The difficulty of playing your way onto the PGA Tour is well known. But what about the steep financial costs of pursuing your PGA Tour dream? We have a clear window into that reality thanks to Korn Ferry Tour pro James Nicholas.
The 29-year-old Yale grad, who hails from New York City, is one of hundreds of elite pros trying to graduate to the big leagues. In 2025, he played in 26 Korn Ferry Tour events, finishing 64th in the standings.
That was good enough to keep his KFT card for 2026, but not enough to make it to the PGA Tour.
But Nicholas is also a burgeoning social media star, with popular Instagram and YouTube accounts.
And in his latest Instagram post, Nicholas gave a transparent look into his costs and earnings from a long year of pro golf.
Over 11 made cuts on the Korn Ferry Tour, Nicholas pulled in $173,507. Add to that $43,544 for a T61 finish at the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont, bonuses and a small amount from the Minor League Golf Tour, and Nicholas earned a total of $255,058 on the course in 2025. That figure does not include sponsorships.
But most revealing were his costs. From travel expenses (AirBnbs, rental cars, flights, etc.) to caddie pay, coaches, trainers and even his YouTube crew, Nicholas’ total costs broke down to about $150,000 for the year.
All in all, he played well enough to end the year with a net gain of over $100,000.
You can check out a full breakdown of Nichols’ expenses and earnings below.
James Nicholas’ golf expenses for 2025
Caddie
$58,000
Accommodations
$27,747
Flights
$17,036
YouTube team
$13,100
Food
$12,809
Coaches
$5,855
Rental Cars
$4,661
Entry Fees
$4,600
Trainer
$2,650
Miscellaneous
$3,601
Locker and club repair
$850
Equipment and apparel
Free
Total expenses
$150,909
James Nicholas’ 2025 on-course earnings
Korn Ferry Tour
$173,507
U.S. Open
$43,544
Minor League Golf Tour
$1,711
Bonuses
$35,900
Total earnings
$255,058
