Texas Mid-Am Champ Retroactively Loses Amateur Status Due to $8500 Skins Earnings

[iacas]

This article is interesting.

Quote:

The United States Golf Association on Oct. 20 ruled that McCaffrey “professionalized his playing status” on Aug. 21 by accepting $8,500 in prize money from a skins game at Beeville Country Club. Accepting prize money is a violation of Rule 3 of the USGA’s Rules of Amateur Status. ... “The USGA ruling follows a lengthy investigation,” Goode said. “As soon as he accepted the prize money, he professionalized his status.”

Mike McCaffrey is a well known amateur in Texas. In September he won the Texas Golf Associations Mid-Amateur Championship, but because his status was retroactive to August, he had to forfeit that victory.

He's been stripped of some U.S. Amateur credits too like being the low medalist.

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I'm with the USGA on this one. Not only was his amateur status re-instated after years of mini-tour play, but if he's as good an amateur he should know the rules. The rules are clear. He's hired a lawyer and is appealing, but golf doesn't allow "oops, I made a mistake, and I gave the money back later" as a defense. Ignorance is not bliss nor is it an excuse. (He tried to give the money back after he realized it was well over the $750 limit.)

Also, what kind of skins game has at least $8500 up for grabs? Holy cow! :-)

[TN94z]

Originally Posted by iacas

Also, what kind of skins game has at least $8500 up for grabs? Holy cow! :-)

That was my first question!!  I agree with the ruling.

[michaeljames92]

what is the minimum time that you must stay professional for? i.e. how long till he can regain amateur status?

[ejimsmith]

my thinking is prizes like that are good for the rest of us, non-AM tour playing, folks.   i imagine many top AM's would not play a tourney that had that high of a prize pool, thus myself.. which has no need to preserve any AM status, may have a shot!!

[HoustonGolfer]

First and Foremost, MOST of you who read this Blog or any other Blog or the news, you are getting pieces of the information.  You don't know all the details surrounding the event, nor do you know the rules of golf either.  It is apparant that Mike tried to right the situation once the winnings did not fit under Prize Money or Gambling!  If you are naive enough to think that MOST low handicapped golfers don't gamble and don't participate in tournaments such as this one....then keep on believing.

Mike was wrong for what he did and yes, he tried to make it right by doing the right thing!  Do you really think his intentions were so bad when he didn't accept the $2,500 in prize money he won for 2nd place?  The USGA needed and wanted to make an example so they did it and now Mike will never be able to play in a USGA event again.  Sad day for the game of golf!  He probably would have gone on and done some amazing things for golf and yet his legacy will be tarnished for the remainder of his life...

I guess with what Mike did he should be punished harsher than a College Athlete that accepts money from a bogus job, jewelry, car, etc...  they get a one game suspension or a slap on the wrist, but Mike's punishment is all inclussive.

Seems fair huh?

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by HoustonGolfer

First and Foremost, MOST of you who read this Blog or any other Blog or the news, you are getting pieces of the information.  You don't know all the details surrounding the event, nor do you know the rules of golf either.  It is apparant that Mike tried to right the situation once the winnings did not fit under Prize Money or Gambling!  If you are naive enough to think that MOST low handicapped golfers don't gamble and don't participate in tournaments such as this one....then keep on believing.

Mike was wrong for what he did and yes, he tried to make it right by doing the right thing!  Do you really think his intentions were so bad when he didn't accept the $2,500 in prize money he won for 2nd place?  The USGA needed and wanted to make an example so they did it and now Mike will never be able to play in a USGA event again.  Sad day for the game of golf!  He probably would have gone on and done some amazing things for golf and yet his legacy will be tarnished for the remainder of his life...

I guess with what Mike did he should be punished harsher than a College Athlete that accepts money from a bogus job, jewelry, car, etc...  they get a one game suspension or a slap on the wrist, but Mike's punishment is all inclussive.

Seems fair huh?

Mike McCaffrey was playing in a pretty high stakes 'Skins Game' to earn a check of $8,500.  First and foremost, if you are playing for that kind of jack... You should either have serious coin... So that you can afford to cover your loses...  And not even think twice about it.  Or you better have one hell of a golf game that you can lean on to cover the risk of losing and earn some skins money.

Obviously if he was playing for that kind of jack in a friendly skins game - it wasn't a USGA sponsored amateur event.  So he should know it was out of bounds... And running the risk of getting his hand slapped.

I don't feel for the guy one bit.  Perhaps this will inspire him to practice harder and try and make it on a mini-tour?

[walk18]

Originally Posted by iacas

This article is interesting.

Mike McCaffrey is a well known amateur in Texas. In September he won the Texas Golf Associations Mid-Amateur Championship, but because his status was retroactive to August, he had to forfeit that victory.

He's been stripped of some U.S. Amateur credits too like being the low medalist.

I'm with the USGA on this one. Not only was his amateur status re-instated after years of mini-tour play, but if he's as good an amateur he should know the rules. The rules are clear. He's hired a lawyer and is appealing, but golf doesn't allow "oops, I made a mistake, and I gave the money back later" as a defense. Ignorance is not bliss nor is it an excuse. (He tried to give the money back after he realized it was well over the $750 limit.)

Also, what kind of skins game has at least $8500 up for grabs? Holy cow! :-)

So if 2 buddies go play a match for $800, the winner loses amateur status? I guess I never thought of it that way. I always thought it had to be some sort of "official" type of format to count. Interesting though.

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by HoustonGolfer

If you are naive enough to think that MOST low handicapped golfers don't gamble and don't participate in tournaments such as this one....then keep on believing.

He probably would have gone on and done some amazing things for golf and yet his legacy will be tarnished for the remainder of his life...

1. Most low handicap players don't play for $8,500 in skins matches. So call me naive.

2. What "amazing" things might he have done? I'm on the edge of my seat. Could he have won a few hundred dollars of his own money back on a mini tour, or something "amazing" like that?