With Betting Instances Looming Over the Golf Fraternity, Should PGA Tour Change Their Firm Stance on the Malpractice?

It is an untold truth that sports and betting do indeed go hand in hand. Whenever there is a mention of any sport, there is sure to be an epic betting story associated with it. To talk about betting in golf, it was not as popular in the early years as it was in other sports, but lately, betting has been crawling its way into the golf world. Recently, many betting cases have come to light and have shaken the golf world pretty heavily. One can find betting illegal, unethical, or morally wrong, but it sure is an inevitable part of the entire sports fraternity.

Recently, the PGA Tour banned two golfers because they were found guilty of betting on the Tour events, and the news garnered a lot of attention from the entire golf fraternity. This brings us to an even more interesting discussion: although the PGA Tour bans golfers from betting on the tour events, everyone is aware that these things allegedly take place under the table. The question comes: Should the PGA Tour just allow golfers to bet on the tour with some restrictions? Or should the no-betting rule suffice?

What should be the PGA Tour’s take on betting? 

The PGA Tour’s Integrity Program, which was launched in 2021, clearly states that professional golfers are not allowed to directly bet or to aid betting by any means in any of the professional tournaments. The clear rules against betting state a few violations: Failing to Give Best Efforts (in exchange for money); Contriving an Outcome; Facilitating Unauthorized Access; Other Betting-Related Activities; Betting Advice; and Providing Inside Information.

The manual clearly states that if any golfer or any PGA member is aware of anyone engaging in any of the malpractices, they should report it to the golfing body, and they can do so anonymously on the separate email address and phone number that have been assigned for the purpose. The integrity program was introduced in 2021 to curb the issue of corruption in golf and to uphold the value of this gentleman’s name.

Although golfers cannot wager on the tournaments, betting is still very popular among fans and spectators. There are many portals and applications that help fans engage in calculated betting on professional golf tournaments. It may be kept in mind that some golfers may be engaging in betting and wagering, but their malpractices are just not coming into the limelight. After all, certain things do take place under the table as well. If the PGA Tour were to legalize betting for golfers, they could probably do so with some exemptions, but doing so, that is, betting within the game, would crash the values of the gentleman’s game.

The PGA Tour’s Integrity Program assists in upholding the beliefs of the game of golf and maintains the necessary decorum. Letting the golfers bet on the tournaments even with the exemptions would unleash the mayhem that would be very hard to get over and reconcile.

Read More: Is the FM Global Championship Hike a Silver Feather For Women’s Golf in front of LIV Golf and PGA Tour’s Mighty Money Power?

So, we can say that the PGA Tour’s stance on golfers betting in professional tournaments stands still, and it is absolutely justified because it is very crucial for the authorities to maintain the standard, dignity, and principles of the game.

What encouraged the PGA Tour to ban the golfers who recently engaged in betting?

Recently, news broke out that the PGA Tour has suspended two pros, Vince India and Jake Staiano, since the two players were in breach of the aforementioned PGA Tour Integrity program. Staiano has been suspended for three months from the PGA Tour-sanctioned events, and India has been suspended for six months. Both of the suspensions are backdated; that is, Staiano’s suspension is from September 11 until December 10, and India’s suspensions run from September 18 to March 11. Jake Staiano revealed that he had placed a bet on the match between Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka.

The two golfers failed to abide by the integrity program and, hence, were suspended from the tour as per the rules and regulations. What are your thoughts on betting on golf? Let us know in the comments below!

Watch This Story | Brooks Koepka receives a shout-out from the great white shark at the $25,000,000 event