Compton native Aaron Grimes is working to reach the PGA Tour. An asset for him is competing in golf tournaments throughout the year. Some tournaments are attached to programs that help golfers with several different aspects of their game, aiding them in the advancement of their careers.
Last year, Grimes competed in a four-level tournament called Q-school. If golfers advance through all four levels, they will be given a PGA Tour card.
“You have the pre qualifying, first stage, second stage, and final stage,” Grimes said. “You have to make it through each stage and finish in about the top 20 to 15 percentile.”
Although his stint in Q-school came up short, Grimes was able to compete in the Farmers Insurance Fall Series Finale at Tustin Ranch Golf Club.
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“I finished 10th … I gave myself a chance to win which is all I can ask for,” Grimes said. “Just being out there with all the guys, we’re all trying to accomplish the same thing. We always root each other on. We want to beat each other.”
The series was hosted by the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA), it is a tour dedicated to promoting diversity in golf. Along with the Fall Series, the APGA hosted youth clinics. This allowed Grimes to mentor the junior golfers of Tee Divas and Tee Dudes.
“Any chance I get to interact with the youth, especially in this area, it’s always something that I take pride in,” Grimes said. “I know when I was a kid growing up here, any chance I got to be around someone of influence or anything like that, I jumped at that opportunity.”
The APGA also hosted workshops for the golfers that focus on marketability and brand management.
“Branding ourselves is huge,” Grimes said. “As a professional golfer, we rely on our likeness to gain not only opportunities but to gain monetary support.”
In August 2024, Grimes earned his first professional win during the Long Beach Open. He had a gross score of (-18)266. During the championship, Grimes made 21 birdies and one eagle.
Grimes noted how the win gives him confidence that he can take his professional golfing career to the next level.
“That was a really big win for me because it was right here at home,” Grimes said. “Growing up, that’s a tournament I want to potentially play in as a professional and then to win it, that’s something I dreamt about.”
Grimes was a team captain of the St. John Bosco boy’s golf team and lettered all four years. He also played golf at Cal State Northridge, where he competed in seven tournaments in a span of two seasons.
