You’d think it was simple. Professional golfers play for money. Amateurs do not.
On the surface, that’s still true. Those who’ve taken the pro path earn their living from the game. The rest of us play for trophies, competition or enjoyment.
But after Stuart Grehan recently won the Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool, booking himself a berth at The Open, Masters and the US Open, Tom Irwin found himself asking: ‘what is an amateur golfer in 2026?’
Grehan spent six years on the professional circuit before regaining his amateur status and taking the men’s game’s ultimate prize.
LISTEN TO THE NCG GOLF PODCAST
ALSO AVAILABLE ON:
Apple Podcasts: Listen Now
Spotify: Listen Now
Amazon Music: Listen Now
On an episode of The NCG Golf Podcast, Irwin asked if the traditional line between amateur and professional golf still means what it once did.
“I always had this niggle about why we need to have the concept of amateur and professional status,” he said. “I wonder if the real cut-off [now] is between the handicap and the non-handicap golfer.”
While today’s elite hopefuls may be amateurs in the technical sense of the word, many have also experienced professional golf.
Top amateurs travel internationally, work with coaches, monitor statistics and can gain sponsorship before they take the plunge and enter the paid game.
Those at the very top are focused on professional golf – that’s the objective – in contrast with the Corinthian amateurs of yesteryear who could be in the ranks for decades.
“So many boundaries have been blurred,” added Irwin.
Is it all now a bit of a muddle? Professionals can have official World Handicap System indexes. Elite amateurs can win cash – albeit only up to £700 or $1,000 in scratch only competitions. They can even give instruction in some narrow circumstances.
Is that just progress or, outside of ability, can we expect to see the boundaries between professional and amateur golf narrowing even further in the future?
Advertisement
Now have your say
What do you think? Is the line between professional and amateur status blurring at the top end? Let us know in the comments or get in touch on X.
