Should Ex-PGA Tour Pros be Able to Become Amateurs Again?

Colt Knost, who made 199 starts on the PGA Tour, is trying to become an amateur again—but the USGA is now reviewing its reinstatement guidelines.

Riley Hamel

Golf’s amateur scene has been invaded by ex-pros in recent years, and the latest player on a quest to regain amateur status should be a familiar name to you—CBS’ own Colt Knost, who made 199 starts on the PGA TOUR and earned nearly $4.5 million during his career.

On Tuesday, Knost took to Twitter to share a screenshot of an email he received from the USGA regarding his pursuit, and it said that the governing body is now looking into how the guidelines should apply to Knost’s situation. For now, his application has been put on hold.

Additionally, the USGA released this statement, which was posted by Golfweek’s Cameron Jourdan:

"The USGA is currently reviewing its amateur status reinstatement guidelines and, as part of that process, has temporarily paused the processing of a select number of reinstatement applications. The review is focused on the role and purpose of reinstatement and waiting periods, including how those elements work together and their impact on the amateur game. We believe it is important to take a thoughtful look at the current framework before determining whether any changes are appropriate."

Former pro Brandon Holtz won last year's USGA Mid-Am, and in turn, earned invites into both the Masters and U.S. Open. As you'd expect, this wasn't received well by most amateur golfers.

While there is a waiting period for reinstatement, the USGA has not made those specific rules public.

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