U.S. Mid-Am champion received $25,000 in Masters backing in 3 days
Newly crowned U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Sammy Schmitz wasn’t planning on keeping his golf game in good shape through the nasty Wisconsin winter. Then he won the biggest title of his life earlier in October in Vero Beach, Fla., and earned an invitation to the Masters.
All of a sudden, Schmitz had to find time — and money — to practice, all the while continuing to work his day job for a health-care services company and be a dad to his two children. Schmitz’s wife, Natalie, knew they couldn’t do it on their own, so she created a GoFundMe page, hoping to raise $30,000 to cover his expenses, including trips to Augusta National to play practice rounds afforded to him as a Masters invitee.
Three days and $25,000 later (after revising the fundraising target down $5,000), the fundraising drive ended. A total of 225 people gave an average of $112 to help Schmitz and his family.
Some in golf circles had questioned if such a fundraising drive was illegal under the U.S. Golf Association’s Rules of Amateur Status, which Schmitz must abide by to remain an amateur and hold on to his pending Masters invite. The USGA, in a statement to Golfweek, confirmed the Schmitzs’ efforts were permissible.
“Raising funds for reasonable competition expenses is permissible under the Rules of Amateur Status as long as a state and/or regional golf association is involved in the administration of the fund and any donations remain anonymous,” the statement read. “The USGA has and will continue to work with all parties involved.”
Any funds that go unused by Schmitz and his family are to be given to the Minnesota Golf Association.
With the fundraising complete, the USGA, which administered the fundraising, will pass along contact information of the donors to the Schmitz family, who did not get to see the names and contact information during the process.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
