Colt Knost shared an update from the USGA on Monday regarding his application to regain amateur status, posting the email on X with the caption, “An update from the USGA on my amateur status. I’m sure this will make a lot of people happy! Haha.”
— @ColtKnost
The email, from Knost’s primary USGA contact, said the organization is re-evaluating its reinstatement guidelines for applicants with a successful history competing as a professional. As a result, Knost’s application has been formally placed on hold while USGA staff works with the Amateur Status Committee and Executive Committee to determine how those guidelines should apply.
Knost, a 40-year-old former PGA Tour player and current CBS Sports analyst, applied for amateur reinstatement in October 2025. He played 199 events on the PGA Tour between 2009 and 2020, making the cut in 92 and earning more than $4.3 million. His last professional start came at the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open.
— @andytfe
The application followed criticism over the 2025 U.S. Mid-Amateur, where seven of eight quarterfinalists at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale had professional golf backgrounds. Champion Brandon Holtz spent 15 years as a pro, mostly on mini-tours, before regaining amateur status in 2024, then won the event in his first USGA start back, beating Jeg Coughlin III 3&2 in the 36-hole final.
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Justin Hueber and Christian Brand combined for 154 Korn Ferry Tour starts before returning to the amateur ranks, while Parker Edens and Bobby Massa had nine years of pro golf between them. Defending champion Evan Beck, who played four years as a pro before retiring in 2017, also reached the quarterfinals. Holtz’s win earned him a Masters invitation and a U.S. Open exemption.
Knost has said he applied partly in response to that backlash and partly to become eligible for events like the U.S. Mid-Amateur, with a longer-term goal of one day captaining a U.S. Walker Cup team. He won the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Amateur Public Links and Walker Cup all in 2007 before turning professional.
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In November, Knost said he had been told by the USGA that a decision on his case likely wouldn’t come until 2028 at the earliest. USGA rules typically require a waiting period of up to eight years for players with extensive professional histories like Knost’s before reinstatement, based on the time since their last professional appearance.
The USGA has said it does not deny amateur reinstatement applications outright for players who follow the waiting period, with roughly 800 former professionals applying each year. USGA Chief Governance Officer Thomas Pagel has previously said the organization aims to treat similar cases consistently as it works through its reinstatement process.
Reaction to Knost’s post was swift on social media, continuing a debate that has followed his application since it became public last October.
