10 Times Golf Players Caught Cheating During Game!

10 Times Golf Players Caught Cheating During Game!

down and I’m not 100% sure, but I just said to him, “Look, can you just check that on the camera?” And he put it into super super slow-mo. And you could see as I took the club away, it just brushed it and it just moved up and down her ball over an inch on the green. Video showed that when Troy was getting ready to tap in a putt on the 10th green, her ball was resting on the side of the mark. After picking up her ball, she then replaced it on the left side of the marker, moving it over an inch. There are moments in golf that test the rules, and then there are moments that break them. These aren’t just questionable moves. These are decisions, actions, and slip-ups that stirred up controversy, cosplayers, tournaments, and in some cases, forever stained reputations. These are the 10 most shocking cheating moments in golf history. At number 10, we have the sand sweep scandal. show off his rejuvenated game. This is uh boy Reed and that footprint. Looks like the footprint has kind of simulated a Patrick Reed’s ball landed in a waste area on the 11th hole, but it was what happened next that triggered outrage. Reed took two practice swings and visibly displaced sand, effectively improving his life. Swing and not much of a follow through. Oh my word. What a shot. The entire act was caught on camera. Despite claiming there was no intent, Reed received a two-stroke penalty. The golfing world, however, judged him much more harshly. This was his practice swing, and you can see when he took the club back, he definitely took some sand back behind it. Now, you can gra you can ground the club there. He not only did it once, he did it twice. You cannot. He later insisted it was a misunderstanding, but the footage told a different story, and a nickname followed, Sandgate. At number nine, we have the ball in motion blunder at this for bogey a moment ago at 13. His speed has been terrible. Whoa. Whoa. Wow. I at Shinikok Hills. Mickelson was struggling on the 13th green. His bogey putt rolled well past the hole and was about to trickle down a steep slope. But instead of watching it drift away, he sprinted after it. Whoa. Whoa. Then came the shock. He swatted the ball while it was still moving. It wasn’t a reaction of frustration. It was intentional. A calculated decision to stop the bleeding. That That’s stunning. David Fay. uh here in the booth after the round. He owned the move. He knew the rule. He knew the penalty, but he didn’t want to replay a nearly identical shot. Critics called it gamesmanship. Others said it crossed the line of integrity. To this day, that moment remains one of the most bizarre, debated, and unforgettable acts in major championship history. At number eight, we have the drop zone controversy. [Music] Oh boy. On Augusta’s iconic 15th hole, Tiger’s approach shot was laser focused until disaster struck. The ball clipped the flag stick, ricocheted off the pin, and heartbreakingly spun back into the water. Left with no choice, Woods opted to drop, but not quite at the original spot. You can keep the ball. Oh, I’m sorry. It’s a red. There’s options. It’s a red. Yeah. TV footage revealed he had dropped the ball two yards farther back to gain a better number. A keen eyed viewer watching at home noticed, called in the violation, and sparked an official review. The result, a two-stroke penalty that stunned the gallery. [Applause] He had already signed his scorecard. technically incorrect. Under older rules, that meant immediate disqualification, but thanks to a recent amendment, Wood stayed in the tournament. Some called it lucky, others called it controversial. At number seven, we have the marking mishap. That’s just ridiculous. Here’s what the eagle eye viewer saw. Lexi. During the final round, Lexi Thompson was in command until controversy struck. She was assessed a four-stroke penalty, two for replacing her marked ball slightly off its original spot on the green, and two more for unknowingly signing an incorrect scorecard, marking the position of the ball, then picking it up. But when she puts it back, it’s not in precisely the same place. Look, it’s about an inch closer to the hole. The violation wasn’t flagged by officials or players. It was reported by a television viewer watching the broadcast replay. When Lexi was told mid round, her stunned expression said everything. Heartbreak, disbelief, and frustration. Percy, fighting until the 18th hole is winning her lots of fans. She went on to lose in a playoff, turning what should have been a career highlight into one of golf’s most controversial rulings. The moment lit up debate about whether viewers should influence outcomes from their couches. At number six, we have the withdrawal admission. left without a leg to stand on at the LPGA’s Canadian Pacific Women’s Open when she was caught red the 10th hole. Chella Choy marked her ball on the green and replaced it, but not quite in the exact spot. To most, it looked like a harmless routine. But a sharpeyed TV viewer spotted a subtle shift and reported it moving her ball over an inch on the green. Video showed that when Troy was getting ready to tap in a putt on the 10th green, her ball was resting on the side of the mark. After picking up her ball, she then replaced it on the left side of the marker, moving it over an inch. Officials reviewed the footage and confirmed the violation. A penalty was warranted, but instead of accepting the ruling and continuing her round, Choy made a surprising move. She withdrew from the tournament altogether. Critics called it an implicit admission of guilt. Fans viewed it as poor sportsmanship. What might have been a minor controversy suddenly