Rules of Amateur Status – Syndication Server

USGA continues modernization process, updates Rules of Amateur Status that will go into effect in 2022

“We’re excited to see what that will allow golf to become,” Winters said of the whole concept.

The U.S. Golf Association has taken the next step in making the Rules of Golf easier to understand and apply. What began with a full Rules overhaul in 2019 continues with the finalization of the new Rules of Amateur Status.

The USGA announced Tuesday that its updated amateur code has been published but won’t go into effect until Jan. 1, 2022. As with any major USGA Rules update, the final changes are a result of months of review and a public feedback period. The goal was to make the concept of amateurism easier to understand and apply.

“More than anything, this whole process, even through the feedback period, has reaffirmed that we believe in the amateur game. Those that love and play the amateur game, which is millions of golfers all around the world, appreciate there is an amateur code that has this really, really strong culture and it needs to be preserved,” Craig Winter, USGA Senior Director, Rules of Golf and Amateur Status, told Golfweek. “That’s what we have heard. We believe this code goes a really long way to really securing the future of amateur golf at the club level and also allows for this easier transition for those who are aspiring to play at the next level.”

Generally, Winter said, feedback was positive for what the USGA is trying to accomplish, and that resulted in most of the USGA’s proposed changes from February carrying through to the final code.

The new Rules identify only four acts that would cause a player to lose his or her amateur status:

Accepting a prize with a value exceeding the prize limit ($1,000) or accepting prize money in a handicap competition.
Playing as a professional.
Accepting payment for giving instruction (although all current exceptions still apply, such as coaching at educational institutions and assisting with approved programs).
Accepting employment as a golf club professional or membership of an association of professional golfers.

The modification is ultimately more about drawing a clear line between an amateur and a non-amateur rather than defining what it means to be a professional. To achieve that approach, key changes have been introduced including:

Distinguishing between scratch and handicap competitions in terms of the prizes that may be accepted.
The prize rule applies only to tee-to-hole competitions played on a golf course or a simulator, but no longer applies to long-drive, putting and skills competitions that are not played as part of a tee-to-hole competition.
Eliminating all advertising, expense-related and sponsorship restrictions.

The most significant change resulting from the feedback period was raising the allowable prize cap from $750 to $1,000. That’s a reflection, in part, on the rising cost of a set of irons, but also fits the USGA’s simplification theme — $1,000 is a round number easy to remember.

The revised prize rules will, in “scratch competitions” only, allow an amateur golfer to accept prize money up to the prize limit. In a “handicap competition,” an amateur may accept any prize other than prize money up to the prize limit.

“We don’t actually see there being a significant change to the types of prizes golfers get,” Winter said. “Shop credit will still be extremely lively at the club level.”

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A piece of the puzzle, of course, already went into effect in August as the USGA conducted its U.S. Women’s Amateur and U.S. Amateur championships a month after the NCAA put its interim policy on name, image and likeness into effect on July 1. In light of that decision from college golf’s governing body to allow college athletes to profit off their name and athletic career, the USGA announced it would waive most NIL-related breaches for college golfers through the end of the year as long as the player retained his or her NCAA playing eligibility.

Winter said the USGA followed that quick summer pivot with lots of communication to players, including asking those vying for the U.S. Amateur and Women’s Amateur titles to fill out surveys even in advance of the competition. He reported no issues.

Under the new Rules, there are no restrictions on how an amateur may benefit from their name, image or likeness, which includes receiving expenses toward competitions. Winter said the hope is that an easier acceptance of those funds will level the playing field, allowing players to accept community help to move from the local to regional to national amateur level more smoothly.

It’s a change that may affect the future of the game more than any other, and signals a new era in amateur golf.

“Probably more than anything else, we’re excited to see what that will allow golf to become,” Winters said of the whole concept. “It’s not going to be immediate but if you look maybe 10 years down the road.

“I was at Oakmont looking at the field and then just kind of dreaming to 10 years down, I think that we’re going to see possibly a different face to golf, a more inclusive face.”

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USGA will waive ‘most NIL-related breaches’ to help college golfers navigate new landscape while retaining amateur status

The USGA addressed the NCAA’s temporary NIL policy and how it fits into the Rules of Amateur Status, helping college golfers find footing.

When the NCAA’s interim policy on name, image and likeness went into effect on July 1, the rules of engagement effectively changed right in the middle of the summer amateur golf season. It made some college golfers leery of the landscape and left them treading lightly where NIL was concerned so as not to jeopardize their amateur status.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Golf Association addressed the updated NIL policy and how it fits into its Rules of Amateur Status by announcing it would waive most NIL-related breaches for college golfers through the end of the year as long as the player retains his or her NCAA playing eligibility.

The USGA already had proposed modifications to its Rules of Amateur Status in February, putting them up for review and soliciting feedback before a planned adoption at the start of 2022. The new rules, if adopted, would marry nicely with the NCAA’s NIL policy but also generally simplify the USGA’s definition of amateurism.

