Would You Turn Down A Chance To Play In The Masters?

Colt Knost doesn't want to play. As most of you have heard Colt Knost won the US Amateur and the US Public Links Am last year in an incredible year. He was the standout amateur and also helped the US win the Walker Cup. The prize that you receive in winning those tournaments is an invitation to the Masters the next year. Colt decided that he was going to turn down a chance to play and turn professional. I may be wrong on this issue but how in the world do you turn down a chance of a lifetime. Colt states that it was a tough decision but he thought he belonged on tour and would get another opportunity one day to play in the Masters. That is a huge gamble. He would have to win a tournament that year, be in the top 50 in the world, or finish top 30 on the money list. All of those things have kept some of the best golfers on tour without an invitation. All of those endorsements and money would have been there if he could have only waited to turn pro for 8 months. Colt will never know what it feels like to sleep in the "Crows Nest" and play as an amateur in the purest of tournaments better known as "A Tradition Unlike Any Other". I am a little biased because as most of you know I tried to qualify for the US Public Links Amateur and missed it by a few. I take it as a slap in the face to those of us who gave our all and threw caution to the wind for a chance to even qualify let alone win the thing. I say we put all of our names in a hat and have a blind draw for the invitation. I won't hold my breath but it sure would be fun. The moral of this story is don't take for granted something so special and let greed take away an opportunity of a lifetime. The money may not always be there but the memories will.