After 172 AFL Games, Former AFL Player Starting Over With a PGA Tour Dream
AFL CROWS EAGLES, Jayden Hunt of the Eagles marks the ball during the AFL Round 11 match between the Adelaide Crows and the West Coast Eagles at Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Sunday, May 25, 2025. NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY ADELAIDE SOUTH AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxAUSxNZLxPNGxFIJxVANxSOLxTGA Copyright: xMATTxTURNERx 20250525158399167214
AFL CROWS EAGLES, Jayden Hunt of the Eagles marks the ball during the AFL Round 11 match between the Adelaide Crows and the West Coast Eagles at Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Sunday, May 25, 2025. NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY ADELAIDE SOUTH AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxAUSxNZLxPNGxFIJxVANxSOLxTGA Copyright: xMATTxTURNERx 20250525158399167214
Jayden Hunt has moved on from the fast-paced environment of the AFL and chosen the more strategic and calculated challenge of professional golf. He has decided to pursue a bold new career.
Following a 12-year stint with the Melbourne and West Coast clubs, during which he played in 172 matches, Hunt has made a complete career change. He is now focusing on becoming a professional golfer.
According to Hunt, this change has made the last 10 years of playing elite-level football appear easy in comparison. He currently plays golf between seven and eight times a week.
This is surprisingly due to Hunt's relentless golf practice. 'I am actually more sore now than I have ever been in my footy career, which is crazy,' he said.
AFL EAGLES KANGAROOS, Jayden Hunt of the Eagles is seen during the AFL Round 20 match between the West Coast Eagles and the North Melbourne Kangaroos at Optus Stadium in Perth, Sunday, July 30, 2023. ACHTUNG: NUR REDAKTIONELLE NUTZUNG, KEINE ARCHIVIERUNG UND KEINE BUCHNUTZUNG PERTH WESTERN AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxAUSxNZLxPNGxFIJxVANxSOLxTGA Copyright: xGARYxDAYx 20230730001825934311
AFL EAGLES KANGAROOS, Jayden Hunt of the Eagles is seen during the AFL Round 20 match between the West Coast Eagles and the North Melbourne Kangaroos at Optus Stadium in Perth, Sunday, July 30, 2023. ACHTUNG: NUR REDAKTIONELLE NUTZUNG, KEINE ARCHIVIERUNG UND KEINE BUCHNUTZUNG PERTH WESTERN AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxAUSxNZLxPNGxFIJxVANxSOLxTGA Copyright: xGARYxDAYx 20230730001825934311
His deadline is March 16, and Hunt is determined to bring his golf handicap below 1 by then. That is the last date he can have the required handicap to enter the PGA Australasia Qualifying School.
The 30-year-old athlete currently sits at a 2.5 handicap from daily play. He is eager to challenge his competitive spirit against the top players in the region.
Jayden Hunt's Gruelling Chase for a Professional Golf Card
A top-25 finish is required for Hunt to secure his card for the PGA Australasian tour, and he is well aware of the magnitude of the challenge.
"I doubt I will go too well at Q School, but I thought, why not?" Hunt said. His competitive nature is the driving force behind this late-in-life career change.
After he retired from football, Hunt was always clear that he planned to do so relatively early. He jokingly suggested he would have "got the flick" at some point anyway.
Since his retirement, Hunt has traveled to Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan, playing on a variety of international golf courses as he worked on his golf skills.
The former Demon and Eagle has immersed himself in the sport, and his fans cannot wait to see what he has to offer at the tees. His March mid-qualification deadline is fast approaching.
Read more at Daily Club Golf!
Written by
Abhishek Sharma
Edited by
Joyita Das