Fred Biondi-Interesting Dilemma

[golfortennis]

Was listening to Gravy and the Sleaze talking about this kid.  Wins the NCAA Individual Championship.  With the win, as I understood it, he received an exemption into the US Open, the Masters, and status on the KF Tour.  The catch on the exemptions is that he must remain an amateur to enter.  Now the US Open is easy, it's a couple of weeks.  But the Masters?  He would have to remain amateur until April.  This is a senior who is out of college essentially now, and the understanding is he can't defer the KF status, so he would be letting that expire.  

 

So he can stay amateur until April, and have to pay his own way for amateur tournaments, and reduce his opportunities to gain PGA Tour status.  Here is a kid who is on form, who could possibly earn a card this season(and make money all the way along), and if that doesn't work out, he also gets into final stage of Q school.  Which before anyone dismisses the value of that, Spieth and Koepka didn't make it out of 2nd stage.  Stuff can happen. 

 

Or he can pass that up to play the Masters.  Tough decision.

[munichop]

go pro after the US Open.

[Santiago Golf]

Just stay AM

 

You can play the KF Tour as an AM and with NIL deals, you can still make money

If he locks up his card this summer on the KFT, turn pro and give up the masters 

exemption, if he doesn't get his card, stay am and play in the Masters 

[golfortennis]

Just now, Santiago Golf said:

Just stay AM

 

You can play the KF Tour as an AM and with NIL deals, you can still make money

If he locks up his card this summer on the KFT, turn pro and give up the masters 

exemption, if he doesn't get his card, stay am and play in the Masters 

 

How much money do you think he can earn from NIL deals?

[Santiago Golf]

2 minutes ago, golfortennis said:

 

How much money do you think he can earn from NIL deals?

 

I don't know, never had one

 

But if he has to stay Am to get US Open, Masters, and KFT status, then why would he turn pro

Sure money is one thing, but no status or starts means Mondays and Mini Tours where he would

be making surely alot less than NIL deal would net him

 

Or just go to LIV

[Rob G 89]

Why do the majors have requirements they have to stay an am to enter? Makes no sense to me a spot was earned it should be their spot regardless

[jimecherry]

41 minutes ago, Santiago Golf said:

 

I don't know, never had one

 

But if he has to stay Am to get US Open, Masters, and KFT status, then why would he turn pro

Sure money is one thing, but no status or starts means Mondays and Mini Tours where he would

be making surely alot less than NIL deal would net him

 

Or just go to LIV

i dont think staying Am till next april is really an option unless he has some ncaa eligibility left. And he'll probably get a few pga sponsors exemptions this fall which allows him a shot at skipping kft all together. So i see him turning pro right after the US AM in august.

Edited May 30 by jimecherry

[golfortennis]

48 minutes ago, Santiago Golf said:

 

I don't know, never had one

 

But if he has to stay Am to get US Open, Masters, and KFT status, then why would he turn pro

Sure money is one thing, but no status or starts means Mondays and Mini Tours where he would

be making surely alot less than NIL deal would net him

 

Or just go to LIV

 

He doesn't need to stay am for the KFT status.  In fact, he may need to be professional for it.  It's essentially the Masters since the US Open is so close it doesn't really matter, he can hang on for a couple weeks.

Edited May 30 by golfortennis

[Medson]

This is a decision that every high-level amateurs have to make. Essentially, this is a metaphoric bridge every amateur has to cross himself/herself. 

 

I wouldn't be surprised the conversation have begun in the background for a while. 

[aus10KC]

ANGC continued romance with amateurism is borderline obnoxious at this point. Especially considering these college players are essentially semi professional these days. These college players are no Bobby Jones.

[PowderedToastMan]

I took 30 seconds to look up Fred's parents. He seems to come from wealth and it looks like his parents are happy to back him financially. However...

 

It's nuts for a golfer who's playing excellent to turn down status on the Korn Ferry Tour as a professional. The chances he wins an event on that tour and finds his way onto the PGA Tour in the next year or two are really good. Golf is a funny game and you can lose that hot streak in an instant. 

 

Play the US Open, then play your exempt events as a professional, make a ton of money, and qualify for the majors as a pro. 

 

[golfortennis]

15 minutes ago, aus10KC said:

ANGC continued romance with amateurism is borderline obnoxious at this point. Especially considering these college players are essentially semi professional these days. These college players are no Bobby Jones.

 

It really is.  And while Biondi comes from means, a lot of guys don't.  Always more and more proof amateurism was always about keeping poor people out of rich people's games, not due to any "purity of sport" pabulum they throw out there.

[NJBigFish22]

I would stay as an amateur through the US Open, then turn pro.  Go bet on yourself.  The GT coach said it is unfair for a player that won the NCAA individual title that is out of eligibility and wants to start his pro career to have to delay for 9 months or lose something he earned.  He said that the Masters invite in this case should stay with the player as a oro, and I agree with him.  If you have eligibility left and elect to turn pro, then you forfeit the invite.

Edited May 30 by NJBigFish22

[AzRoger]

I'm pretty sure the US Open changed the exemption requirement and no longer requires one to remain an amateur to play so if his plan is to go pro soon might as well do it before the US Open, he'll still get in and maybe get a paycheck. Agree with the above comments about the Master's, it's a great tournament but run by a bunch of entitled men of wealth who are out of touch with the real world. No doubt LIV will me making him an offer.

