Two south-west golfers tomorrow embark on the first stage of a nerve-racking, two-step process just to gain playing rights on the Australasian Tour, a stepping stone to the world's major tours.

Warrnambool's Dylan O'Keeffe and Nullawarre's Quinton Howe are among 67 players who face a mentally challenging 54 holes at Sandhurst Golf Club, hoping to get through to next month's final qualifying school event. Another 105 hopefuls are competing in similar events in New South Wales and Queensland this week, looking to book a spot. Just how many get through to the 72-hole event at Commonwealth Golf Club is yet to be determined.

Then the hurdles become bigger. Only 50 players at the final qualifying school gain full playing rights on the tour. A further 15 gain partial rights.

For O'Keeffe, just teeing it up tomorrow at Sandhurst, in Melbourne's south-east, is a win for perseverance.

After completing his traineeship at Port Fairy last December, the 22-year-old has spent the past 12 months working on his game and trying to make ends meet. He delivers pizzas three or four nights a week to earn a couple of hundred dollars he then spends on golf equipment, tournament entry fees, travel, accommodation, meals and general living expenses.

This week, he had to pay an $1870 entry fee.

Earlier this year, he furthered his golfing apprenticeship playing pro-am events in Queensland. He slept in a swag.

"This first year (out as a professional) has been a real eye-opener about how expensive pursuing a professional career is," O'Keeffe said.

"Really opened my eyes. For me to have a genuine crack at playing I have to be playing golf every day. I can't afford to be working a 9-5 job. The guys who are practising every day will eat me for breakfast otherwise."

O'Keeffe said he was determined to continue playing despite "struggling financially". If he doesn't get his card, he intends contesting pro-am events again.

"Realistically or unrealistically I need $50,000 behind me to have a crack, but anything helps out at the moment," he said. He is grateful to any sponsors who give him a leg-up.

Tomorrow he hopes to repay his supporters with a good showing.

O'Keeffe has spent the past couple of weeks working intensely with Warrnambool Golf Club professional Craig Bonney.

"I suppose last year my preparation was nowhere near what it has been this year because I was always working in the shop (at Port Fairy) 40 hours and had two days off before qualifying-school," he said.

"The last couple of weeks I've spent a lot of time with Craig and had a lot of discussions about how to go about it."

O'Keeffe had a round with Warrnambool pro Marc Leishman before the world number 46 flew to the Gold Coast for the Australian PGA.

"Having a hit with Marc was really good and gave me a bit of an insight into how to go about it," he said.

He has made a small swing change too.

"Probably had a lot of discussions about the mental side of the game," he said.

"We are both content with how I'm hitting it. It's all about the mindset and having a positive frame of mind."

grbest@fairfaxmedia.com.au