Big Day For Professional Debuts And The Ramifications For Amateur Golf
/Ryan Herrington files a very nice salute to the many top amateurs of the last few years who are making their professional debuts at the Traveler's Championship and Irish Open Thursday. Patrick Rodgers, Cameron Wilson, Oliver Goss, Brady Watt, Cory Whitsett and Matthew Fitzpatrick are all taking the plunge and as Herrington lays out, the real loser in the rush to start cashing checks has already had a negative effect on amateur golf.
The annual summer amateur schedule of national events began last week with the Sunnehanna Amateur in Pennsylvania and continues Wednesday with the Northeast Amateur at Wannamoisett Country Club in Rumford, R.I. New tournament director Ben Tuthill is rightfully excited about the event, even though it will be missing the foursome playing instead in the Travelers, as well defending champion Cory Whitsett, a graduating college senior who helped Alabama win two straight NCAA titles and who qualified as an amateur to play in last week's U.S. Open.
In years past, Whitsett likely would have returned to Rhode Island to see if he could make it two in a row. But like his Crimson Tide teammate Wyatt, he can't afford to if he hopes to somehow earn a PGA Tour card or a chance to get into the Web.com Tour Finals via sponsor's exemptions this summer.
Under the old system, graduating seniors or underclassmen leaving college early tended to remain amateurs throughout the summer, usually using the U.S. Amateur in August as their farewell event. They then turned pro and rolled into the first stage of PGA Tour Q school. Now the possibility of bypassing the entire amateur summer is a very real and increasingly likely option, diluting the talent in the amateur ranks by skimming the cream that has risen to the top.
