PGA Tour winner suspended for six months after betting on golf

Matt Gogel has been suspended from PGA Tour-sanctioned competition for six months after admitting to placing bets on golf tournaments, the PGA Tour has confirmed.

The 55-year-old, who competes on the PGA Tour Champions, was found to have breached the organisation's Integrity Program after placing what he described as “small recreational wagers” during 2024 and 2025.

Gogel did not bet on tournaments in which he was competing and said he was unaware that his wagers breached PGA Tour policy.

“I would never knowingly violate the integrity of the game of golf,” Gogel said in a statement. “I made an honest mistake and I look forward to playing in 2027 on the PGA Tour Champions.”

The PGA Tour confirmed that Gogel fully cooperated with the process and stressed that his bets were not placed on PGA Tour or PGA Tour Champions events in which he participated.

His suspension began on August 23, 2026, and will run through February 22, 2027, meaning Gogel will be unable to compete in PGA Tour-sanctioned events for the remainder of the 2026 season and the early part of 2027.

Gogel has made 18 appearances on the PGA Tour Champions in 2026, recording two top-10 finishes. 

His most recent start came at the Rogers Charity Classic in Calgary, where he finished tied for 30th last week.

The American has earned more than $760,000 in prize money on the senior circuit and has also enjoyed a notable career on the PGA Tour.

Gogel currently ranks 20th in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup standings. 

Gogel's biggest moment came in 2002 when he won the famous AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, his sole PGA Tour victory from 179 starts.

He finished the week 14-under par and three strokes clear of Pat Perez.

Gogel ranks 449th in the career earnings on the PGA Tour, having banked over $4.5m. 

He won six times on the Nike Tour (now the Korn Ferry Tour) from 1996 to 1999. 

Those victories put him tied second for all-time wins on the lower-tier circuit. 

Aside from competing in PGA Tour Champions events, Gogel also works as an on-course commentator for both Golf Channel and CBS Sports. 

Gogel is expected to be eligible to return to competition on February 23, 2027.

The case is another reminder of the PGA Tour's strict rules surrounding betting on golf, even where a player has no involvement in the tournament being wagered on. 

English star Marco Penge was not so long ago suspended for three months on the DP World Tour after betting on the sport. 

For Gogel, the six-month suspension brings his 2026 campaign to an early conclusion, with his focus now turning towards a return to the PGA Tour Champions in 2027.