Mats Ege: A Journey from College to Pro Golfer on the DP World Tour

This week, Mats Ege debuts as a professional golfer on the DP World Tour after five years in college. With impressive development during his studies, he is now ready to take the next step in his career.

How have the last five years been, and how does it feel to be done?

"The last five years have been great. I'm very glad I chose college instead of going straight to the pro route after high school. I wasn't good enough or mature enough at that time. My first two years were a bit special due to the pandemic and my decision to transfer schools. So, I feel like I've only had three full years. These three years have been very good, I've learned a lot, and they've made me mature and ready for professional golf. It's a bit sad to be done, but I'm so ready and excited for pro golf that I don't think much about being done with college."

Will you stay in the USA?

"I originally planned to stay in Tennessee, but then my coach in the USA transferred to LSU and took all the good players with him. So, I felt there wasn't much left for me there. This made me decide to return to Europe for the summer to play here. My goal is to get back to the USA and the PGA as soon as possible, but I think I'll take the European route to get there."

What will be the biggest difference, both in everyday life and in sports?

"Everyday life revolves around training no matter what I do. The biggest difference is that it's now me and my team who decide the logistics. Right now, it's quite uncertain which tournaments I'll get to play, so it's hard to plan too far ahead, unlike in college where you had the plan laid out at the beginning of the year."

Are you ready for your first tournament as a pro?

"I am very ready. I've done a good job recently and have gotten many things in place, which makes it easier to just focus on golf. I've been waiting for this for a while now, so it will be cool to finally do it."

Are there any specific things you will focus on now as a pro that you didn't focus on as much before?

"Nothing very special. Maybe a bit more on energy levels and diet since there will be a lot of traveling, and I feel it's important that my body functions as it should."

What is Nextup's role now that you are turning pro? Would you say they are a kind of support system?

"I find it very helpful to have Nextup during this transition in my career. There are a lot of new things, but some of the guys at Nextup have already been through it and know how to solve the challenges. So, it's very reassuring to know that I can easily ask for help if there's something I can't figure out."

Finally, what are your plans for the summer?

"I now have one start on the European Tour, followed by three starts on the Challenge Tour. This covers all of June, and I'm not entirely sure what will happen after that, but most likely it will be similar for the rest of the summer. My agents are doing a great job making sure I have tournaments to play and a good chance to secure a status for next year."

Mats Ege is heading into an exciting summer as a new professional golfer. With support from Nextup and a solid plan, we look forward to following his journey on the DP World Tour.