There is a somewhat anecdotal story floating around the American press at the moment, being reported by both the San Francisco Chronicle and USA Today, about a man who may have his amateur golf status removed due to his excessive confidence in his abilities, to the point of a $1 million challenge!
It seems that one Dusty Schmidt, who plays amateur golf and poker, was so enthused by his abilities in both sports, that he issued an open online challenge for anyone to try to beat him at 72 holes of golf and at poker, with the winner to take $1 million off the other. Dusty Schmidt of Southern California, whose original professional relationship with golf, was cut short at the age of 23 by a heart attack, was able to return to the game as an amateur some years later, after rehabilitation.
In the five years between his heart attack and now, Dusty took up playing online poker, and bit by bit started to make a living from it, to the total tune of an estimated $3 million over the years.
The anecdotal part to the tale comes here. In issuing the million dollar challenge (which he did back in April, both via a press release and on a web site, 10thGreen.com) he was flouting the rules of the USGA, that as an amateur golfer, you are not permitted to make any money out of the sport. By winning the million dollar challenge, he would be making money from the sport, and hence no longer qualify as an amateur golfer.
The case is going to court on Monday in the U.S. District Court in Portland to decide Dusty’s golfing future. Whilst Dusty’s defence is that, as noone took up the challenge, the whole debate is irrelevant, the USGA is arguing that Dusty should no longer be able to call himself an amateur golfer, because over the 2 months that the challenge was advertised on the internet (on a web site that Dusty co-owned), Dusty gained from the publicity, which is contrary to the ethos of amateur golfing.
The arrogance of the challenge seems to have ended up getting the challenger shot in the foot, by himself, (metaphorically). It also seems that he may be shooting himself in the other foot (metaphorically) on Monday, by representing himself…!
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This entry was written by Nena on Wednesday, July 15th, 2009 at 8:51 pm and is filed under News.
