Gogel suspended for six months for betting on golf

Matt Gogel, a professional golfer, has been handed a six-month suspension by the PGA Tour for placing recreational bets on golf tournaments he was not participating in. The PGA Tour announced on Wednesday that none of the wagers were for events Gogel was playing in. This suspension applies to both regular PGA Tour events and the PGA Tour Champions, as well as any tournaments where Gogel took part.

Gogel, who finished as the runner-up in the Senior British Open this year, is set to be eligible for a return on February 22, 2027. In a statement provided by the tour, Gogel admitted to unknowingly violating the PGA Tour policy by placing small wagers on golf in 2024 and 2025. He clarified that these wagers did not involve regular PGA Tour events, PGA Tour Champions tournaments, or any event in which he was playing.

The PGA Tour has not revealed the specifics of Gogel's violation, though his statement suggests the wagers were related to major championships. Born in Kansas, Gogel is known for his impressive 40 on the back nine in 2000 during the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am when Tiger Woods overcame a seven-shot deficit in the final seven holes, clinching his sixth straight victory.

Gogel later won at Pebble Beach in 2022, his only PGA Tour title. After working briefly for Golf Channel and CBS, he returned to competition when he turned 50 and became eligible for the PGA Tour Champions.