John Augenstein, who is one of the top amateur golfers in the world, stands alongside his colleagues. Augenstein, Yuxin Lin, Lukas Michel, Abel Gallegos and James Surges are skeptical as to what the future holds for them.
Becoming a pro no doubt has to come with a lot of sacrifices, sweat and being on top of your game.
Pro decision postponed due to the Masters rescheduling
Augenstein is the second-ranked amateur in the Golfstat ranking and is also the fourth in the Scratch Player World Amateur Ranking.
Augenstein has earned his spot in the Masters by finishing as a runner-up at the U.S Amateur last summer at Pinehurst. He also earned an invitation to the 2020 Masters and 2020 U.S. Open.
But, due to the persistent COVID-19 pandemic, the Masters has had to be rescheduled for Nov. 12-15 and the U.S. Open for Sept. 14-17.
This decision is especially devastating to Augenstein, as the revered player had planned to turn pro this summer with the hopes of getting a few sponsorships to PGA Tour events.
When Augenstein learned that the Masters were been postponed he revealed ”It was like being hit in the stomach, so upsetting”.
He also added ” I somewhat expected it, but at the same time, it’s hard to believe, it’s the Masters you take it for granted”
Should Augenstein forfeit or wait?
What this means for John Augenstein and other top amateurs who qualified for the Masters is that they will have no option other than to remain an amateur for the time being.
Another choice is that they could forfeit their spot within the Masters and decide to turn pro immediately, and will have to try their shot for the Masters next season with other top golfers around the world.
‘’My heart is hurting for him. Everybody is losing so much, and this scenario is not great that anyone else’s is out there. But when you coach people and watch dreams come true, this hits home’’ said the Vanderbilt golf coach Scott Limbaugh.
Just like the rest of the sports world out there, John Augenstein waits. In the meantime he tries to stay in shape, but the future looks very uncertain.