PGA Tour Champions player Matt Gogel has received a six-month suspension for violating the tour’s gambling policy. The suspension began on August 23, 2026, and will continue through February 22, 2027. Gogel placed wagers on PGA Tour competitions, but not on any tournaments in which he was a participant.
Gogel, 55, issued a statement through Tour headquarters, indicating he unknowingly violated the policy by placing small recreational wagers on golf in 2024 and 2025. He clarified that these wagers were not on regular PGA Tour events, PGA Tour Champions events, or any tournament he competed in. Gogel stated he would never knowingly compromise the integrity of the game and looks forward to returning to the PGA Tour Champions in 2027.
The PGA Tour confirmed Gogel cooperated throughout the disciplinary process. The Tour’s Integrity Program prohibits members, and individuals in their immediate circle who receive tournament credentials, from wagering on any Tour-sanctioned event globally. Penalties for infractions can include mandatory education, fines up to $500,000, suspension, or a lifetime ban.
The suspension covers all Tour-sanctioned events. On the day his suspension took effect, August 23, Gogel finished tied for 30th in the Rogers Charity Classic on the senior circuit. In 2026, Gogel competed in 18 Champions Tour events, earning over $760,000 in prize money. Last month, he tied for second in the ISPS Handa Senior Open, a senior tour major. He currently ranks 20th in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup points race. Gogel has not won on the Champions Tour but has accumulated $2.68 million on the circuit since turning 50 in 2021. He joined the PGA Tour in 2000, retiring seven years later due to injuries, and earned over $4.5 million, including a win at the 2002 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
