Professional golf looks glamorous from the outside. But for thousands of college golfers turning pro, that image is deceptive. The reality is a brutal grind where even winning barely covers expenses.

Christine Wang just pulled back the curtain. The 24-year-old USC graduate posted a financial breakdown on social media that should alarm everyone who cares about women’s golf. Her numbers tell a story the sport doesn’t want you to hear.

Christine Wang, a 24-year-old USC graduate, recently pulled back the curtain. She shared a detailed financial breakdown on social media, revealing the harsh economic realities of life on the Epson Tour. “The financial stress of it, because I was thinking about how much money I was spending on every event and I was missing cuts and then that made me more desperate,” Wang explained. “If you’ve ever played golf, you know that the more you try, the worse you play. I think most players are lying if they say they’re not thinking about how much money they’re spending.”

Her best week came at the Otter Creek Championship in June, where she finished T-4 and earned $12,032. It sounds impressive until you look at her expenses: $1,198.45 for entry fees, yardage books, Airbnb, food, gas, and tipping a volunteer caddie. That left her with $10,833.55 before taxes, and it was one of her cheapest weeks on tour.

The breakdown reveals just how tight the margins are. She paid a $350 entry fee to compete. The yardage book cost another $35. She flew using points, spending only $2.50 on flights. Gas ran her $52.42 because she split rides with another player. Her Airbnb, shared with two other competitors, cost $360. Food expenses hit $198.41 since she opted for takeaway instead of cooking. She even used a volunteer caddie to save money, but tipped him $200 because he earned it.

Most weeks are far costlier. Wang typically spends just under $2,000 per tournament. Across 15 events in 2025, she earned $31,380, but her earnings exceeded expenses only five times. Even outperforming more than 70 percent of players on the Epson Tour, she still lost money in the majority of her starts.

The college-to-pro reality gap

Wang did her homework before turning pro. She asked USC alumni about expected expenses. They told her that the salary would be anywhere from $50,000 to $80,000 annually. She’s on the $50,000 track. Meanwhile, top professionals spend between $1.88 million to $2.08 million annually. The gap is staggering. Living this reality, however, proved far harsher. Wang uses every cost-cutting trick possible.

She rents cars with players older than 25 to avoid the under-25 surcharge. She takes free housing when communities offer it. She cooks her own meals instead of eating out. She maximizes the free breakfasts and lunches at tournaments. “I know on the LPGA Tour, when I talked to my older former teammates, nobody really travels together. But on Epson, everyone’s kind of in it together so we share cars, we split housing, we work together,” Wang said.

When she first joined the tour, Wang had six starts and zero sponsors. “Nobody knows who you are, even if I came from a big school. It’s just not happening,” she admitted. She burned through savings. Her parents helped. USC alumni chipped in. Club members contributed. It still wasn’t enough. This year brought relief.

Wang secured sponsors, including AG1 and Agility. “It’s made life a lot easier. I can go to a tournament and know for sure that if I miss the cut, I’m still OK,” she revealed. The sponsorships didn’t just ease financial stress. They freed her mind to focus on golf instead of survival.

Wang’s transparency raises a tough question. Is the current system sustainable? On developmental tours, young players are budgeting every dollar despite outperforming their peers. The dream of professional golf comes with a price tag most cannot afford. For Wang, chasing her LPGA dream is a test of perseverance few outside the tour will ever witness.