The Division I Women's Golf Committee discussed new NCAA and United States Golf Association (USGA) amateurism legislation and the impact on women's collegiate golfers during its annual meeting July 15-16 in Indianapolis.

With several conflicting amateurism rules in place within the two organizations, the committee emphasized the importance of educating NCAA staff members, USGA personnel, coaches, student-athletes and youth golfers about the changes. NCAA staff members in fact currently are developing guidelines for collegiate prospects and golfers to follow (see accompanying chart).

In addition to the discussion on amateurism rules, the committee determined that during the second round at regional competition, the players' positions within the team will change based on first-round scores.

The team pairings will remain the same through the first and second rounds and will be rearranged for the final round.

In a related matter, the committee received approval from the Championships/Competition Cabinet for a number of site recommendations. The 2003 East Regional will be played at Wake Forest University's Salem Glen Country Club; the 2003 Central Regional will be held at the Firethorn Course and hosted by the University of Nebraska, Lincoln; and the 2003 West Regional will be at Arizona State University's Karsten Course. Purdue University will host the championships May 20-23.

In 2004, the East Regional will be at the Mission Inn Golf and Tennis Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, and hosted by the Central Florida Sports Commission and Stetson University. The 2004 Central Regional will be held at Illinois State University on the University Golf Course; and the West regional will be played at Stanford University. The finals will be at the Grand National Lake Course at Auburn University.

Oregon State University will host the 2005 finals at the Meadows Course at Sunriver Resort.

The committee noted that host institutions with private practice facilities at the course must determine whether the facility is open or closed. If open, the practice facilities must be open to all competitors during the championships; if closed, the facilities are closed to all competitors, including the host team. If the men's program also uses the practice site, it may use the facilities if they are closed to championship participants and the team receives prior committee approval.

Amateurism comparison

The following chart compares NCAA and USGA amateurism rules as they relate to Division I golf student-athletes. The comments do not capture the full scope of the NCAA legislation; users are encouraged to review the full bylaw in the Division I Manual. The USGA information was obtained through the USGA Web site at www.usga.com.

NCAA definition of amateur

An amateur student-athlete is an individual who engages in a particular sport for the educational, physical, mental and social benefits derived therefrom, and for whom participation in that sport is an avocation. A professional is paid to play, in which case athletics is a job.

USGA definition of amateur

An amateur golfer is one who plays the game as a nonprofit sport and who does not receive remuneration for teaching golf or for other activities because of golf skill or reputation. An amateur golfer must not take any action for the purpose of becoming a professional golfer, must not identify him or herself as becoming a professional, and must not play golf for prize money or its equivalent in a match, tournament or exhibition.

NCAA prize money

Bylaw 12.1.1.4.1: An individual, before initial, full-time collegiate enrollment, may accept prize money based on place finish in an open athletics event from the event sponsor not to exceed actual and necessary expenses.

USGA prize money

Rule 3-1: An amateur golfer must not play golf for prize money or its equivalent in a match, tournament or exhibition. Rule 3-2: An amateur golfer must not accept a prize (including all prizes received in any one tournament or exhibition for any event or series of events in which golf skill is a factor) of a retail value greater than $500 (except for symbolic prizes, such as a trophy, or except for hole-in-one prizes). Rule 3-3: An amateur golfer must not accept a testimonial award of a retail value greater than $500. An amateur golfer may accept more than one testimonial award (that is, an award for notable performances or contributions to golf as distinguished from competition prizes, not a monetary award) from different donors, even if their total retail value exceeds $500.

NCAA educational expenses

Bylaw 12.1.1.1.3.1: Before full-time collegiate enrollment an individual may accept educational expenses (that is, tuition and fees, room and board, books) from any individual or entity other than an agent, professional sports team/organization or representative of an institution's athletics interests, provided such expenses are disbursed directly through the recipient's educational institution (that is, preparatory school, high school). An individual may pay the expenses for an athlete to attend a private high school or prep school provided they are not members of one of the groups listed above.

USGA educational expenses

Rule 6-6: An amateur golfer of golf skill or reputation must not use that skill or reputation to gain the benefits of a scholarship other than in accord with the regulations of the NCAA, the NAIA or the NJCAA or other similar organizations governing athletes at academic institutions.

Bylaw 12.4.2.1: A student-athlete may accept fee-for-lesson compensation provided specified conditions are met.

Rule 5-2: An amateur golfer who is an employee of an educational institution or system, or who is a counselor at a camp or other similar organization program, may receive payment or compensation for golf instruction to students of the institution or system, provided that during a year the total time devoted to golf instruction comprises less than 50 percent of the time spent in the performance of all duties as such an employee or counselor.

Student-athletes may participate in Q School without jeopardizing their amateur status, provided the golfers officially declare themselves as competing as amateurs and waive all rights to prize money.

USGA qualifying school

No rules pertaining to Q School currently exist.