Through the COVID-19 pandemic, plenty of people were forced into situations where they had to decide whether their career path – and ever-changing job situation – was exactly what they wanted in life.

Count professional golfers among that group, including Gregor Main. But a never-give-up attitude through the tail end of the pandemic’s shutdown helped the 32-year-old get rejuvenated on the course.

Now he’s working to earn a PGA TOUR card for the first time.

Main, a celebrated amateur, didn’t make it through the Korn Ferry Tour’s Qualifying Tournament in 2019 but he knew deep down he wanted to give it “one more shot.” In 2020, he admitted the year was “kind of a wash,” but he was amped up through 2021. He felt like it was going to be his last Q-School effort, with a plan in place if things didn’t work out.

He talked to some friends about doing commercial real estate or medical sales. His family is in the printing business – maybe that’d be it. Being a golfer, he said, he was nicely connected to different people in different industries.

“I know I could get a job if I wanted to, but I don’t want to,” Main said with a laugh. “I want to play.”

Main got more motivated than ever heading into 2021 and won two mini-tour events, one on the Golden State Tour and one on the SwingThought Tour.

He Monday qualified for the Korn Ferry Tour’s annual stop in Wichita and made the cut. Things were solid. Trending, even. He made it through Q-School after that – his first time getting past Second Stage. He did it in his early 30s.

“My game was good,” thought Main, “and I thought, ‘I cannot let this go.’”

Main teed it up on the Challenge Tour in Europe earlier in his career and is no stranger to difficult travel schedules, so getting used to a fresh lineup of courses on the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour won’t be too difficult, he said. He feels he has a game that travels well.

He leans into his consistency, for the most part. He admits with a smile that he knows he doesn’t hit it far, especially as compared to most of the players who are coming out of college these days and immediately become his contemporaries. Growing up, he spent a ton of time on the chipping green practicing fun shots and trying to chip in. That youthful excitement remains.

“Some of these guys (out of college) are just killing it, but their scores don’t really reflect it all the time. Guys hit it way by me, but I can still beat them,” said Main. “There’s more to the game than just hitting it far.”

Main missed two cuts through the early part of the 2022 season, but between those two early exits he notched a tie for 10th at The Panama Championship. Although he’s not teeing it up this week at the LECOM Suncoast Classic, he’ll get into the next three tournaments thanks to his solid early-season result.

“It was huge,” said Main.

The missed cut at The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay came after he took a red-eye flight there and played a practice round “half asleep.” He was one of the last players in the field and did not play well. After a week at home in California, he headed down to Panama, nervous.

“With everyone going on (with the Omicron variant of COVID-19) and different food and hotels and shuttles and all that, and a caddie who didn’t speak a lick of English,” said Main, “somehow I played well.”

Main is not a stranger to the PGA TOUR, having played seven TOUR events in his career, including the 2016 U.S. Open. But he hasn’t been able to have solid footing, yet, on the Korn Ferry Tour. He knows that’s the first step he’ll need to take to get to golf’s biggest stage.

But after finding himself, and his game, he’s as confident as ever to take advantage of the opportunities he’s earned. Playing golf is still as fun as ever, he said, and made more enjoyable with the locked-in Korn Ferry Tour status. He chased Monday qualifiers for years. Now, he feels, is as good a time as any to take the next big step.

“I feel like I can compete with those guys; I just need to prove myself on the Korn Ferry Tour first,” said Main. “Having starts keeps me motivated to get into The 25 and get on TOUR for next year. I know how fun that would be.”