Reigning NCAA men’s golf champion DeChambeau ineligible to defend in wake of SMU sanctions

Southern Methodist University senior and NCAA men’s golf individual champion Bryson DeChambeau won’t be able to defend the title he won last year.

The SMU men’s golf program has been ruled ineligible to compete in 2015-16 postseason play after the NCAA’s Division I Committee on Infractions found former coach Josh Gregory had engaged in recruiting violations and unethical conduct. That postseason ban extends to DeChambeau, who became the fifth-ever player to win the NCAA men’s title and the U.S. Amateur in the same year.

SMU has 15 days from the Sept. 29 announcement of the penalties, including those levied against the men’s basketball program, to submit a formal appeal.

Gregory was found guilty of committing multiple recruiting infractions, including 64 impermissible contacts with 10 prospects and seven parents of prospects over a 10-month period. Gregory was also aware that a SMU booster had contacted nine recruits and then facilitated contact between Gregory and the recruits’ families. Gregory, who led Augusta State to back-to-back NCAA titles in 2010 and ’11, was also found to have offered SMU merchandise and golf equipment at a discounted price.

After the one-year post-season ban, SMU will face a one-quarter reduction in scholarships it can award men’s golfers in the following three seasons. SMU self-imposed a scholarship reduction for 2015-16 of approximately a one-half scholarship, as well agreed to limit official and unofficial recruit visits and communications.

Gregory, who resigned from the SMU position in August 2014, told Golf Channel that he believes the punishment is too steep.

“I’m embarrassed about what happened,” said Gregory, who cannot work for a NCAA-sanctioned school until 2019. “I feel terrible for the kids – those are the ones I feel worst about. It just makes no sense whatsoever. Throw the book at me and give all the penalties to me, but the kids are the ones who suffer. It’s simply garbage.”

For DeChambeau, the sanctions put a damper on his senior season. However, there is plenty of motivation for the physics major to maintain his amateur status through most of 2016. As U.S. Amateur champion, DeChambeau is in the Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship, provided he remains an amateur.

Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.

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