A Ladies European Tour pro reveals one week’s expenses, illustrating just how hard it is to make a living

You didn't need to see the opulent practice facility and hyper-manicured turf to know players at the Masters operate on a different plane of reality than the rest of professional golf. But a post today by Ladies European Tour player Hannah Gregg drove that point home, at least financially.

Gregg laid out her expenses for the week at the Women's New South Wales Open in Australia, and they painted a striking picture of how hard it is to make a living for the vast majority of professional players—male or female.

Her total expenses for the week ($3,672) included her flight down under from Phoenix ($2,600), work visa ($350), food ($377), fuel for her rental car ($165), entry fee ($130) and lounge pass for her caddie ($50). That total was about as conservative as it could have been because she didn't have to pay a caddie (her fiancé is working gratis) or for housing thanks to a sweet deal with a host family.

Gregg made the cut and finished 54th, which was good for $1,244. She said she needed to finish 21st to make money, but that doesn't even account for taxes.

In contrast, Masters competitors who missed the cut were paid a $10,000 stipend to cover travel and other expenses. At the LPGA Tour’s Chevron Championship, 54th place paid $23,365, and the event also paid the same $10,000 for all players who missed the cut.

The difference between making it and having to find another line of work? It's not just how well you play, but how long you can stay out there trying before the money runs out.