Lucy Li’s amateur status came into question earlier this year when the teenage prodigy appeared in an advertisement for the Apple Watch. Li was let off with a warning, but her case was fresh on the minds of many who watched the first-round coverage Thursday at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship.
Former NFL quarterback and current CBS Sports analyst Tony Romo was playing as an amateur in the Tour’s opposite-field event for the second consecutive year, but he also appeared during commercial breaks – as a pitchman for Skechers.
Asked for an explanation on why the two cases differed, since both Li and Romo are amateurs, a USGA spokesman said that the amateur status rule (6-2) specifically discusses whether an amateur golfer is one of golf skill or reputation – and since Romo is known first as a professional football player, and thus his reputation is not solely based on his skill as a golfer, the rule does not apply.