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Fomer Tour Pro Omar Uresti Wins PGA Pro Champtionship, Pros Kinda Pissed

campilobaxter

campilobaxter

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Omar Uresti just won the PGA Professional Championship, even though he's never worked as a PGA pro and played for 20 years on the PGA Tour and Web.com tour (earning $4.7M lifetime). Apparently there is a bit of a loophole which allows him to play in the PGA sectional tournaments made up of the working PGA Pros, leading up to the PGA Pro Championship. Uresti won this year in a playoff, giving him an invite to the PGA Championship next year. He never qualified for the PGA championship when he played on Tour. He also used wins in his PGA Sectional tournaments to "earn" exemptions to the Shell Houston Open and the Valero Texas Open.

Although he's within the rules, the PGA pros are a little miffed by what he's doing. He's taking exemptions into tour events that probably should be going to actual PGA Pros, not former Tour players that couldn't make it on the Tour anymore.

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/pga...pJobID=1182034648&spReportId=MTE4MjAzNDY0OAS2
 
That's bush league.
 
Not his fault, change the rule
 
No issues with this. Maybe the ones that are pissed should play better or find a way to force a vote and get the rule changed
 
He is only following the rules. I think he is a d bag for doing it but if it is frowned upon then change the rules. My guess is they will after this.
 
campilobaxter said:
Omar Uresti just won the PGA Professional Championship, even though he's never worked as a PGA pro and played for 20 years on the PGA Tour and Web.com tour (earning $4.7M lifetime). Apparently there is a bit of a loophole which allows him to play in the PGA sectional tournaments made up of the working PGA Pros, leading up to the PGA Pro Championship. Uresti won this year in a playoff, giving him an invite to the PGA Championship next year. He never qualified for the PGA championship when he played on Tour. He also used wins in his PGA Sectional tournaments to "earn" exemptions to the Shell Houston Open and the Valero Texas Open.

Although he's within the rules, the PGA pros are a little miffed by what he's doing. He's taking exemptions into tour events that probably should be going to actual PGA Pros, not former Tour players that couldn't make it on the Tour anymore.

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/pga...pJobID=1182034648&spReportId=MTE4MjAzNDY0OAS2
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Let's be honest, most of the guys who qualify for the PGA Championship through the PGA Professional Championship have no chance of making the cut anyway so he's not depriving anyone of Roy McAvoy type glory.
 
Architex said:
He is only following the rules. I think he is a d bag for doing it but if it is frowned upon then change the rules. My guess is they will after this.
Click to expand...

A few years ago Uresti came in 5th, then 2nd last year. This year the tournament was carried on Golf Channel and he won, bringing a lot more attention to the issue. I guess the Pros were hoping that the extra attention would push the PGA to finally change the rule. The Pros have been pushing for it for a few years now.

I wonder if there is some kind of middle ground. I don't like that a former 20 year tour pro is playing with a bunch of coaches from the driving range, but at the same time I don't think you can just exclude everyone that ever turned professional. Maybe if you won more than $1M on tour you should be excluded from these tournaments?
 
fupresti said:
Let's be honest, most of the guys who qualify for the PGA Championship through the PGA Professional Championship have no chance of making the cut anyway so he's not depriving anyone of Roy McAvoy type glory.
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Yeah, but dang, if you were a PGA pro wouldn't playing in the PGA Championship be about the pinnacle of your career? Try telling the amateurs that qualify for the U.S. Open that they can't play in the event, but don't worry, you didn't have a real shot at winning it in the first place.
 
campilobaxter said:
Yeah, but dang, if you were a PGA pro wouldn't playing in the PGA Championship be about the pinnacle of your career? Try telling the amateurs that qualify for the U.S. Open that they can't play in the event, but don't worry, you didn't have a real shot at winning it in the first place.
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Here's the answer, play better. If you want to discuss giving people deserving a shot let's do away with sponsors exemptions as well.
 
fupresti said:
Here's the answer, play better. If you want to discuss giving people deserving a shot let's do away with sponsors exemptions as well.
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C'mon! These aren't professional golfers who have all the time in the world to practice. "Play better" isn't exactly a solution here.
 
campilobaxter said:
C'mon! These aren't professional golfers who have all the time in the world to practice. "Play better" isn't exactly a solution here.
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Really? He won in a playoff, it's not like Tiger in the 2000 US Open. Seems to be a good chunk of the field was in this thing.
 
I was wondering if he turned into a club pro. I have zero issue with his win. The guy hasn't been a treat on tour for years.
 
Cannot blame the guy,found a hole in the system . Playing his game and he came out on top. Maybe they should be mad at the officials .


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fupresti said:
Really? He won in a playoff, it's not like Tiger in the 2000 US Open. Seems to be a good chunk of the field was in this thing.
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Agree with the quote above.

Several of the leaders shot 77-79 on the last day. They still qualified for the PGA, but not for the win. I mean Uresti was in his usual position in the tournament just like he was on the PGA Tour -- not winning -- and did not really have an advantage -- these guys blew up.

You can make the argument that his time on the Tour allowed him to deal with pressure -- but he had 0 wins on the PGA Tour, but did get a few wins on web.com. And he is only 48. I believe some of the contenders are in their 50's. You know, young guys. Mike Small, who came in 3rd, I think, is not exactly a club pro - he coaches U of Illinois which regularly is a top team.

Uresti apparently gets invites into 6 PGA events for winning - nice fringe benefit. But we can watch him miss the cut (sorry for the sarcasm).
 
Jaysfan said:
Cannot blame the guy,found a hole in the system . Playing his game and he came out on top. Maybe they should be mad at the officials .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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They do appear to be more upset with the PGA than Uresti. In fact, I'm not sure anyone is really blaming Uresti all.
 
Tadashi70 said:
I was wondering if he turned into a club pro. I have zero issue with his win. The guy hasn't been a treat on tour for years.
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Not sure if he is a club pro, the way I read it is he has lifetime active exemption as long as he does the continuing education stuff like all other PGA pros
 
I think it's poor form as it sure seems to fly contrary to the spirit of the event. But rules are rules.
 
The guy never qualified to play in the PGA Championship until he started playing in the PGA professional tournament, I don't blame him as he found a way to get access to more tour events and a slot in a major he never qualified for before. I also understand the club pros not being happy with it and wanting the PGA of America to change the rules.
 
It's a loophole he exploited for his benefit. A bit of a skeevy move IMHO, but it is what it is - he found it and took advantage of it. I don't think any of us would have said "Nah I don't want the opportunity".
 
russtopher said:
It's a loophole he exploited for his benefit. A bit of a skeevy move IMHO, but it is what it is - he found it and took advantage of it. I don't think any of us would have said "Nah I don't want the opportunity".
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I don't know that many people who will not exploit a loophole if it is to their advantage.
 
I don't like it much either, but I would guess many other guys in the field aren't what I would call club pros.

The one that gets me more than this though is how a former tour pro can regain their amateur status. I don't think that's right either.
 
Everyone knows the PGA is meant for the guys who work at clubs with members, etc. That's the charm of it. You can't make rules for every contingency. At some point people just need to do the right thing. It's wrong of him to exploit the situation, regardless of what the rules technically allow.
 
People need to stop calling it a loophole. It's a posted rule and has been for some time.
 
fupresti said:
People need to stop calling it a loophole. It's a posted rule and has been for some time.
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I disagree. It's a way around the intent of the rules. That's the definition of a loophole.
 
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