BANGOR – For three years, Jon Martin of East Sullivan worked for other people. Since the first of May, though, he has started working for himself again.

Martin, one of the state’s better amateur golfers for several years, has embarked on a career as a golf pro and he couldn’t be happier.

“It’s kind of a different feeling,” said Martin. “But I enjoy the competition.

“Actually, I like it a lot better. I like playing real competitive golf.”

Martin will play in his third pro event when he participates in the 30th Greater Bangor Open Golf Tournament at Bangor Municipal Golf Course starting Thursday.

The $50,000 tournament kicks off Wednesday with the pro-am. The field of 180 begins the race for the first-place trophy Thursday morning. The top pro also gets a check for $10,000 when the 54-hole tournament winds up Saturday.

While Martin is delighted to be a pro, he also has found that the timing of his decision could have been better.

“When I decided around the first of May that’s what I wanted to do, all of the [club] jobs were locked up,” said Martin.

Also, he has discovered that playing tournament golf can be expensive.

“I had a couple of people who talked about sponsoring me, but that kind of fell through, so I’ve been funding myself,” said Martin. “That’s why I haven’t played in a lot of tournaments.”

He admits now, “I kind of came into it unprepared.”

Martin’s first test as a pro was literally that – the Player Ability Test.

Administered by the New England PGA, the test was held in Vermont in mid-June.

“It’s one thing when you’re in a tournament because you’re always trying to shoot as low as you can,” said Martin. “But when someone gives you a target score and you have to shoot better than that, you’re thinking changes completely.”

Martin passed that test with flying colors, earning medalist honors with scores of 73 and 69 for a 142 total. The target score was 153, and players who don’t hit the target have to try again.

“One guy was trying for the eighth time,” said Martin. “And you have to pass before even getting into the training program.

“Anybody can play as a pro. You just sign on the dotted line, give [tournament officials] your social security number, and off you go.

“But to get your card, that’s difficult.”

Martin is currently giving lessons at Vokes Driving Range in Ellsworth, and plans on finding an assistant pro job at a club in Florida for the winter.

Complicating Martin’s decision was the fact he has a wife and two children, but he said his wife has been understanding of his choice.

“She knew I wasn’t happy doing what I was doing,” he said.

What he had been doing was selling cars at Morrison Chevrolet in Ellsworth.

He wasn’t happy doing it, and some of his co-workers who were also avid golfers wondered why he wasn’t involved in golf.

“And I think they were kind of right,” said Martin. “Everybody has a chosen field, and I think mine’s golf.”