Struggle.

Is there a more appropriate word to describe life as a professional golfer attempting to reach his PGA TOUR dream?

When a fresh-faced Michael Gligic, not even a teenager yet, strolled up the Glen Abbey parking lot in Oakville, Ontario, and joined the Elite Junior Program under the guidance of a 24-year-old Sean Foley, neither of the two had any idea the word would epitomize the next 16 years of Gligic’s journey.

Following a successful junior career, the Burlington, Ontario, native worked his way to a third-place finish at Canadian Tour qualifying in 2009, just two weeks before his 19th birthday as his professional career began. Failing to retain his playing privilege that seasons, Gligic returned to Q-School in 2011, winning the event and picking up a tournament victory later that year, at the ATB Financial Classic.

Despite the success, Gligic missed the cut at the second stage of PGA TOUR Q-School and returned to the newly named and PGA TOUR-affiliated Mackenzie Tour, where he finished inside the top 60 on that season’s Order of Merit.

One year later, Gligic finished inside the top 60 again. And again. And again. And again. For five consecutive seasons, Gligic returned to the Mackenzie Tour, a few times after missing qualifying for the final Stage of the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament by a single stroke.

“I think I’m my hardest critic, I’m always hard on myself, but I’ve always known I’ve had the game,” says Gligic. “It’s just that when it doesn’t happen after a few years you get down on yourself, and I’ve had that happen to me.”

The hardships aren’t unique to Gligic. Jason Dufner finished outside the top 100 at the final stage of Q-School three times. Jason Day finished 119th at Q-School in 2007. Heck, Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion and one of the greatest Canadian players of all time, failed at Q-School five times.

While any of them could have easily thrown in the towel, they’ve instead become household names.

“Mike (Gligic) is such a good player and been so close so many times, he didn’t quit,” says Foley, “You have to remember, when people compare themselves, they compare to the penultimate, they say ‘I was on the Mackenzie Tour with Tony Finau, and he’s ninth in the world now, what am I doing?’

“It took Justin Rose four years to win on the European Tour, 12 to win on the PGA TOUR, 15 to win a major and 20 to get to No. 1,” Foley continues, “and that has to be more of the comparison. People figure things out about themselves at different stages.”

Foley calls golf “the most Darwinian of all sports;” it’s survival of the fittest. and only the best players advance. And unlike other sports, there are no politics that determine whether somebody earns his Web.com Tour or PGA TOUR card. The scores speak for themselves.

This past season, Gligic finished 16th on the Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit, allowing him to forego the first stage of Q-School. In October, he breezed through second stage with a sixth-place finish, earning him entrance the final stage in Chandler, Ariz.