Edited May 31 by AzRoger

[golfortennis]

57 minutes ago, AzRoger said:

I'm pretty sure the US Open changed the exemption requirement and no longer requires one to remain an amateur to play so if his plan is to go pro soon might as well do it before the US Open, he'll still get in and maybe get a paycheck. Agree with the above comments about the Master's, it's a great tournament but run by a bunch of entitled men of wealth who are out of touch with the real world. No doubt LIV will me making him an offer.

 

The US Open removed the requirement that the US Am champ be an amateur.  But apparently this one requires you to remain amateur.  But given the time proximity, it's worth it for the experience to play as an am.  

[Avidswampthing66]

 IF it were me, which its not, I would wait until after the Masters.  I would do the whole cabin deal above the mens locker room and revel in the history.  How many low am's have gone on to win the masters?  Here's a few, Tiger, Phil, Bryson, Sergio, Strange, and Crenshaw.   It's a huge honor and one that carries a lot of weight and mystique.  It's just cool af.  imo

Edited May 31 by Avidswampthing66

[3whacker]

this is the same dilemma past US Amateur champs Andy Ogletree and Tyler Strafaci and even James Piot have faced....Ogletree waited and used the Amateur exemptions, and finally took LIV money, Strafaci showed that he "backdoored" his way into a USAM title and caught lightning in a bottle, turns pro and hasnt come close to making a cut. Piot took the money and is playing LIV

 

Sam Bennett I think is turning pro this summer, he had a tremendous Masters, but it remains to be seen wether he has the firepower week in week out

the trend as I see it is that the collegiate champions dont have the game to compete week in week out on the PGA Tour...look at Doug Ghim from my beloved Texas Longhorns, a former Haskins Award winner, has made a few cuts on Tour and had a few great sub par rounds but not 4 of them in the same weekend, but part of his problem seems to be that the dreaded shot left seems to show up when its not welcomed in the heat of competition

Morikawa's resume speaks for itself..who knows about Wolff...Hovland has shown that he is a player, same with Rahm who dominated in college and like Morikawa has two Grand Slams in the trophy case

[bcjim]

5 hours ago, munichop said:

go pro after the US Open.

This is the correct answer. 

[ALIF]

I’m sorry but screw the Master’s and get on with your professional golf career! There, I said it!

[iBanesto]

4 hours ago, ALIF said:

I’m sorry but screw the Master’s and get on with your professional golf career! There, I said it!

 

[Ferguson]

5 hours ago, ALIF said:

I’m sorry but screw the Master’s and get on with your professional golf career! There, I said it!

 

 

"Did you hear what he said? Put him on the list." 

 

"Any peach cobbler left? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 31 by Ferguson

[cardoustie]

Masters then pro, the golf world is littered with great players that have zero success professionally 

I don’t think the kid is long either …

 

side note, as a former college player, I love watching the matches in the evenings 

[MtlJeff]

13 hours ago, aus10KC said:

ANGC continued romance with amateurism is borderline obnoxious at this point. Especially considering these college players are essentially semi professional these days. These college players are no Bobby Jones.

 

It's a little silly. Especially if he can earn NIL deals and still play Augusta as was pointed out (i'm assuming he can since NCAA allows it)

 

In Women's College basketball , a lot of the girls stay in school because they earn more money on NIL than they would playing in the WNBA. 

 

For a well known golfer at the collegiate level (maybe Ryan Moore back in the day)--it's not crazy to think he could earn more on NIL than his first year of pro golf. 

 

So yea, all of this seems silly at this point. Heck i think California passed a law where NCAA Athletes have to be treated as employees or something like that

[freeze16172002]

Play the US Open then go pro or waste 10 months to play two rounds and most likely miss the cut at the Masters? 

[King_Slender]

I don't see winner of the NCAA as a qualifier for The Masters.  

 

https://augusta.com/masters/qualifications

[GoodShotShane]

22 minutes ago, King_Slender said:

I don't see winner of the NCAA as a qualifier for The Masters.  

 

https://augusta.com/masters/qualifications

Outdated article. 
 

https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/latest/2023/04/05/augusta-national-announces-ncaa-national-champion-winner-will-get-in-masters-tournament

[bladehunter]

No brainer coming from wealth.  I wait and play the masters.
 

 If I’m me though I probably turn pro tomorrow.   Assuming the us open let’s you in regardless. Or if not I turn after the open.  

[gators78]

This is a tough one. Experience of a lifetime playing in the Masters, but that’s a long time to wait to start the pro career. Fully exempt status on the KFT for the rest of this year would be really hard to give up. Also exemption into final stage of Q School. Also can accept unlimited number of Tour sponsor invites. No idea what he would make off an NIL deal for just the Masters, but if he had a few good finishes, it probably would negate it, not to mention he’ll be hanging out for almost a year trying to keep his game sharp. 

 

I’d go pro. 

[golfortennis]

4 hours ago, iBanesto said:

 

 

The guy made $5 million in official money on the pGA Tour and Nationwide tour.  Add sponsors and possible appearance fees elsewhere, how much did he make?  Yes the Masters is ultra cool, but.... 

 

Just occurred to me.  The reinstatement invitational oops, I mean USGA Mid-AM is an option for these guys who want to play the Masters and don't qualify professionally.  

[smashdn]

NIL money after you graduate from school is called a paying job where I am from.

 

Lot of moving parts regarding NCAA/NIL, remaining years of eligibility (play as a grad student if yes), USGA Amateur status.  I don't know how any/all of that works.  Aside form the USGA Am status, none of the other has been a concern for me.