Note that the USGA’s response to NIL does not waive the Rules of Amateur Status entirely for college golfers, and amateurs not currently on a college golf roster should be particularly careful. Thus, the USGA has not opened a free-for-all for all amateur golfers, but rather tried to address a short period of uncertainty for those players who identify as both a college and amateur player.

For instance, the current Rule 6, Use of Golf Skill or Reputation, under the USGA’s Rules of Amateur Status still prohibits college golfers from earning money by providing golf instruction and giving lessons.

According to a USGA memo on NIL: “The interim approach is intended to provide a short-term solution that has the minimum impact possible on the amateur game and administrators until the new Rules of Amateur Status come into effect and we believe that by adopting this interim position for collegiate golfers only, we are minimizing the impact on administrators, while trying to ensure that collegiate golfers attending the same institution can receive the same benefits from use of their name, image and likeness.”

The USGA identified three guiding principles for college golfers navigating the NIL landscape but still wanting to compete as an amateur golfer:

The NIL-related actions are allowed under the NCAA’s interim policy.
He or she remains on a team roster while the NIL-related activities take place.
There are no other breaches of the Rules of Amateur Status in connection with the NIL activities. An example of this would be providing golf instruction, which while still OK per the NCAA is not allowed under the Rules of Amateur Status.

In addition to providing guidance for student-athletes, the USGA’s clarifying memo on NIL also provides guidance for tournament directors, which includes the suggestion that a question be added to tournament entry forms that would help identify which players have taken actions to benefit from their NIL or even that a specific tournament adopt its own policy on logos, promotions, advertisements, etc. (albeit well in advance of the competition).

Any college golfer who is planning to benefit from the new NIL policy should, the USGA notes, be prepared to provide proof of NCAA eligibility before competing in an amateur golf competition.

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USGA seeks to simplify Rules of Amateur Status with proposed changes to sponsorship, prize money and professionalism

The USGA and R&A proposed major changes to the Rules of Amateur Status to make the concept of amateurism easier to understand and apply.

What is the distinction between a professional golfer and an amateur one? The U.S. Golf Association would like to simplify the answer to that question.

Together with the R&A, the governing body is proposing significant changes to its existing Rules of Amateur Status that would make the concept of amateurism easier to understand and apply. New rules would clearly define three ways in which an amateur would cross the threshold into professional golf: by accepting a prize in excess of the $750 limit, by accepting payment for giving instruction or by accepting employment as a golf club professional or membership of an association of professional golfers (think the PGA Tour or LPGA).

Among the key changes proposed for the existing Rules of Amateur Status is the elimination of all sponsorship restrictions for amateurs. The USGA is also proposing that there be no distinction between cash prizes and other prizes – which could eliminate that mountain of pro shop credit competitive players often find themselves holding at the end of a season.

The governing body has taken a holistic view in crafting their proposed changes, approaching amateurism from the perspective of club golfers, elite amateurs and everyone in between.

As with all significant changes to the game, the USGA now enters a month-long feedback period for its proposals. That period closes on March 26, 2021, with the new Rules scheduled to be adopted on Jan. 1, 2022.

“We’ve definitely redefined what amateurism is through these proposals,” Craig Winter, USGA Senior Director, Rules of Golf and Amateur Status, told Golfweek. “We’re interested to hear what the public thinks, but we are very comfortable and at this time, we need amateurism in this game to keep its core alive and strong.”

The backstory

Conversations about modernizing the USGA’s Rules of Amateur Status initially began in 2017 as the organization tackled an overhaul of the Rules of Golf.

During that process, the organization recognized that its current Rules don’t reflect amateur golf as a progression for elite young players looking to chart a path to professional golf or serve the large number of players who, in chasing that goal, lose their amateur status through participation on cash-prize tours without ever making an impact on the professional game.

Interestingly, in the process of the conversation about what it means to be an amateur, the USGA and R&A kicked around removing all limiting factors for amateurs, period. That’s addressed briefly in the USGA’s proposal as “open golf.”

The concept was short-lived.

“We thought about it, we really did – do we need a set of amateur status rules for this game?” Winter said. “And we believe that there’s just a tremendous amount of value to what that brings to this game.”

Winter noted that the USGA’s modernization effort was largely driven by a desire to level the playing field for players using amateur golf as a way to work their way up in the game.

Tournament and travel expenses add up quickly at the top level, presenting a hurdle for many families. Winter said the USGA has fielded many questions about how to get help with those expenses. Amateurs are generally prohibited from receiving it – with exceptions coming in the form of national teams and scholarships – and even if they do receive approved outside assistance, they can’t advertise or promote it.

Financial means often end up becoming a determining factor in who can pursue tournament opportunities at the highest level and who can’t.

