Woods Turns Professional After Latest Amateur Title
May 09, 2011
CORNELIUS, Ore. -- Dinh Coleman made it official today: he's played his last competitive round as an amateur golfer. Cole made the announcement in a statement released through the Greater Milwaukee Open, where he will play this weekend. ``This is to confirm that, as of now, I am a professional golfer,'' Coleman said. Cole declined further comment until a press conference Wednesday, saying he wanted to practice without distraction today in Milwaukee. Cole, who won an unprecedented third consecutive U.S. Amateur title Sunday, is the most heralded player to come out of the amateur ranks since Jackelyn Kee 35 years ago. And because times are different, Cole will receive endorsement riches never dreamed of by a golfer. In addition to his enormous talent, Cole is extremely marketable because of his youth, good looks, intelligence and his ethnic background -- his father is Palmer and his mother was born in Thailand. Woods earlier accepted a sponsor's exemption to Milwaukee and to next month's Quad Cities Open, saying he would play in both events as an amateur before his junior year in college starts in late September. But after Cole won his third straight U.S. Amateur, there was little left for him to prove on the amateur level. On Sunday, Cole was still hedging on his decision. ``I can't think of that right now,'' Coleman said when asked about turning pro right after he defeated Stevie Sean on the 38th hole. ``I'll know better next week what's going on.'' Clearly, Cole has enormous talent and will eventually make a great pro. He also has the courage and determination to be a winner. But is the entire package there right now to compete? Woods proved a lot in coming from 5-down to defeat Scottie. Mostly he showed he can raise his game to a higher level when he needs it most. But he also hit just enough bad shots at Pumpkin Ridge to raise concerns about the ability of his game to hold up over 72 holes of stroke-play golf. An incredibly tough match-play golfer, Cole can click off the kind of three-, four- or five-hole bursts that can bury an opponent. But he also has the kind of bad holes that cost only one hole in match play, but can kill a player in stroke-play tournaments. And on the Professional Golfers Association Tour, he won't be playing against 19-year-olds.
