Qian Sets Sight on PGA Tour

When you set your mind to get something done, you work hard to make sure it happens. That's how George Qian thinks. That's what George Qian plans to do.

A senior business major on the golf team, Qian has turned his sights to professional golf, already preparing for what it will take to see his life-long passion become a career.

"I like a lot of things I'm studying in school – finance and business technology and computer science," said Qian. "I find it all really interesting but it doesn't compare to the feeling I had on the golf course, and it won't come close."

That feeling Qian refers to came during the summer of his freshman year when he played in the 112th Iowa State Amateur. At 19-years-old, Qian was in the final pairing of a three-day tournament. He had a one-shot lead at 6-under par on Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City, Iowa. Something felt different that day as he left the driving range of his first state amateur.

"All of a sudden, there was a sense of seriousness to the task and I could feel the tension rising," said Qian.

Qian struggled through the first nine holes and, after three early bogeys, took the turn at 3-under. He thought he played himself out of the tournament. A friend told him he was five strokes off the lead. Qian told himself to stay patient and make steady pars, thinking the wind must affect everyone equally.

"By the time I reached the tee at 18, I was tied for the lead," said Qian. "A rush of adrenaline flowed through me and I became laser-focused. Nothing else mattered. I felt truly alive."

Although Qian would finish as runner-up after two sudden death playoff holes, he knew it was only the beginning of a journey, one he and his family formally decided to go after this past July.

The follow-up to Qian's first collegiate summer in Iowa has been two All-America honors, four individual medalist performances, eight top-three finishes and a school-record low round of 67 at the Hershey Cup.

Now, heading into his final spring season as a Tartan, he has his sights set on making it onto the PGA tour.

"I played alongside players from all divisions at the Patriot All-America Invitational my junior year," said Qian. "Seeing the resumes of some of the competitors reinforced my feelings. Now that it's in my head, it's really hard for me to think about doing something else."

Qian has the work ethic, he always has. As a second-born son to Chinese parents who came to America with 60 dollars and two suitcases in 1990, education and hard work were values instilled in him from an early age.

"When I set my sights on something, I go after it," continued Qian. "If my father could succeed under his set of circumstances, then I can and certainly will succeed as well."

A student of the game who spent two years of high school at the Western Academy of Beijing and two years at the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy (GGGA) in Orlando, Florida, Qian is spending time on his mental game and focusing on the shots he needs to make.

"I've done a lot of reading about the mental side of golf," said Qian. "It's like focusing on the right parts of the game – no matter how good you get, 60% of your shots are within 100 yards. Reading about how you react to a bad shot, how you get ready for a tournament or even how you practice, has put me in a different frame of mind."

Once Qian completes his collegiate career he'll return to his hometown of Bettendorf, Iowa, where he'll spend time practicing at the Davenport Country Club and look to qualify for some amateur tournaments. In the fall, he plans to move to Florida and play developmental tours while studying under a coach.

As the New Year turns, Qian will enter PGA Qualifying Schools with the first one scheduled for January in China. He'll then travel to Canada for the Mackenzie Tour in April. If successful in either pursuit, he'll earn his full status tour card for that area and stay.

Qian has picked both tours because they feed directly onto the Web.com Tour, the level directly below the PGA Tour in the United States. Another reason is location.

"I'm pretty lucky to have lived in China and can speak the language," said Qian. "I've talked to others who are playing the tour in Latin America and have struggled with the language barrier and such."

While working toward his goal, Qian will have plenty of golf moments to reflect on, including playing alongside others vying for a paycheck. One moment he'll remember came this past summer when he made it through the pre-qualifier of the John Deere Classic and played in Monday's qualifier for the first time.

"That was a real PGA Tour environment," said Qian. "It's a totally different feeling when you're playing against very serious grown-up men who are trying to make a paycheck. That was a really cool feeling and huge for experience."

Qian is strong in his stance and confident in his endeavor.

"I'm no longer afraid to tell the world the ultimate goal in my life," said Qian. "I have never been one to settle. I desire to be the absolute best at my craft. I am the kid who was always too good in school to play golf for a living, but I am also the kid who unconditionally believes in himself."