How to Save Amateur Golf

By Mason Savage

@coursemaps, a tremendous Am player in his own right, teeing off at Sedge Valley

Golf is one of the most unique sports in the world. One of the reasons for this, is that the dream of competing with the world's best, never dies. Even as an office employee who works a 9-5 job (I do not know anyone that works 9-5, its always 8-5) there is an avenue for you to play in a tournament, qualify for events and ultimately tee it up at a US Open alongside the best players in the world like Rory McIlroy. The odds are extremely low, but technically they are not zero. This makes golf unique because there is never anyone who works a 9-5 job that just randomly signs with an NBA Team or shows up to training camp and walks on to an NFL Roster. Those dreams die when the collegiate career is completed.

However, in recent years, this dream in amateur golf is dying. Historically, once you turned professional in golf, there was no going back. Once a professional, always a professional. The USGA has loosened the criteria to get your Am status back which has lead to an avalanche of reinstated Professional which has tainted and clouded multiple Amuetur tournament results.

Now I do not want to fully put all of this on the USGA. In the era of NIL, is there really any College Golfer at a D1 program that is a “pure” Amateur? Earning money, getting equipment deals and endless access to coaching and practice facilities are all things that true Amateurs lack. The Line between a collegiate golfer and a professional golfer has never been more blurred.

On one hand, I understand the sentiment that Professionals that are no longer chasing the dream of professional golf. They have in a sense become Amateurs again. They have been reintegrated (shoutout to Severance) back to the normal weekend warrior grind and while that is true, the history and past of professional golf is important. Competitive reps matter, not having a career and countless time to practice matters and having access to the training facilities and swing coaches matter. Those are reps and resources that never disappear and raise the floor of all professionals. 

This is the failure of Amuetur golf to me, that these people will have the same designation in the field as someone who has been grinding on the weekend on top of working a real 40 hour a week job with the responsibilities of life such as marriage or raising kids. They are all labeled as an Amuetur despite the wildly different life experiences and background in the game of golf. This is why I propose a new designation and that is a Failed Professional FP. I think the designation not only brings a little shame to the Failed Professionals beating up the Amuetur golf scene but it also provides context when you look at a leaderboard. If you look at a leaderboard and see a smattering of FPs at the top you know that those are the ex professionals beating up the everyday ams.

What do we think about this idea? Do we like the idea of distinguishing the ex professionals from the true Amueturs? Head over to my instagram @aspoiledwalk and let me know.