Difficulty to play your way over PGA Tour is known. But what about the huge 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 graduate, 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 the PGA Tour.
But Nicholas is also a rising, popular social media star Instagram AND YouTube accounts.
And in his latest Instagram post, Nicholas gave a transparent look at his costs and income from a long year of golf.
Over 11 cuts made on the Korn Ferry Tour, Nicholas pulled in $173,507. Add to that $43,544 for a T61 finish at the 2025 US Open at Oakmontbonuses 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 its costs. From travel expenses (AirBnbs, rental cars, flights, etc.) to card payments, coaches, trainers, and even his YouTube team, Nicholas’ total costs broke down to about $150,000 per year.
All in all, he played well enough to end the year with a net profit of over $100,000.
You can view a full breakdown of Nichols’ expenses and earnings below.
James Nicholas golf expenses for 2025
cadi
$58,000
Accommodations
$27,747
Flights
$17,036
The YouTube team
$13,100
Food
12809 dollars
trainers
$5,855
Car rental
4661 dollars
Entrance fees
4600 dollars
coach
2650 dollars
Various
3601 dollars
Locker and club repair
850 dollars
Equipment and clothing
free
Total expenses
$150,909
James Nicholas Course Earnings 2025
Korn Ferry Tour
$173,507
US Open
43 544 dollars
Little League Golf Tournament
1711 dollars
BONUSES
35900 dollars
Total revenue
$255,058
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