The 2025 season is here and Chris Paisley is ready to get back on the road
It feels like an age since I wrote my last column of 2024, but I’m back and looking forward to sharing more insights into my journey this season.
When I failed to advance through the second stage of DP World Tour Qualifying School in Spain in November, I was far from certain that I would be teeing it up on the Challenge Tour in 2025. After another frankly dreadful season – despite a positive start – I was not feeling too optimistic or enthusiastic about playing professional golf anymore.
So, what changed over the past 10 weeks?
I took some time off to be with my family and reflect. My wife, Keri, and I had some honest discussions about the future and those came down to whether or not I thought my chances of getting my game to a high enough level warranted being away from my young family so much. To cut a long story short, I’ve decided to give it my all again this season.
I’ll play Challenge Tour for the most part, but I will also go to PGA Tour Q School later in the season, and potentially tee it up in some Monday qualifiers in the US.
After a lot of reflection, I know I can compete on the DP World Tour again. I still love the game, and I still want to do it. It is not going to be easy, but I’ve done it for the majority of my career and I feel extremely well-equipped to succeed given all my experiences – both good and bad.
I haven’t made any drastic changes over the winter. I think the blueprint of what I’ve been trying to do has been correct, but perhaps the implementation has been lacking. One example would be that I now never hit the same shot twice in a row on the practice area. Something must change – intended shape, height, spin, distance, club, or all of the above. We all fall into the trap of hitting 50 seven irons in a row and that’s a fine way to practise, but your brain isn’t being challenged and it doesn’t reflect real golf. When changing something, your brain is forced to make an adjustment. Whether it’s big or small, it’s still challenging the brain to make the change and execute – just like you have to do on the golf course.
Along with some other tweaks to my processes, I am positive about my game. I am also comfortable with where my swing is, and I have played more rounds this off-season than ever before.
As I write, I’m in South Africa for my first event of the season. I’ve got four tournaments in a row before I play the South African Open on the DP World Tour as a past winner. There’s a lot to look forward to – here’s to a great 2025!
