Amateur Status Revisions
Raising NCAA Questions
The new Amateur Status rules
presumably will make it harder for U.S.
colleges to lure foreign players such as
Scotland’s Michael Stewart.
There is a perception, rightly or
wrongly, that in developing elite golf-
ers, the U.S. college system provides
a decided advantage over training,
coaching and playing programs in
other countries.
That perceived gap is the primary
reason that the Rules of Golf concern-
ing Amateur Status have been changed
in the latest combined revisions from
the USGA and the R&A.
Rule 2-2 addresses professional-
ism and Rule 2-2 (a) allows players to
enter into a contract and/or agreement
with his or her national golf union or
association provided he or she does
not receive financial gain while still an
amateur.
Rule 2-2 (b) allows players, at least
age 18, to sign contracts or agreements
with professional agents, sponsors or
other third parties while still remaining
amateurs. The contract or agreement
may deal with the player’s future but
he or she cannot receive financial gain
while remaining an amateur.
And a new Rule 4-3 allows ama-
teurs to receive expenses for things
such as food and shelter and general
living costs. However, each player’s
case will be reviewed and must be ap-
proved by the player’s national union
or association. And, most importantly,
once the expenses are approved, the
payments must be made through the
national union or association.
Neither the changed rules nor the
new rule will apply to U.S. college
players because they are also gov-
erned by the NCAA and its regulations
strictly prohibit Rule 2-2. But it’s not
immediately clear whether Rule 4-3 is
against NCAA rules. Observers close
to the situation have surmised that the
changes to the Rules of Amateur
Status were written for countries with-
out a college golf system and for devel-
oping countries whose golf programs
are in the beginning stages.
To understand the implications
of the new rules, you have to have a
working understanding as to how elite
amateurs are developed in the U.S. and
Great Britain and Ireland.
In GB&I, the best players are re-
ferred to their home unions – England,
Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Their
training is taken over by the national
teams and their expenses for training
and travel are paid for by the unions.
Not only do the GB&I national teams
compete against each other, they also
compete around the globe in presti-
gious international amateur events.
In the U.S., the best amateur play-
ers play for college golf teams. Their
scholarships – some full scholarships,
some partial, depending on the fund-
raising ability of the college program –
are worth tens of thousands of dollars
and include room and board, tuition and
books. College players also are given
free equipment, have access in many
cases to state-of-the-art practice facili-
ties and travel to college tournaments
all over the country, expenses paid.
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