Callum Tarren is one of the most experienced players on the HotelPlanner Tour, and the 35-year-old is looking to use that to his advantage as he bids to climb the golfing ladder once more.
After experiencing the highest of highs, whereby he narrowly missed out on winning on the PGA TOUR, and having led at a Major Championship in the same year, Tarren has endured a testing two-year period. Having lost PGA TOUR status in 2024, he found himself playing between tours in 2025, which culminated in him missing out on retaining DP World Tour playing rights.
Tarren, however, is taking it all in his stride, and has lofty goals for 2026 as he bids to return to Golf’s Global Tour at the earliest opportunity.
“The ultimate goal for me is to win three times and get back to the DP World Tour as soon as I possibly can,” he said.
“I had a chat with my team at the end of last year and feel like the last two years I’ve under-performed. I’m accountable for that, and I don’t blame anyone for that other than me.
“The last two years have been tough, especially when you’re not performing, but I’m still as hungry as ever. I know I can compete at any level, so I just need to figure out a way of putting results on the board.
“I’m in it for the long haul. If those three wins don’t come, I’m looking to top the Road to Mallorca Rankings at the end of the year.”
To get to this point in his career, as previously mentioned, Tarren has teed it up all over the world, and has done so with plenty of success.
Tarren opted for golf rather than football in his late teens after admitting he was ‘half-decent’, before playing college golf in America. Following that, he made the decision to max out a credit card to fund his place in the PGA Tour of China’s Qualifying School; a decision that paid off.
“I left England to go to America when I was 18, and that’s a big step,” he added. “It was a huge commitment, but I was pretty mature for my age and took it in my stride.
“I missed my family, but golf is a commitment, so when I decided after college to go to China, yes it was a big leap, but it’s what we have to do as golfers. At that time, sacrifice and hard work was part of the process of trying to get where I wanted to be, which was ultimately on the PGA TOUR.
“It was an incredible experience out there in China. There was another English guy, Michael Skelton, an ex-Walker Cup player and an unbelievable talent. We got our cards together at the same time, so we roomed together and did the whole experience together which was awesome.
“It was challenging at times obviously. We played out there for three years with some weeks easier than others.
“The first year I finished eighth on the Order of Merit which was the start of my professional career. The next year I ended up finishing third and then 2018 I managed to win the money list on the PGA Tour of China to get my Korn Ferry Tour card.”
From there, Tarren would realise his dream, earning status on the PGA TOUR for the 2022 season.
The 2022 campaign would prove to be his best season to date, as he came agonisingly close to a breakthrough win on the PGA TOUR, finishing tied second in the RSM Classic at Sea Island, two shots behind Canadian Adam Svensson, and alongside American’s Sahith Theegala and Brian Harman. In the same year, through the opening 36 holes, Tarren would be towards the top end of the leaderboard at the U.S. Open Championship too.
“With the second-place finish at Sea Island, I got in with the clubhouse lead and there was one guy on the course that could beat me and that was Adam Svensson,” Tarren added. “He managed to birdie two of the last three to beat me.
“It was life changing. Not only financially, but you prove to yourself that you can compete at that level, and it was just a huge step in my career to prove that I was good enough to be there. A second-place finish on the PGA TOUR is massive
“I’ve had some good showings in the Majors too. I think I held the lead at Brookline for 33 holes over the first two rounds and I was in the second to last group on the Saturday. At Oakhill, in the US PGA Championship, I was in the final group on Saturday.
“I enjoy that test when golf courses get tough and show their teeth. I’ve had some great experiences in the three Majors that I’ve played. I’d love to play some more.”
Tarren, having experienced those highs, remains ambitious, and is determined to enjoy the process as he bids to return to the tee in future Major Championships.
“Golf can eat you up and spit you out in a heartbeat, but I think the guys who stick at it are the ones who prevail in the long run,” he said.
“I’m refreshed. I had two months off after Australia and I’m raring to go. I think there’s some good things to come from me this year.
“I’m embracing it all. I’m going to try to enjoy myself, put the work in on and off the golf course, and hopefully the results on the golf course show.”
