prize money rules

Question
Can qualifiers win prize money in PGA tournaments if they are not PGA professionals?  For example, in the movie Tin Cup, would Roy McIlvoy have made money even though he was just a club pro. I know amateurs can't, but hat also has to do with NCAA regulations.  But that would be another question...do amateurs have to declare themselves amateurs?  Suppose a college player got in a tournament on an exemption or through a Monday qualifier and happened to win it. Could he choose to forgo the rest of his amateur career, figuring the $800,000 or so in prize money is better than the scholarship? OR would have have to declare himself to be no longer an amateur before the tournament starts?

Answer
Dear Tom,

Thanks for your question(s).

Monday qualifiers (also known as four spotters...because most "open" tournaments reserve four spots for the guys who try to qualify on the Monday before tournament week), if they have declared themselves to be professionals are eligible to win money.  They earn whatever the position where they finish is worth.  In other words they do not earn less than regular PGA Tour Players.

One is assumed to be an amateur unless he/she has done something to declare themselves a professional (such as declaring yourself as a professional in a professional event).  You can find a great explanation on the rules regarding amateurism in the USGA Rules of Golf book.

When one enters a PGA Tour event, he/she must declare as a professional or as an amateur.  You can't change that during or after the tournament is over and suddenly claim prize money you weren't otherwise eligible to receive.

By the way, the NCAA has no bearing on whether a person is a pro or amateur.  The NCAA is concern with college eligibility so once you meet the criteria for being a professional you would probably lose your college eligibility to play golf at an NCAA school.  But the USGA and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scottland make the Rules of Golf including amateur status rules.

Hope this answers all your questions.  

Best wishes,

Paul Dolman
PGA Golf Professional