--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Playing so well as an amateur, I felt…" description: "\"Playing so well as an amateur, I felt like by the time I turned pro I knew exactly what it would be like to play on Tour. I knew what it was like becau..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/058/patrick-cantlay-5855_events_playing-so-well-as-an-amateur-i-felt-lik_595398.jpg" --- # Playing so well as an amateur, I felt like by the time I… ![“Playing so well as an amateur, I felt like by the time I turned pro I knew exactly what it would be like to play on Tour. I knew what it was like because I'd played nine, ten Tour events before I turned pro. So I wasn't at all nervous. I knew I belonged.” quote by Patrick Cantlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/058/patrick-cantlay-5855_events_playing-so-well-as-an-amateur-i-felt-lik_595398.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/058/patrick-cantlay-5855_events_playing-so-well-as-an-amateur-i-felt-lik_595398.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/058/patrick-cantlay-5855_events_playing-so-well-as-an-amateur-i-felt-lik_595398.jpg) > “Playing so well as an amateur, I felt like by the time I turned pro I knew exactly what it would be like to play on Tour. I knew what it was like because I'd played nine, ten Tour events before I turned pro. So I wasn't at all nervous. I knew I belonged.” [Patrick Cantlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cantlay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Having extensive amateur experience gave confidence and familiarity, reducing anxiety when turning professional. **In simple terms:** Amateur play prepared him for pro level. Key Takeaway Leverage experience before big transitions. Themes sports confidence transition performance mindset Mood motivational reflective Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - career advancement - competitive debut - team integration - public speaking Key Concepts experience building mental preparation skill transfer Questions to Reflect On - What specific skills from amateur play help at the pro level? - How can one stay humble after early success? A Different Perspective Overconfidence can lead to complacency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Nervous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nervous/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I never had an amateur career; I didn't go to college in America; when I came out on tour nobody knew who I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-poulter/i-never-had-an-amateur-career-i-didn-t-go-to-college-in-america-when/) [Ian Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-poulter/) > [I was recording stuff with my dad when I was like five, six years old. I played with him on tour. I'd gone with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dhani-harrison/i-was-recording-stuff-with-my-dad-when-i-was-like-five-six-years-old/) [Dhani Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dhani-harrison/) > [I learned to never say never and never say no, so I decided to go pro. I knew I'd have an opportunity to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darius-philon/i-learned-to-never-say-never-and-never-say-no-so-i-decided-to-go-pro/) Darius Philon > [I'm aware that there are a lot of guys playing at amateur level with a build like mine and I say stick at it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adebayo-akinfenwa/i-m-aware-that-there-are-a-lot-of-guys-playing-at-amateur-level-with/) [Adebayo Akinfenwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adebayo-akinfenwa/) > [For me, a late start was a good thing. A lot of kids who start too early get bored. I'd done all the things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaap-stam/for-me-a-late-start-was-a-good-thing-a-lot-of-kids-who-start-too/) [Jaap Stam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaap-stam/) > [I always tell my dad he was training me to be a pro before he even knew it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-donald/i-always-tell-my-dad-he-was-training-me-to-be-a-pro-before-he-even/) [Aaron Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-donald/) > [I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would have turned pro at 17.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-finau/i-never-thought-in-my-wildest-dreams-that-i-would-have-turned-pro-at/) [Tony Finau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-finau/) > [I'm from Minnesota and have always lived there. And my competitive career actually started in the late '90s racing motocross, which then turned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-schultz/i-m-from-minnesota-and-have-always-lived-there-and-my-competitive/) [Mike Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-schultz/) > [To be on the same team with Orr was great because when I turned pro, nobody had more charisma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-dionne/to-be-on-the-same-team-with-orr-was-great-because-when-i-turned-pro/) [Marcel Dionne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-dionne/) > [I signed with a club when I was 12. I started living by myself at 14. I turned pro at 16. I grew up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danilo-gallinari/i-signed-with-a-club-when-i-was-12-i-started-living-by-myself-at-14-i/) [Danilo Gallinari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danilo-gallinari/) > [In college, and when I first turned pro, I cut the ball a little too much for my liking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-hovland/in-college-and-when-i-first-turned-pro-i-cut-the-ball-a-little-too/) [Viktor Hovland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-hovland/) > [I have been very busy having so many fights since I turned pro. To have 13 in little more than two years is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-yarde/i-have-been-very-busy-having-so-many-fights-since-i-turned-pro-to/) [Anthony Yarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-yarde/) > [People thought I was cocky because I didn't talk much. When I first turned pro, reporters asked me who was going to win. I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-venturi/people-thought-i-was-cocky-because-i-didn-t-talk-much-when-i-first/) [Ken Venturi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-venturi/) > [I turned pro and won Rookie of the Year on the South African Tour and then it took me two tries at the qualifying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/retief-goosen/i-turned-pro-and-won-rookie-of-the-year-on-the-south-african-tour-and/) [Retief Goosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/retief-goosen/) > [What people need to understand is that when I turned pro, I was 21 years old. I've definitely done some things I regret. