“12 of the 16 finalists in the USGA Mid Amateur are former professionals. What happened to the game I love? This is a major issue that doesn’t get enough attention,” said a fan a few days ago. While the issue about pros returning to the amateur circuit was common, his tweet started a huge debate. He tagged many analysts and insiders, including Colt Knost, Drew Stoltz, Joel Dahmen, and Claire Rogers, to share their opinions. And some of them spoke up.

Rogers retweeted her posts, raising the query herself out of curiosity, as she clarified. Her amazing reach helped get a variety of opinions on the subject. Most of her followers were against the idea. One of them wrote, “It goes completely against the spirit of the tournament to allow former pros to play.” It’s true, as a professional golfer, the level of golf at the professional level is completely different than that at the amateur level. Allowing a pro to take a step back certainly doesn’t feel right.

Amateur golfer Kirk Coburn also dropped in to share his opinion. “It makes amateurs like me less competitive. We’re now competing against people who’ve had years of professional coaching, tournament experience, and full-time dedication to the game. It fundamentally changes what “amateur” means. It’s like allowing former NFL players to compete in college football because they’re not currently getting paid. Technically amateur, but practically a different category entirely.”

Coburn’s comparison of the situation with the NFL perfectly described how absurd it may be. Imagine Tom Brady coming out of retirement to go play for the Wolverines or Patrick Mahomes deciding to join the Red Raiders again after a decade. Well, that’s what Brandon Holtz, Jeg Coughlin III, Evan Beck, Bobby Massa, and other former pros were doing when they joined the field for the 2025 U.S. Mid-Amateur.

But is that really a problem? Rick Moe believes it’s not. In fact, according to his tweet, he sympathizes with those who went through the stressful process of preparing for a professional career only to find no success in it. But he also believes that such pros shouldn’t get such an easy way back into the amateur circuit: “Now, guys shouldn’t be banned forever. I think it should be a 10-year wait. When you choose to go pro, you aren’t an am anymore.”

Whether the 10-year ban begins the day you become a pro or when you stop being one, he hasn’t clarified. If it’s the former, then some professionals might view it as a loophole. For example, Bobby Massa only needed five more years of ban before he got reinstated as an amateur. However, if the ban begins after they have stopped playing professionally, then it might be a bit too harsh. Either way, Rick Golfs’s suggestion might have some flaws. Especially after one of the amateurs, Justin Hueber, pleaded his case after receiving criticism. When Tee Times called for the USGA to “restore the integrity of amateur golf,” he shared his heartbreaking story of why he had to switch back to amateur golf. And considering his situation, his new status might be justified.

“I appreciate this take. I’m definitely not a professional golfer anymore. Had two hip surgeries and then waited three years and played zero competitive golf events. I have zero desire to ever play professionally again. It’s nice they give us an avenue back to competing,” Hueber said, as he explained how he is incapable of keeping up on the professional circuit. He did find some success as a pro, particularly in the PGA Tour Latinoamerica. But at 38 and after two hip surgeries, swinging his hip like he used to compete for a title is an impossible dream. And as he admitted it himself, he has no desire to go back to that life as well.

Fortunately, Hueber, Beck, Massa, and others have also received some support for going back to amateur golf. Let’s see what some of the people are saying about their change of status.

Newly demoted amateur golfers get support from their peers

Justin Hueber’s journey from professional to amateur golfer is certainly heartbreaking. But not every other player who has transitioned back to the non-pro level has had a similar story. Yet, they all have had some level of struggles as a pro that forced them to stop competing at the highest level. And PGA Tour caddie/Mid-Am player, David Gies II, understands that.

Showing support for Hueber and Christian Brand in response to Tee Times’s tweet, he said, “As somebody that never played professional golf and have played multiple Mid Ams, I disagree completely. They shouldn’t be completely out of competitive golf because they played professionally at some point. Between the two of them, they played one PGA Tour event and made zero cuts.”

Interestingly, most of the newly demoted amateur golfers have had very few PGA Tour appearances. They have mostly played on the Korn Ferry Tour and the PGA Tour Latinoamerica. Kirk Coburn’s concerns about the transition were completely justified, as he is worried about the difference in skill level between him and the pros who have come back to amateur golf.

But judging by the experience they have had, they might not be as far apart in skill as he and many others think. In fact, adding an influx of players trained for a professional career might also help the amateur golfers raise their game and reach new heights. Maybe we might also see the rise of the modern-day Bobby Jones in the near future. Now who wouldn’t want that?