Amateur golfer turned pro online poker player drops lawsuit against USGA

A former Southern California junior golfer turned pro online poker player drops lawsuit against the United States Golf Association.

Dusty Schmidt played professional golf for several years until he suffered a heart attack in 2004 when he was only 23 years of age. During Schmidt's recovery from his heart attack he discovered online poker and has even claimed to earning more than $100,000 in good months.

As Schmidt's health improved in 2006 he applied to the USGA to regain his amateur status and was granted it early this year. This past April Schmidt issued a challenge on a web site he co-owns, offering to bet $1 million dollars of his own money against anyone in a combined poker and golf competition.

Even though nobody took Schmidt up on his "Million Dollar Challenge" the USGA said it didn't matter and Schmidt's amateur status was revoked because the self-promotion was "detrimental to the best interests of the amateur game."

Schmidt was considering to sue the USGA to gain his amateur status back but announced Wednesday after consulting with several legal experts he would be unable to produce anything solid to win his case.

The Portland area resident has been training with two-time PGA Tour winner Brian Henninger with the intention of playing in some professional events.

YOU HEARD IT FIRST: 2014 Back-to-Back Opens

Exciting news has been confirmed about the 2014 U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open will be played back-to-back at North Carolina's Pinehurst No. 2 Resort & Country Club. The unique paring of the 2014 U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open will be the first time in history these events will be held on the same course one week after another.

The 2014 U.S. Open will take place June 12-15, shortly followed by the U.S. Women’s Open on June 19-22 and will be two weeks of exciting unforgettable championship golf unlike anything else.

David B. Fay the Executive Director of the United States Golf Association said,

"Two physical characteristics of Pinehurst No. 2 make it ideal for hosting these two championships in consecutive weeks: the course’s sand base, which minimizes the damage that comes from play, and the lack of rough around the greens. The concept is novel, but I have great confidence in the ability of our operations team, the people at Pinehurst and the whole golf community to make both championships an unquestionable success.

Pinehurst No. 2 has previously hosted nine USGA national championships, including the 2008 U.S. Amateur; the U.S. Open in 1999 and 2005; the 1994 U.S. Senior Open; the 1989 U.S. Women’s Amateur; and the 1962 U.S. Amateur. The 2014 U.S. Women’s Open will be the first conducted on this Donald Ross masterpiece in the sandhills of North Carolina.

The USGA is particularly indebted to the Pinehurst Resort, and especially its owner Bob Dedman, the Village of Pinehurst and the State of North Carolina for their wholehearted support of our plan for the 2014 U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open."

Be sure to make your plans early because tickets will sell out and hotels will be booked!