Interview with Justin Peters - Inaugural Big Break Champion and Current Nationwide Tour Player

Some of you may recognize Justin Peters from the very first season of The Big Break challenge on The Golf Channel in 2003. Justin was the inaugural champion and ever since has been hard at work on his game to try and get to that next level. I actually first met Justin almost 18 years ago while playing junior golf tournaments in Massachusetts. Orignally from Pembroke, MA he was 15 years old and myself about a year older. Watching his game, he made an immediate impression on me, and even more so when he told me it was only his second season playing golf and was already a 1 handicap. He obviously had an unbelievable natural talent for the game. Justin and I would go on to meet each other again occassionally in high school matches, where unfortunately I always fared on the losing end.

Peters made it to the final stage of Q-school this past December for the first time in 11 attempts. Like many mini-tour veterans, taking on the extreme financial burden of bankrolling themselves to try and fulfill their dream of one day making it to the PGA Tour, Justin has often contemplated giving up his PGA Tour aspirations. Making it to the final stage for the first time has given him new hope, as well as the confidence of knowing he's possibly one step closer to that prestigious moniker of "PGA Tour player".

You currently have conditional status on the Nationwide Tour this year. Can you clarify what that actually means, to give us an idea of some possible tournaments to keep an eye out for you at this year?

Justin Peters: To be a full member of the Nationwide tour you need to finish 26-60 on last years money list. Also, at Q-school top 25 and ties get PGA tour cards and the next number nearest 50 after that get full Nationwide status. The conditional members are the ones that finished from 61-100 on last years money list and everyone else that was at final stage of Q-school. After 7 events there will be a reshuffle according to money earned and that will determine who gets into the next 5 events. There will be a reshuffle after every 5 events. My best chance of getting into an event is probably the 9th event in South Carolina. I will attempt to monday qualify for the events before that. My first qualifying attempt will be March 22nd in Louisiana.

You've made 11 trips to Q-school and this past year you made it to the final stage for the first time. Talk a little bit about the confidence you gained from that experience and what you took away from it.

Justin Peters: It feels amazing to finally have made it to the finals of Q-school. Financially I should have probably quit about 5 years ago. I have never stopped believing I can do it and that I belong on the PGA tour. This year at second stage was the most internal pressure I have ever felt. I knew that if I didn't make it through I was going to be forced to quit pursuing the dream. I gained a lot of confidence from performing the way I did under that pressure. I have shown improvement every year. I truly enjoy the journey of getting better. I have many friends on the Nationwide and PGA tours. I feel comfotable out there and I am looking forward to the upcoming years.

How do you feel about where your game is right now? Are there any aspects of it that you aren't happy with and feel you need more work on?

Justin Peters: I feel very good  about my game right now. I have been working with Bill McInerney Jr. for the last couple of years. I have seen great progress. He made it very clear to me some of the changes I needed to make. I would say only about 20% were physical changes. He helped me understand the importance of organizing goals and creating action plans to reach those goals. He also helped me understand how to focus only on the things you have control of. He has made an amazing website to help everyone with these sort of things. The website is www.mygolfinggoals.com. I feel I don't have any weak parts of my game right now, but I feel I have room for improvement in every area.

Currently you're playing with no sponsorships, taking on all the financial burden yourself of trying fulfill your dream. Does that give you an added level of stress when playing or attempting to play your way in to tournaments? Or are you able to mentally block that aspect out of the equation?

Justin Peters: For ten years of playing professional I have had to deal with money issues almost every year. I was fortunate enough to play two of those years with a full sponsor and that is when I played my best golf. I was only trying to win trophies. I used to have a very hard time dealing with the fact that I needed to make a check to pay bills. I have gotten much better over the years with dealing with that adversity. Even though I have been winning a lot of tournaments in the last couple of years, I have not been able to break even financially. I have been relying on my friends at Chase and Capital One for their support. Lucky for me they only charge 10% interest!

You turned professional right out of college, and won the Big Break in 2003. So you've been at this a long time and have had a lot of success on the mini tours. What kind of advice would you give to a guy coming out of college and turning professional?

Justin Peters: It is amazing how fast the time goes by. I do feel like a veteran now. I did turn pro right after graduating. I have been very lucky to have had as many experiences(good and bad) as I have had. I have played on a few tours that stole all the players money and disapeared. I have been able to travel the world and play on just about every type of golf course. The best advice I can give to someone who is turning pro is to remember that is still just golf. Whether you are a pro or amateur. The course doesn't change. A 67 is always going to be a good score. I would tell them to just keep trying to have fun and keep working at being the best you can be at the things you have control over.

This year at Q-school you had a great showing at Second Stage, coming in 4th. You also had a hole-in-one on the final day, giving you some breathing room from the cut line. Does that rank up there as one of the most memorable experiences in your career?

Justin Peters: I would say that was pretty memorable for me. The golf course we were playing was very difficult and you could make a couple of triple bogeys in a heart beat. So I knew the farther away from the cut line I could get, the better. I was playing very steady on the front nine the final day and shot 2 under. I started the day in 6th and was 4 shots ahead of the projected cutline with nine holes to play. I hit an 8 iron on the eleventh hole and watched it one hop into the hole. I don't think I have ever screamed so loud on the golf course. At that moment it was clear to me that it was finally my time to move on. The funny thing is 2 months earlier I predicted I would make a hole in one at Q-school. The power of the mind is amazing.

For more on Justin, click here to visit his website. I will also be regularly checking in on his progress throughout the season.