U.S. Mid-Amateur Champ's Wife Asks For Pre-Masters Funding

It'll be interesting to see the Augusta National reaction to Natalie Schmitz using GoFundMe to help her family allow dad Sammy to prepare for the 2016 Masters.

Sam Weinman summarizes the request of the 2015 U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion's wife and talks to her about the decision to solicit up to $30,000. The money raised will pay for her husband to practice away from the Wisconsin winters and his guest time at Augusta National in advance of The Masters.

Here's part of the case from Schmitz:

As exciting of a time this is for my family, it has also become a stressful one as we have just learned that in order to make this dream a reality it will cost our family close to an estimated $30,000. Being a father of two beautiful girls and having bills and daily expenses has made it very difficult to find the income to make his dream of playing in the Masters come true. I'm trying to raise money to make this lifetime dream become a reality! We currently live in a small town in Wisconsin where the winters are filled with snow and the cold temperatures will make it almost impossible to practice. The money raised will go towards travel, lodging, meals and all other expenses associatied with playing in The Masters.

Weinman clarifies in the piece how this works under USGA rules (the funds will go to Schmitz's state golf association, who will then reimburse him).

Surely the folks at Augusta National won't be pleased by this. After all, they kindly open their doors to the Masters field--even giving them their own driving range--and while that is admirable, the inevitable awkward situation was bound to arise. The case of Schmitz might be it, depending on how much time he sets up shop.

This also will highlight the already shaky status of the U.S. Mid-Amateur exemption into the Masters field. With the club passionate about its successful efforts to grow the amateur game in Latin America and Asia, the exemption given to the mid-amateur winner looks far less meaningful. Throw in the fact that no mid-amateur champion has made the cut and that the event wasn't even worthy of television coverage under the USGA's new television pact with Fox, and every little bit of activity related to the exemption will take on greater meaning.