old he set his course record of 58. Most scratch golfers break par with regularity but the thought of ever shooting 58 is unfathomable even to them.
There are levels to this game.
Now go and smash the ‘follow’ button on RJ Plunkett’s TikTok page if you enjoyed his video and the information above because he regularly pumps out these videos on the history of random PGA Tour pros before they got to the TOUR.
At the end of the day, winning a local Club Championship is an incredible achievement. But Davis Riley could do that swinging lefty. He might set the course record and snatch the local legend’s soul in the process.