My friend is currently a pro. He’s 31 years old and has been a pro since age 20 or so. He worked in a pro-shop for a few years. He’s a pro in the Michigan PGA section. However, he’s been on suspension for years…because he did not finish the requirements for becoming a pro. He’s done very little as a pro. He has worked several different jobs and currently works for Pepsi co. as a salesman. Last year would be his best year ever as a pro. He played in the Michigan Open and won about 2,500 dollars. In the previous years…he never earned anything over 3 or 4 hundred a year. He is exempt into this years Michigan open (placing in last years top 25). As soon as that tournament it over…he is going to put in for getting his amateur status back. My question…is how long does it take to get it back. Does playing in this years Michigan open as a pro have any effect on becoming an amateur? Should he apply before the Michigan open?

I'm not sure if the USGA or the local state rules have priority in this situation.

But here a buddy of mine was in the same situation. He was a pro at http://www.thegolfspace.com/riveroaks .

When he decided to go back to amateur status he had to wait 2 years and play in no events as a pro for that two years.

I suspect your buddy will have to wait 2 years after playing in this next event.

Yep, the PGA rule is that you have to not have competed in any professional of events where there is any monetary reward from two years from your written intention to retain your amateur status. Your buddy needs to contact his PGA Section office to discuss his intention and the process he needs to follow to get his amateur status back.

I have two friends who found it really hard to not be a professional and one event went back to become a professional after spending four years back as an amateur. My other friend will hardly play golf anymore because of the emotional exhaustion of going from Professional to amateur.

I have visited with the PGA on this issue. I found through a number of interviews with some of the youngsters who start the PGA Apprentice program and then, like your friend, get suspended because they do not keep up with the work that has to be done over the three year apprentice program, that the reason they fall out is due to not getting the leadership or management of the program by their sponsor. What these guys and gals need are mentors who are outside the golf industry to help them sort out how to accomplish what they need to do to get through what seems to them a very long process. I am one of those mentors.

What most people entering this program do not know, or understand, is that the PGA Apprentice process is a ‘weeding out’ program of those who do not really want to do all that is required to be a professional in that association. Once you complete the three year program it is no guarantee that you will become a member. You have to be voted into the PGA and the vote is determined from the work the apprentice has performed during the apprenticeship and from how they present themselves in the very scary ‘interview’ process. You can be a star in the books and really wow them in your annual testing, but if you cannot carry yourself in the interview, which is usually performed by one of the top PGA members within the section, you do not get nominated to be voted into the PGA. It truly is an honor to be voted into that profession.

The only other way to get into the PGA is to play your way in and I think your buddy has already found that doing that is also very hard…