Tom Pernice Jr. has spent much of his life learning what it takes to compete, adapt, and stay consistent in professional golf. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1959, he developed an interest in golf at an early age. At Raytown High School, he earned All-State honors before taking his game to UCLA.
From 1978 to 1982, Pernice studied economics and competed on the UCLA golf team. He became a two-time All-American and was named PAC 10 Player of the Year in 1981. Those years helped shape his approach to golf and taught him the value of preparation, patience, and learning from the people around him.
His professional career began with strong regional results, including three consecutive Midwest Section PGA Championship victories from 1984 through 1986. Pernice went on to build a long career on the PGA TOUR, making 317 cuts and winning twice. He captured the Buick Open in 1999 and The INTERNATIONAL in 2001.
After turning 50, Pernice continued competing on PGA TOUR Champions, where he added six victories, including the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in 2014. Remaining competitive through different stages of his career has required a willingness to adjust, keep learning, and continue putting in the work.
Away from tournament golf, Pernice values family, fitness, mentoring, and giving back. He has supported causes including junior golf, Folds of Honor, and retinal disease research. In 2024, he was inducted into the Kansas City Golf Hall of Fame.
For Pernice, success has never been about finding one secret. It comes down to doing the little things well, staying willing to learn, and continuing to improve.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
My days are rarely exactly the same. It depends on whether I am competing, traveling, or at home in Scottsdale. I like to start by getting my body moving and having a plan for what I want to accomplish. If I am practicing, I try to give that practice a purpose. It might be my swing, putting, short game, or conditioning. I have learned over the years that being busy and being productive are two different things. For me, a productive day means I got better at something that matters.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I try not to overcomplicate things. I figure out what is most important and start there. Golf has taught me that trying to fix five things at once usually means you do not fix any of them very well. I take one thing at a time, see how it works, and make adjustments from there. I have used that approach throughout my career.
What’s one trend that excites you?
One trend that really excites me is the way technology is being combined with a better understanding of body mechanics. We know so much more now about how the body moves and how that movement affects the golf swing. Technology allows us to actually measure and see things that we used to rely mostly on feel to understand. I think combining that information with good coaching can help players move more efficiently, practice with more purpose, and even improve longevity in the game.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
I try to get one percent better every day. It does not have to be a huge improvement. It might be something in my swing, my putting, my fitness, or even the way I prepare. Over the course of a long career, I have learned that small improvements really add up. I am always looking for that one thing I can do a little better today than I did yesterday.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Be patient and enjoy the journey a little more. When you are young, everything can feel urgent. A missed cut feels bigger than it really is, and a bad stretch can make you question everything. A professional golf career is long. There are going to be injuries, disappointments, great weeks, bad weeks, and plenty of surprises. Prepare the best you can, keep going, and do not let one result define you.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
I think golfers sometimes focus too much on how many hours they practice and not enough on how they practice. More practice does not always mean better golf. Forty focused minutes can be more valuable than three hours of hitting balls without a purpose. I also believe the mental side of golf is just as important as the physical side. You can have a great swing, but if you cannot manage your thoughts, emotions, and expectations on the course, it is very difficult to play your best.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Learn from your failures. Golf gives you plenty of them, no matter how long you have played or how successful you have been. After a disappointing round or tournament, I try to honestly evaluate what happened and what I can learn from it. I have always believed failure can be one of your best teachers if you are willing to look at it that way. You cannot change the result, but you can use it to make yourself better the next time.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I simplify things. Golf can become very complicated when you start thinking too far ahead. I come back to what I can control, which is my preparation, my attitude, my effort, and the shot in front of me. Usually when I narrow my focus back down to those things, everything starts to settle down.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
Being willing to adapt has probably helped my career more than anything else. The game has changed tremendously since I became a professional. Equipment changed, training changed, technology became a much bigger part of the sport, and every generation of players brought something new. I have always tried to keep learning from coaches, other players, and people who know more than I do in certain areas. I never wanted to get to the point where I thought I had golf completely figured out. I am still learning today.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
There have been plenty of failures. If you play professional golf long enough, you are going to miss cuts, lose tournaments you thought you could win, and go through stretches where things are not working. I learned not to run away from those moments. I would look at what went wrong and decide what I could do about it. Some of the biggest improvements I made in my career came after disappointing periods because they forced me to make changes I probably would not have made otherwise.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
I would love to see more programs that connect experienced professional golfers with younger players for mentoring that goes beyond the golf swing. There is so much about professional golf that you only learn by living it. Course management, preparation, fitness, travel, handling pressure, dealing with failure, and learning how to conduct yourself are all important. Giving young players access to people who have been through those experiences could be incredibly valuable.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
I use GEARS and Onform quite a bit in my training. GEARS gives me detailed information about how my body and club are moving throughout the golf swing, which helps me better understand my body mechanics and where I can become more efficient. Onform allows me to capture and review video, compare swings, and communicate with my coaches when we are not in the same place. Since I travel so much, being able to use technology to get specific feedback and stay connected with my coaches has become an important part of how I practice and continue to improve.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
The Bible. My faith has always been an important part of my life, and the Bible helps keep me focused and accountable in all areas of my life. It reminds me to keep things in perspective, especially through the highs and lows that come with professional golf. It challenges me to look at how I treat people, how I handle adversity, and the kind of person I want to be. At this stage of my life and career, those lessons are more important to me than any golf lesson.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I recently enjoyed Landman. I like Billy Bob Thornton and the way the show combines business, family, and a look inside the oil industry, which is a world I really did not know much about. The characters are entertaining and the writing keeps you interested. With so much of my life revolving around golf, I enjoy watching something that takes me into a completely different world.
Key learnings
- Aim to get one percent better every day. Small improvements made consistently can add up to something significant over time.
- Learn from failure. Disappointing results can become some of your best teachers when you are willing to honestly evaluate them.
- Never stop adapting and learning. Technology, training, and competition will continue to change, and longevity requires being willing to change with them.
- The mental side of performance matters just as much as the physical side. Preparation includes learning how to manage your thoughts, emotions, and expectations.
- Pay attention to the people around you. Success and productivity matter, but so do compassion, faith, perspective, and recognizing opportunities to help someone else.