Golf Player Jake Staiano Claims Suspension for Wagering $116 on Korn Ferry Tour
Recently, Jake Staiano, a golfer on the Korn Ferry Tour, was given a three-month suspension by the PGA Tour for betting on golf. Staiano was one of two golfers who were found to have broken the PGA Tour's Integrity Program, which requires players not to gamble on professional golf.
In an effort to clarify the situation, Staiano spoke on the "Any Given Monday" golf podcast with Ryan French. Staiano revealed that he's not a regular gambler, but his infraction was due to four bets made on golf in 2021.
The 27-year-old, originally from Colorado, claimed he wagered $25 on Bryson DeChambeau to make a birdie on a par-5 during a PGA Tour tournament. Staiano wasn't even playing in the competition and didn't have a status at the time.
According to Staiano, his other three bets occurred during Brooks Koepka's match against DeChambeau, which took place at Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas on November 26, 2021. Staiano again bet on DeChambeau (Koepka won).
The total amount of Staiano's bets, he reported, was $116.20. The PGA Tour, which handles the Korn Ferry Tour, declared last week that Staiano engaged in "prohibited conduct" and is now banned from professional golf for three months.
Throughout the 2022-23 season, Staiano made the cut 6 out of 17 times. His most significant performance was a T19 finish in June at the BMW Charity Pro-Am which gained him $12,210.
Questionable Punishment?
The PGA Tour has faced significant criticism for disciplining Staiano and Vince India, who received a six-month suspension for gambling on golf.
The Tour stated that neither player willingly played in tournaments they were assigned to or tried to fix the outcome with others. India has stayed silent about his ban, which runs until March 17, 2024.
Knowing what could happen to other aspiring players, Staiano went public with his suspension to ensure they don't make the same error.
"I've accepted my punishment," Staiano said. "People can argue whether it's fair or not, but one of my main concerns is making sure other guys understand what happened so they don't make the same mistake."
Staiano's ban will remain in effect until December 11 since he was sanctioned on September 11, according to the Tour. This suspension comes at a pivotal point for Staiano, as he aimed to maintain his Korn Ferry Tour status by passing the PGA Tour's Q-School. Staiano was scheduled to compete in the second stage of Q-School in November.
The PGA Tour reportedly refunded Staiano his $4,500 Q-School entry fee.
Determining Professional Golf Events
Staiano stated that he was unaware of what specifically comprised a professional golf tournament after finishing the Tour's Integrity Program tutorial. He recounted not realizing that "The Match" involving DeChambeau and Koepka wasn't a PGA Tour-sanctioned event, but an exhibition.
Staiano mentioned being told that a "third party" from the Tour did surveys on all players to verify if they were adhering to the Integrity Program. However, the authenticity of this claim is unknown.
It's known, though, that casual betting among players before and sometimes during PGA Tour events is not uncommon. While Staiano might not be the only person who's gambled on golf through a sportsbook or among friends, he used the word "naive" to emphasize his misunderstanding of what he considered a "vague gray area."
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Source: www.casino.org