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-rahm/what-people-need-to-understand-is-that-when-i-turned-pro-i-was-21/) [Jon Rahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-rahm/) ## More by Patrick Cantlay > [I don't think you play golf just to make money. I think you're just good at it, and that ends up being a profession…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cantlay/i-don-t-think-you-play-golf-just-to-make-money-i-think-you-re-just/) [Patrick Cantlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cantlay/) > [I'm not afraid to upset 90 percent of the people in the room if I think it's a subject that's worth making them upset about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cantlay/i-m-not-afraid-to-upset-90-percent-of-the-people-in-the-room-if-i/) [Patrick Cantlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cantlay/) > [I'm trying to get up as far as I can, even if I'm not going to get to the green, and then also leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cantlay/i-m-trying-to-get-up-as-far-as-i-can-even-if-i-m-not-going-to-get-to/) [Patrick Cantlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cantlay/) > [If I think it's going to be able to help my golf, I'd like to be able to play it. That maybe involves a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cantlay/if-i-think-it-s-going-to-be-able-to-help-my-golf-i-d-like-to-be-able/) [Patrick Cantlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cantlay/) > [Hopefully someday I'm the best player in the world. That's what I'm working toward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cantlay/hopefully-someday-i-m-the-best-player-in-the-world-that-s-what-i-m/) [Patrick Cantlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cantlay/) > [When I put on Hugo Boss clothes on they always look good and fit the right way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cantlay/when-i-put-on-hugo-boss-clothes-on-they-always-look-good-and-fit-the/) [Patrick Cantlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cantlay/) > [My musical taste is mainly summed up as like Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, with Zeppelin being my favorite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cantlay/my-musical-taste-is-mainly-summed-up-as-like-bob-dylan-the-beatles/) [Patrick Cantlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cantlay/) > [I think it's hard to do playoffs in golf. I think we've seen that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cantlay/i-think-it-s-hard-to-do-playoffs-in-golf-i-think-we-ve-seen-that/) [Patrick Cantlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cantlay/) > [I think anytime you can share success, I think that makes it just a little sweeter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cantlay/i-think-anytime-you-can-share-success-i-think-that-makes-it-just-a/) [Patrick Cantlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cantlay/) > [You go to Vegas and you play roulette and the chances are 50/50 but skewed toward the house a little. It could hit red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cantlay/you-go-to-vegas-and-you-play-roulette-and-the-chances-are-50-50-but/) [Patrick Cantlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cantlay/) > [You don't get the opportunity to win tournaments that often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cantlay/you-don-t-get-the-opportunity-to-win-tournaments-that-often/) [Patrick Cantlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cantlay/) > [If you look at other sports, other sports are way more chaotic than golf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cantlay/if-you-look-at-other-sports-other-sports-are-way-more-chaotic-than/) [Patrick Cantlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cantlay/) > [I think those that know me - I keep a pretty tight circle - and in general, the people that are closest to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cantlay/i-think-those-that-know-me-i-keep-a-pretty-tight-circle-and-in/) [Patrick Cantlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cantlay/) > [I try to pay attention to the little things: why players play certain shots or how they see certain holes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cantlay/i-try-to-pay-attention-to-the-little-things-why-players-play-certain/) [Patrick Cantlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cantlay/) > [You never expect to get hurt, but you always know in the back of your mind things like that can happen. Just look how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cantlay/you-never-expect-to-get-hurt-but-you-always-know-in-the-back-of-your/) [Patrick Cantlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cantlay/) [Explore all 100 Patrick Cantlay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cantlay/) ## More Events quotes > [History is, in its essentials, the science of change. It knows and it teaches that it is impossible to find two events that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-bloch/history-is-in-its-essentials-the-science-of-change-it-knows-and-it/) [Marc Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-bloch/) > [My political views have never made me insensitive to the pain and suffering caused to the innocent victims of events such as the Warrington…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-fox/my-political-views-have-never-made-me-insensitive-to-the-pain-and/) [Claire Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-fox/) > [Teaching children about the natural world should be seen as one of the most important events in their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-berry/teaching-children-about-the-natural-world-should-be-seen-as-one-of/) [Thomas Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-berry/) > [In any event, it is one thing to assert, then or now, that the Iraq war was ill-advised. 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