As an aside, I noticed B.J. Ussery’s name on the Arizona Open list. He mentioned on Facebook that he won’t receive his Florida Open prize money until a month after the event.
That got me thinking about the economics of chasing the WNT. On one hand, I applaud Matchroom for putting together wall-to-wall tournaments during August in the USA. More events mean more opportunities to earn ranking points, gain experience, and establish yourself on the tour. But on the other hand, holy cow, it has to be expensive.
Think about what an unsponsored player is potentially paying for each event: entry fee, travel, hotel, food, transportation, miscellaneous expenses. And then, even if you cash, you may not actually see that prize money for another month.
For a sponsored player, that's a completely different equation. The expenses may be covered, or at least substantially offset. But for someone trying to establish himself on the WNT, earn ranking points, and build a professional career out of his own pocket, the financial commitment has to be enormous. You could actually find yourself spending thousands of dollars chasing ranking points and prize money that won't hit your bank account for weeks.
I'm not suggesting finances had anything to do with B.J.'s Arizona schedule. I have no idea. Seeing his name on the list simply got me thinking about the bigger picture. The opportunities are there. But can an up-and-coming player afford to take advantage of all of them?
