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A PGA Tour hopeful who was banned for breaking betting rules is ready to make a comeback on the big stage.
Jake Staiano was suspended last October along with fellow Korn Ferry Tour player Vince India last October for violating the PGA Tour’s Integrity Program.
The duo were deemed to have wagered bets on PGA Tour competitions that they were not involved in. Staiano was handed a three-month suspension, while India received a six-month ban.
The PGA Tour offered no details of the violations, but Staiano told his side of the story in a subsequent interview with MondayQInfo’s Ryan French.
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Staiano told French he placed four bets totalling $116.20, including a $25 stake on Bryson DeChambeau to make a birdie on a par-5 during a PGA Tour event. He made three other bets in DeChambeau’s exhibition contest against Brooks Koepka billed ‘The Match’ in November 2021.
It has now been a year since Staiano was suspended and he has spent much of his time since in the wilderness. However, the 27-year-old won the first stage of Q School by seven shots in New Mexico last week and is now just two stages away from competing for his card.In a new interview with the Golf Channel, Staiano opened up on how he used his time away from competitive golf as an opportunity to reset.
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“It was a weird year, after everything that happened, knowing I didn’t have anything to really plan for,” Staiano said. “Everything was pretty much up in the air, I didn’t play a ton of golf, but I almost needed it. I enjoyed life more, got to hang out with some buddies, do some fun stuff and, in a way, not be a professional golfer for a year.
“At the end of the day, everything is going to happen for a reason. I sat back and watched a bunch of my buddies get their PGA Tour cards this year, guys I know, guys I’ve played with, and one of them is (Black Desert Championship winner) Matt McCarty, who obviously has balled out.
“It sucked, but at the same time, I had to remind myself that there is going to be good that comes from it, and instead of being down on myself and wallowing in it, I took it as motivation to get back there.”
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