Online poker pro/amateur golfer/internet entrepreneur, Dusty Schmidt, recently lost his amateur golfer status after the USGA learned about an awesomely bad-ass challenge that he was pushing.
Schmidt offered up a cool $1 Million prop bet to anyone that could beat him in 10 Heads Up matches and 72 holes of golf. Although no one took the action, it generated a lot of press for Schmidt and unfortunately grabbed the attention of the USGA.
The United States Golfing Association pulled Schmidt’s amateur status, stating that since he violated the ‘spirit of the game’. Schmidt played a brief stint as a professional golfer before an untimely heart attack at 23. He was granted amateur status again and began playing poker as he went through rehab.
Schmidt was registered for a full slate of amateur tourneys this summer, yet the USGA will bar him from playing – unless his requests to remain amateur are allowed.
I can understand a slap on the wrist from the USGA, but a dropping his amateur status after the proposition of a prop bet? No body took the action, so it was really just a clever piece of self-promotion.
The stuffiness of the USGA is pretty evident here. It’s plain to see that Dusty is going to land on his feet after this – with over $3Million in poker profits – we’re all pulling for him here.
If he does lose the status, I hope someone at least takes the action. Does Phil Ivey golf?
