Mid-Am Crossroads: Reinstated Pros, NIL & USGA
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S1 E263

Mid-Am Crossroads: Reinstated Pros, NIL & USGA

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What does “amateur” really mean in 2025—when reinstated pros, NIL, and a Masters invite collide?

In this episode of The Bag Drop: Untold Stories in Golf, host Matt Considine and co-host Dr. Kevin Moore (a.k.a. “The Professor”) explore how reinstated professionals, NIL-era amateurs, and governing-body policy are reshaping elite amateur golf—the discussion is timely and personal, as the duo is prepping for their own USGA Four-Ball bid in November.
The conversation dives into:
  • 🗺️ USGA Four-Ball prep, roles, and strategy ahead of Nov 17 Qualifier
  • 🏁 NewClub Atlanta Club Championship at Bobby Jones GC: pick-the-tee strategy, massive greens, and champions crowned
  • 🍬 A candy-fueled warm-up: the “leftovers,” Top-10 sellers
  • 🧲 The “college putter” decision, arm-bar stance, and putting science (range of motion → more makes!)
  • 🧾 Reinstatement basics: fees, true “cooling-off,” back-dating, and living like an am
  • 💼 NIL’s ripple effects and why “reps never leave you”
  • 🏆 The Mid-Am flashpoint: late-round fields stacked with reinstated players and the Masters invite incentive
  • 🧭 Solutions: hard red lines (e.g., PGA/KFT wins), multi-year restrictions for crown-jewel amateur events, or a new competitive category
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Links & Partners
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Connect with Matt & The Professor
🎙️ Matt Considine — 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/consequential85 | 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/consequence18/ | 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-considine-103bb21/
📚 Dr. Kevin Moore ("The Professor") — 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/kevcmoore | 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevcmoore | 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-moore-177b30b3/
🗣️ Contribute to the show! — 📧 thebagdrop@newclub.golf

Chapters
00:00 Introduction & Four-Ball announcement (Nov 17, White Homs CC)
02:11 Four-Ball prep, roles, and strategy
02:10–02:48 Putting science: range-of-motion and make rates (via NLU/Sasho MacKenzie)
03:00 The “college putter,” arm-bar stance, and chasing true potential
05:20 Post-Halloween candy banter; Top-10 sellers; M&M’s at #1
09:26 NewClub Atlanta Club Championship at Bobby Jones GC; pick-the-tee match play
11:46 Reinstatement 101: application, fees, back-dating, and “live like an amateur”
19:59 NIL’s impact and why waiting on new policy may be smart
22:17 Scale check: 700–800 reinstatement applications per year
26:00 2025 U.S. Mid-Am flashpoint: reinstated players in late rounds
27:44 Masters invite as unstated motivator
30:48 History: from class lines to competition reality
37:04 “Reps never leave you”: why fresh pro reps create imbalance
49:22 Colt Knost: sincerity vs consequences and dilution risk
53:55 Solution space: thresholds, categories, and principles
58:22 Easy red lines: PGA/KFT wins
01:06:32 Cooling-off vs reinstatement windows; restricted-event idea
01:14:13 Will the USGA act? Principles vs popularity
01:18:38 Iron sharpens iron; closing thoughts

What is NewClub?
Founded in 2017, NewClub is the premier private golf society in the United States. It blends the community and access of a private club with the variety and affordability of public golf. Members enjoy thousands of reserved tee times, competitions and events at exceptional partner courses across our local chapters, as well as signature trips and exclusive perks. NewClub is revolutionizing golf membership, making the game more meaningful for those who love it.

What is The Bag Drop?
The Bag Drop features weekly stories from the culture, community and characters shaping golf today. Produced by NewClub Golf Society, each episode blends authenticity and expert insights for passionate golfers at all levels. Special guests from clubs, courses and every corner of the changing landscape join us for thoughtful, in-depth discussions on all things golf.

Creators and Guests

Matt Considine
Host
Matt Considine
Founder of NewClub and our resident feel player. Matt’s junior golf career led him to the University of Akron where he met our co-host. During his junior year, Matt Studied abroad in Ireland and discovered golf societies. Subsequent trips to Scotland fed his passion for the history, ideals, and culture of accessible, affordable, and sustainable golf, a concept he would later bring to the U.S. with NewClub. Known for his interviewing style, quick wit, and compelling storytelling, Matt brings thoughtful, reflective conversations to The Bag Drop. His professional journey before NewClub included multiple leadership positions in growth-stage startups, where he managed teams responsible for more than $250 million in revenue. Matt actively gives back to the game as a Board Member of the First Tee of Akron and past chair of the Evans Scholar Foundation. Proudly based in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, Matt finds inspiration in family life with his wife, their three children, and their golf dog, Gypsy.
The Professor
Host
The Professor
NewClub's Chief Ambassador and every golf sicko's favorite educator. Kevin is a thoughtful and deeply curious host. His studied, constructivist approach adds intellectual enrichment and balance to the show. As a professor of Math Education at the University of Georgia, Kevin's background in applied mathematics and cognitive psychology uniquely informs his insights on golf strategy and performance. Originally from Ohio, Kevin was a Division I collegiate golfer at the University of Akron, where his passion for understanding mathematical thinking began. After earning his doctorate from Arizona State University, he combined his analytical expertise with his love for golf by co-founding Golf Blueprint, an organization aimed at helping golfers optimize their games through data-driven strategies. Kevin enjoys balancing deep philosophical discussions with simple pleasures, such as indulging his sweet tooth, cheering on college football, and spending relaxed evenings with his friends, his wife, and their beloved dog, Nole.