Savannah native and Ridgeland resident Tommy Schaff didn't even start playing golf until his senior at Benedictine Military School, and he didn't play high school or college golf.
But that has not prevented him from enjoying a long career as a professional golfer. After turning pro in 2002, Schaff, 46, won some local events, including winning the Mary Calder Invitational one year with an opening round score of 13-under par 59.
But since dedicating himself to professional golf in 2014, Schaff has competed on a variety of mini tours. He also appeared on the Golf Channel's hit show, The Big Break, in 2015 and gained additional notoriety for his performance on the show.
Recently, Schaff has recorded top 5 finishes in back to back events on the Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour. He now has five top-5 finishes on the APGA Tour dating back to the 2017 season. In 2019, Schaff played five APGA Tour events and did not finish outside the top 10 in any event.
Schaff, 46, carded scores of 68-72 to finish 2-under par and in third place at the APGA Tour Las Vegas played at TPC Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada April 12-13. A week later, Schaff posted rounds of 68-70 to finish with a 4-under par total and claim solo fourth in Scottsdale, Az.
“The last couple of years, I’ve played some the best golf of my career,” Schaff said. “I’m making checks and making cuts, and now I’m starting to contend again. I’m not going to lie – it’s been a lot of hard work. I’ve got a long way to go but ceiling is really high right now."
In addition to the APGA Tour, Schaff competes regularly on the GPro Tour, a southeastern regional tour established in 2013 as a regional platform for aspiring professional golfers, and the IGTA Tour, a 15-year-old tour with tournaments mostly played in Florida where Schaff has won 14 times and was the tour’s leading money winner in 2016 and 2020.
Schaff will next compete in the North Florida Classic on the IGTA Tour April 24-25 in Orlando, Fla., followed by a pre-qualifier in Gastonia, N.C., on April 27 for the Monday qualifier for the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship played at Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte, N.C.
He is scheduled to compete in the Kannapolis Open on the GPro Tour May 5-7 in Kannapolis, N.C., followed by U.S. Open local qualifying at the Long Cove Club on Hilton Head Island on May 10. His next scheduled appearance on the APGA Tour will be on May 24-25 in Louisville, Ky., at Valhalla Golf Club.
