Callum Tarren reflects on securing his PGA Tour card for 2022-23 and picks his highlights from a fantastic debut year on the world’s leading golf tour
Callum Tarren signed off his first year as a member of the PGA Tour with a trip to the FedEx Cup Playoffs after securing a place in the top-125 on the season-long points list and earning full playing privileges for the 2022-23 season.
“Having earned my card in 2021, one of my first goals for this season was to keep it. I’m over the moon to have made it to the playoffs and earned an improved category for next season,” said Callum, who enjoyed a short break at home in Darlington with his partner and daughter before heading back to the US in September.
Callum earned his card after progressing through Korn Ferry Tour Finals in 2021. Having made a slow start to the season, missing his first eight cuts, he finished T30 in The Honda Classic in February.
“There was a lot to get my head around after earning a PGA Tour card and welcoming our daughter into the world in the space of a few weeks,” Callum admitted. “That said, I’m delighted with how I picked things up and found my feet.
“It was a bit different early on. I’m a huge golf fan and hitting balls beside Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and all the top players in the world took a bit of adjusting to. I also saw how different life is on the PGA Tour with the big entourages travelling to each stop. It all added distractions I’d not had to handle before, but I managed to settle down, learn and get comfortable in that environment. I’d played well and not got to a weekend, but once I made that first cut, things got going.”
Having made his first cut, Callum picked up his first top-10 the following week with a T5 finish in the Puerto Rico Open. A solid month of golf followed before he progressed through qualifying to earn his second visit to the US Open.
“Playing in my second US Open at Brookline was a huge highlight of the year,” added Callum, who earned a T31 finish in the year’s third major after leading the field through 33 holes. “To have my family and friends there, and take the lead in a major championship, was so cool.”
From there, Callum continued his momentum, picking up a pair of top-10 finishes at the John Deere Classic (T6) and the 3M Open (T7) to all but guarantee his card for 2022-23.
“Shooting five-under par for the back nine on Sunday at the 3M stands out. Doing that on any Sunday, but particularly one that late in the season, is so important to locking up your card.”
Having added a T20 finish at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and a T27 finish at the Wyndham Championship, Callum missed the cut in the first event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs – though he couldn’t be disappointed with how his first season on the PGA Tour went.
“I can’t wait to get back out there,” he added. “Having had to enter every event and be ready to sneak in at the last minute, I’m looking forward to being able to set a schedule, arrange some time with the family and structure what I’m doing a lot more.
“With the recent changes to the tour, it’s going to be an exciting year to be a PGA Tour member. One week can change your life out there and I’m excited to get my second season underway.”
