Every day, Russell Budd wakes up and finds himself face to face with his career goals. Written on Post-it notes, the goals are everywhere: plastered on doors and stuck to the bathroom mirror. To him, they serve as both reminder and reinforcement.
“If you keep telling yourself something and you see it often enough, you start to believe it,” Budd says. “It starts to become reality.”
The notices are necessary. The Toronto native is in his second year as a professional golfer and knows that becoming complacent for even a few days could have major repercussions for his career.
“It’s a humbling sport,” he says. “You can’t get too high, you can’t get too low. You have to figure out and find the positive in every disappointment.”
Budd, 24, had to make a big mental adjustment in July after almost losing his grip on a tournament lead. He led by three strokes going into the second of a two-day contest at the Mandarin Golf and Country Club in Richmond Hill, Ont. However, a bogey and double bogey on the last two holes forced a playoff round with two other golfers.
Nevertheless, he persevered for his first professional win. That victory began a great season for Budd who took home his next first-place finish on Aug. 5 at another Mandarin Tour event in Richmond Hill.
Later that month, he shot a 69 at a qualifier for the PGA Tour Canada.
“I’m ahead of where I thought I would be at this time,” he admits. “I feel very comfortable with myself and I’m enjoying what I’m doing, which is the biggest thing.”
Regardless, there is no room for Budd to become too confident with his abilities. Unlike athletes in other sports, Budd cannot deflect to a teammate if he is having an off day. All of the blame falls on him, he says, so self-motivation is key.
Budd, who attended DePaul University on a golf scholarship and graduated in 2013, says that writing down his feelings is a helpful tool. If he is struggling during a round, he says he can think back to positive thoughts he scribbled down.
For instance, if he makes a note that humming a certain song in his head will make him feel better, Budd will use that to get him out of a funk on the course.
“Once you’re out there in a tournament, your emotions can’t be like a roller- coaster. You have to keep it pretty flat,” he says. “I’m learning how to do that better.”
To keep his game in tip-top shape through the year, Budd spends the winter golfing in southern Florida. There, he hits the course for practice at 7 a.m. and doesn’t return home until the evening.
Budd says that if he returns to his residence and doesn’t feel exhausted, he didn’t push himself far enough.
“The good thing about this year is I’ve had to change my goals three times over the course of the last month,” Budd says. “It’s a good problem to have when you have to change goals because you’re achieving them.”
As for his next goals, Budd says he wants to keep his status with the PGA Tour Latinoamérica. Meanwhile, good tournament results will also help him keep his career afloat financially.
However, tournament entry fees can be pricey – especially for qualifying school, where Budd plays to qualify for top golf tours. Several of those entry fees can run upward of $2,000.
Budd has one sponsor, condo developer Camrost-Felcorp, and is currently looking for more sponsorship as his game improves. He estimates that his annual expenses are between $75,000 and $80,000 (US).
While the sport is an expensive endeavour, Budd remains confident that he will continue hitting and putting for life.
“I wouldn’t even know what to do with a desk job,” he says. “I hope I never have to wear a suit to go to work. I like being able to go somewhere with a bunch of grass and where the sun is shining every single day.”