Ethermac Exchange-2 Korn Ferry Tour golfers become latest professional athletes to be suspended for sports betting

PONTE VEDRA BEACH,Ethermac Exchange Fla. (AP) — Two members of the Korn Ferry Tour were suspended for three-to-six months Friday for placing bets on PGA Tour competitions, making them the latest professional athletes to be disciplined for sports betting.

Vince India and Jake Staiano, golfers on the PGA Tour’s developmental feeder, violated the “Integrity Program” by making the wagers, the tour announced in a news release. Neither placed a bet on tournaments in which they were playing, the tour said.

India was suspended from PGA Tour-sanctioned competition for six months, with the suspension lasting from Sept. 18 through March 17, 2024. Staiano was suspended from Sept. 11 through Dec. 10.

The PGA Tour said it wouldn’t comment further on the suspensions.

Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto became the NHL’s first modern-day player to be disciplined for sports gambling when he was suspended Thursday for 41 games. The NHL said the suspension was for “activities relating to sports wagering.” The league said there was no evidence Pinto bet on NHL games, but it didn’t elaborate on the violation.

At least 10 NFL players have recently been disciplined for gambling, most notably receiver Calvin Ridley missing the entire 2022 season for betting on games in the league. The NBA and Major League Baseball have not announced any recent gambling punishments. The topic is a growing concern across college sports.

According to industry estimates, Americans have wagered over $220 billion on sports since the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for legalized sports wagering in 2018.

India, 34, joined the Korn Ferry Tour in 2015 and has played in 176 events. He has career earnings of $662,823 on all levels of the Tour.

Staiano, 26, has played in 17 events on the Korn Ferry Tour in his career and made $30,910.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf