The End Of The Golf Amateur III

Hello. It flew under the radar due to the President's Cup and Lorena Ochoa's failed bid to increase her win streak (great run Lorena!). However, Colt Knost is now a pro. He took the money and forfeited his exemption to the Masters and US Open.
Is he nuts? I answered that question in my August 29th post (The End Of The Golf Amateur).
Another question to ask is why he has to forfeit his eligibility? After all, Colt EARNED his way into both events. Does anyone at the Masters or USGA now care that Colt is a pro? He is still the 2007 US Amateur champ. Tiger Woods is still the 1994-1996 US Amateur champ.
This leads to another question, which is if Colt has set a precedent for future US Amateur champs. Will any future champ accept these exemptions with the amateur condition stamped on it? Obviously the Masters and US Open are not going to lose a lot of fans if Knost is not in the field. However, doesn't this point to something being wrong with the system?
I wish Colt Knost good fortune in his future. Hopefully he will become good enough to be a regular participant in both events.

Regards,
Steve