Golf Digest tend to publish anonymous articles about hot topics on the PGA Tour every month and last month was no different, as their latest 'anonymous' was about gambling on tour between the professionals.
The player said, 'I've only ever won once on the PGA Tour,' (Wikipedia list of PGA Tour winners!) and revealed that the standard bet with your partner is $100 but gambling on tour is not allowed as he explained to Golf Digest,
It's a rule that there's no gambling allowed, so tour officials don't like it. But there are a lot of things they do that we don't like.
Some guys are pretty loud about the money games they organize, where the stakes get to five or eight or even 10 grand during a normal week. Away from tour events, the games can get stupid. Like 40 and 50 grand a man. You need thick skin for those.
Because when we play with our own cash, we talk like we never would in a tournament. Of guys I've played with, I'd say Ernie Els is the Hall of Fame needler. If you're Big Easy's partner and aren't holding up your end, he'll ride you to the point of tears.
It is unsurprising to hear that the four time Major winner and veteran of the tour likes having a punt during his practice rounds but we did not have him pegged as an aggressive debt collector.
The world is slowly becoming a cashless place, but not for the guys on the PGA Tour, where plenty of cash will be needed if you fancy backing yourself.
All debts are settled in cash. Not paying within 24 hours is grounds for public humiliation, which usually means getting called out on the range, though guys have taken to social media, too.
Missing the cut on a Friday is not the end of the world for the golfers as the pride of taking money off your partners in your group can ease the pain of not playing over the weekend.
I'll gamble on tournament days. If it's a Friday and everyone in my group is clearly missing the cut, I'll suggest $100 skins the rest of the way in. Same thing for Sunday morning. If the guy I'm paired with and I are starting in last place or damn near, it's hard to get motivated
It's the type of thing that isn't public knowledge, but is not surprising once you learn of it.
Keep an eye on the leaderboard in future events and look below the cut mark to see who has given up on making the weekend's play and instead is taking a few hundred bucks off their playing partners.
You can read the full article with the anonymous pro with Golf Digest here.
Photo: Sportsfile: Brendan Moran
