Exclusive: PGA Tour Champions player suspended for betting on golf

Exclusive: PGA Tour Champions player suspended for betting on golf.

Key points

• Gogel, 55, has competed in 18 events on the Champions Tour in 2026, earning prize funds of more than $760, 000 dollars.
• Gogel has not won on the Champions Tour but has earned $2.68 million on the circuit since turning 50 in 2021.
• In 2024 and 2025, I unknowingly violated the PGA Tour policy by placing small recreational wagers on golf.
• "PGA Tour Champions member Matt Gogel has been suspended for violating the PGA Tour Integrity Program, " the statement remarked.
• Punishments for infractions include a required education program, a fine of up to $500, 000, suspension and even a lifetime ban.

Notably, the PGA Tour has suspended a player on the Champions Tour for gambling, Golfweek can exclusively reveal.

Matt Gogel was discovered to have placed golf-related bets. It members are strictly prohibited from doing. After an inquiry by Golfweek, the Tour provided a statement confirming the suspension and noting that Gogel did not wager on tournaments in which he was competing.

"PGA Tour Champions member Matt Gogel has been suspended for violating the PGA Tour Integrity Program, " the statement remarked. "Gogel placed bets on PGA Tour competition but did not bet on tournaments in which he was a participant."

Notably, a spokesperson remarked the PGA Tour would not comment on the specific tournaments or outcomes Gogel bet on. Gogel additionally provided a statement through Tour headquarters.

"In 2024 and 2025, I unknowingly violated the PGA Tour policy by placing small recreational wagers on golf. I want to be clear that these wagers were not placed on regular PGA Tour events, PGA Tour Champions events or any tournament in which I participated, " Gogel remarked. "I would never knowingly violate the integrity of the game of golf. I created an honest mistake and I look forward to playing in 2027 on the PGA Tour Champions."

For context, the suspension covers all Tour-sanctioned events and lasts six months. It took effect Sunday, August 23, the day on which Gogel finished tied 30th in the Rogers Charity Classic on the senior circuit. The ban runs through February 22, 2027.

Gogel, 55, has competed in 18 events on the Champions Tour in 2026, earning prize funds of more than $760, 000 dollars. Last month, he tied for second in the ISPS Handa Senior Open, a senior tour major. He at present stands 20th in the Tour's season-long Charles Schwab Cup points race.

Gogel has not won on the Champions Tour but has earned $2.68 million on the circuit since turning 50 in 2021. He joined the PGA Tour in 2000 but retired seven years afterwards due to injuries. He won once, at the 2002 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, and earned more than $4.5 million. According to The Tour, gogel co-operated throughout the disciplinary process.

Notably, the PGA Tour Integrity Program prohibits wagering on any Tour-sanctioned event worldwide by members, but additionally by anyone in their immediate circle who receives credentials to tournaments, including family, caddies and agents. Punishments for infractions include a required education program, a fine of up to $500, 000, suspension and even a lifetime ban.

Eamon Lynch is a columnist for Golfweek and a frequent contributor to Golf Channel.

For now, exclusive: PGA Tour Champions player suspended for betting on golf remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.