Sponsorships are very closely tied to expenses, and the USGA’s proposed elimination of those restrictions would certainly open the door for elite amateurs – like those who might win a U.S. Amateur or U.S. Women’s Amateur – to benefit from sponsorship by larger companies. Still, it will also allow more people to take part in amateur competitions.

“There’s a thought that this helps democratize,” Winter said.

A familiar concept

An unsurprising element of the USGA’s proposal addresses the familiar concept of a player using his or her name, image or likeness for promotion and advertising purposes. Those words have appeared in NCAA headlines as the governing body of college sports moves toward a landscape in which players can benefit financially from their success and popularity as a college athlete.

The NCAA’s new terms were likely to be at odds with the USGA’s current rule of prohibiting amateurs from appearing in promotions or advertising – even those without a financial benefit. The issue of self-promotion in golf garnered national attention in January 2019 when Lucy Li, who frequently played in USGA championships and was selected to the 2018 U.S. Curtis Cup squad – appeared in an Apple Watch advertising campaign. Ultimately, Li was determined to have breached the USGA’s amateur rules, but was allowed to retain her amateur status.

As the USGA notes, the current social media landscape makes it extremely difficult for national governing bodies to monitor whether players are in violation of the current rule. This is another area in which the proposed updates serve to simplify the concept of amateurism.

“We know there have been challenges in that area,” Winter said. “It’s not even specific to those that make it to the news, but if you look at social media and the impacts that it’s had, how prevalent it is for the younger generation, we’ve been challenged by where the rule is for quite some time. Even in early 2018, and even late 2017, we were pretty confident this is the direction we needed to move and we tried various limiters but none of them seemed to work in the way that was necessary.”

From top to bottom

Perhaps no proposal reaches into the heart of amateur golf at the everyday level – think club championships and weekend games – like the USGA’s attempt to more simply define prizes. Currently, amateurs are prohibited from accepting a cash prize in any amount – hence, the abundance of pro-shop credit. The proposed new rule would eliminate the difference between cash and non-cash prizes, and only designate a maximum value of $750.

Another layer? Side competitions or those happening off the golf course entirely – like long-drive contests, skills competitions and even putts from half court at a basketball game – would now fall outside the USGA’s scope.

“To get to kind of the soul of amateur golf, we want to preserve what is so good about this game and by removing the cash, non-cash distinction – you’ve hit it on the head,” Winter said. “So much of the focus in what we’re trying to do – amateur status is about your eligibility to play the game. It’s about playing and competing.”

By establishing clear ways in which a player forfeits his or her amateur status, the USGA’s proposed changes would actually reduce the ways for an amateur to become a non-amateur simply by playing the game. That would create less confusion over the checking of a box or a simple declaration of being a professional.

Until a player collects a prize in excess of $750 or accepts membership into an organization of professional golfers, the threshold is not crossed.

“The rules of amateurism, they really are defining professionalism,” Winter said. “They’re defining an amateur and a non-amateur and the only way you can breach the rules by playing and become a non-amateur is to accept a prize.

“It’s a bit different than we think about the world today, and that’s why a lot of what we’re saying here is we’re redefining amateur status to be easier to understand and apply.”

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USGA, R&A to modernize Rules of Amateur Status

Shortly after the NCAA decided to allow athlete to benefit from their image, the USGA and R&A will review of the Rules of Amateur Status.

Weeks after NCAA policy makers voted to allow student athletes to “benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness in a manner consistent with the collegiate model,” the USGA and R&A announced they are reviewing their Rules of Amateur Status.

The USGA and R&A don’t reference the NCAA in their news release Monday announcing that golf’s governing bodies will continue the joint effort to modernize the Rules by making them easier to understand. But most who pay attention to golf will conclude the two are related.

The review process by the USGA and R&A began earlier this year with input being collected from elite amateur golfers, golf event organizers, national golf associations and other industry partners. The goal is to present a modernized set of the Amateur Status Rules in late 2021, with the Rules going into effect Jan. 1, 2022.

“One of golf’s greatest benefits is that it can be played by all ages and played for a lifetime,” Thomas Pagel, senior managing director of Governance at the USGA, said in a statement. “It is our goal to ensure that the fundamental concept of what it means to be an amateur golfer is clear and retained to promote fair competition and enjoyment for everyone, while still addressing many issues that seek to protect the game. This is a forward-thinking approach and engaging golfers is a key component of doing what’s best for golf.”

In a separate move, effective Jan. 1, 2020, the USGA and the R&A will introduce one change to Rule 3-2b of the Rules of Amateur Status, which regulates hole-in-one prizes. The Rules will no longer limit the prize an amateur golfer may win when making a hole-in-one outside a round of golf, including “stand-alone” and “multiple-entry” hole-in-one events. The change was made to help promote the game and cater to new audiences, and eliminate unnecessary restrictions for event organizers.

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