Colt Knost‘s proposal to return to amateur status has sparked massive controversy. From backlashes to calling it out as a PR stunt, the golfing world has shown strong disapproval for the decision. From a legal and PGA Tour rule book standpoint, Knost’s return to the amateur circuit raises questions on fairness and optics. However, retired PGA Tour pro Smylie Kaufman has a more nuanced take on the matter.
Kaufman shared that he wasn’t against the pro-to-am transition. However, Colt Knost appeared as a special case, given his PGA Tour run. He competed in 199 Tour events after joining it in 2009. He had 4 third-place finishes and 5 top-5 finishes. On whether Knost should receive the amateur card, Kaufman drew comparisons to himself to help understand the dynamic.
“You know, from my standpoint, if I wanted to put my amateur status back, I don’t think I should be able to get it back because I’ve won on the PGA Tour,” Kaufman shared on the Smylie Show.
When a player has made millions and succeeded at the highest levels, handing them the amateur status back becomes an injustice to the amateur golfers. Not only does it take away opportunities from rising hopefuls and lifelong amateurs, but it also threatens the USGA’s reputation. In the case of Knost, he has made over $4.3 million on the pro circuit.
“When you’ve made as much money as he has on the PGA Tour, you know, played as long as he did on the Tour, there’s going to be people that are upset about that,” Kaufman added.
However, he understands why Knost might want to regain his amateur status. Speaking with empathy, Kaufman revealed how there aren’t many events to play as a retired pro, like him or Knost. Except for the guest invites, there isn’t a straightforward way to continue playing golf.
“But also, like, there’s nowhere for me to play golf besides member-guests and member-members, where it doesn’t even feel right playing in those anyways. And I can’t get any starts in PGA Tour events,” the host shared his contempt. “There’s just nowhere to play for someone like Colt or me.”
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Naturally, coming from a similar background as Knost, Kaufman understands the appeal of the Mid-Amateur circuit. He suggests how the circuit flaunts numerous incredible events, including the Coleman Invitational (Seminole), the Crump Cup (Pine Valley), and the Mid-Am Championships. Moreover, the Walker Cup remains one of the greatest appeals of amateur golf. These prestigious events value honor and legacy over financial compensation. Even Kaufman admits he “would love to compete and play in a couple of those” events.
However, Smylie argued that there should be a line that decides a golfer’s amateur reinstatement. It’s not to say the golf pros can still compete at the same level. In fact, quite the opposite, as Kaufman shared. However, the Tour represents golf’s highest levels, and similar opportunities are not available to the amateur circuit. So, it’s important to put a restriction on who can regain their amateur status to create a fairer system for rising stars.
Kaufman summed it up best.
“I don’t know where you draw the line. Is it the number of PGA Tour starts? Is it how much money you’ve made on the PGA Tour? Because I definitely feel like there’s a line that crosses for the general public to be looking at the Mid-Am and be like, ‘Hold on, that one’s a red flag.’” And he believes Knost’s case is the same.
These nuances only make the decision harder for the USGA. But from Colt Knost’s perspective, what reason has he shared to make a strong case for his reinstatement?
Colt Knost wants to be the Walker Cup captain
The controversy over former pros regaining amateur status isn’t a new issue. Addressing these complaints over the internet, Knost shared that his sole reason to rejoin the amateur circuit was to answer these critics and maybe prove that pro reinstatement doesn’t necessarily mean domination.
“All this hate towards the subject going on in our social media is enough. I’m not saying I’m going to win, but I just think it would be some great conversation if I could make my way into the Mid-Am. It’s just one event, and it’s solely because of all the complaining,” Knost shared in a Subpar podcast episode.
As per his reasoning, he wasn’t trying to launch a full-blown amateur career. However, the “complaining” he wanted to address only ignited further with this decision. Golfing fans took to social media, criticizing Knost. Debates over his PGA Tour career and the fortune he made there circled the internet. Knost wasn’t one to back down either.
He defended his decision, citing that he didn’t have an entire amateur schedule packed. “I have several jobs. I don’t really have time to play a lot on the amateur circuit when most of them are during the summer, and I am traveling around the country for CBS,” the retired pro bit back. “My game isn’t s— compared to what it used to be,” proposing that he wouldn’t be a threat to the active amateurs. However, the entire scenario flipped when Knost added another ambition to amateur plans.
“Playing on the Walker Cup team was the biggest honor of my golfing career, and I’d like to one day lead the United States Walker Cup team if at all possible. I figured being an amateur would probably help,” Knost shared his plans, thinking about the time he played in the Cup in 2007.
Essentially, fans believe Knost has had his day, and now it’s time to let the other amateurs shine. But Colt Knost seems indignant about his decision. Would the USGA roll on with the decision? Or will the golfing world witness a rule change?