became a career stain that wouldn’t fade easily. At number five, we have the buried bunker mistake. Second shot up there was in one of those bunkers that was outside the rope area. Now, this is something that got a little whistling straits final hole. Johnson was leading, standing on the verge of his first major title. His T-shot landed in what looked like a sandy, well-worn area, surrounded by spectators. With that substance beneath his ball and holding a one-shot lead at the 72nd pole, Dustin Johnson, believing it was a waste area, he grounded his club. But the area was technically a bunker, one of nearly 1,000 scattered across the course. Many unmarked and walked through by fans. Officials ruled it a violation. Two penalty strokes were added. Now the ruling has just come in. Two shot penalty. Wow. The penalty knocked him out of a playoff. The major slipped away. A cruel twist of the rule book. And a brutal reminder that in golf, ignorance isn’t an excuse. At number four, we have the honest read. touch any of the debris in there. He knows that. I looked at the ball and I was like, “Okay, we got it.” In a sudden death playoff against Jim Furick, Brian Davis stood in a hazard near the green, needing a clean chip to stay alive. As he took his back swing, his club ever so slightly brushed a loose read now. He may have had a violation back here. Watch out. You’re kidding. He’s calling it on himself. No one saw it. Not the officials, not the cameras, not even his opponent. But Davis felt it and without hesitation, he called the infraction on himself and down. And I’m not 100% sure, but I just said to him, “Look, can you just check that on the camera?” And he put it into super super slow-mo. And you could see as I took the club away, just brushed it and it just moved up and down. He accepted the two-stroke penalty, effectively conceding the playoff. Though he lost the tournament, his act of honesty earned him something far greater, the respect of the entire golf world. At number three, we have the delayed penalty dilemma. Club in a fairway bunker on the second playoff hole, the par417th at Cordov. In a pressure-packed playoff, Anna Nordfist unknowingly grounded her club in a fairway bunker. The infraction was subtle, barely noticeable to the naked eye, but it was real and the clock was ticking. Lang knew about it. They kept it a secret as it would give her an advantage. This late ruling, her opponent, Brittany Lang, had already been informed. Officials had the information but didn’t act immediately. Nordicfist played her next shot, unaware her fate had already been sealed to the match. With Lang ultimately winning her first major title, it’s clear that if Nordqufist had been informed earlier, she would Lang went on to win her first major. Nordfist was left reeling, blindsided by a delayed ruling that changed everything. In golf, timing doesn’t just matter, it can be everything. At number two, we have the club count crisis. [Applause] Nam was tied for the lead, playing brilliant golf and riding a wave of momentum. Everything seemed to be clicking. But then on the tea box, just moments after a confident warm-up, his caddy made a discovery that would derail everything. There were 15 clubs in the bag, one more than the rules allow. The rules were clear. Only 14 allowed. Two penalty strokes were added, immediately wiping out his lead. Just like that, his hopes for a major vanished. One club too many. One careless oversight. One devastating blow to a near-perfect round. God, I give you a job to do. He didn’t fire the caddy, but the damage was done. The lost strokes haunted the rest of his game, and to this day, that moment lingers as one of golf’s most painful and preventable technicalities. And at number one, we return to the embedded lie. What a skill. Well, lift Reed’s second shot landed in the rough and clearly bounced, something everyone at home could see on the broadcast, but Reed claimed the ball had embedded directly into the turf. So, let me bring Ken away. Tell me what Patrick’s able to do with this situation. Before officials could arrive, he marked and lifted the ball. By the time a rules official got there, the evidence was already moved. And based on Reed’s word alone, they sided with him. No penalty was issued. Like, well, I since I picked it up to check. I mean, it seems like it broke ground, but I want you to double check. They said it didn’t didn’t bounce. Well, not sticking. The video replayed told a different story, sparking immediate outrage online and among fellow pros. The wind stayed on the record books, but the suspicion stuck even harder, and the whispers haven’t stopped since. The video sparked outrage. The wind stayed, but the whispers haven’t stopped. These weren’t just penalties. They were moments that shaped legacies, stirred debate, and reminded the world that in golf, your choices echo louder than your swing. Because when the rule book closes, all that’s left is the record and the reputation.

From controversial rulings to blatant rule violations, golf has seen its share of scandals. In this video, we break down the top 10 most shocking cheating moments in golf history. These incidents changed careers, stirred debates, and left a lasting mark on the sport. Watch as we go through each case, the rules broken, and the impact they had on players and tournaments.

0:00 Introduction
0:05 #10 Sand Sweep Scandal – Patrick Reed’s bunker penalty
1:36 #9 Ball-in-Motion Blunder – Phil Mickelson’s moving putt
2:50 #8 Drop Zone Controversy – Tiger Woods at The Masters
3:47 #7 Marking Mishap – Lexi Thompson’s four-stroke penalty
4:50 #6 Withdrawal Admission – Chella Choi’s controversial exit
5:35 #5 Buried Bunker Mistake – Dustin Johnson’s PGA heartbreak
6:45 #4 Honest Reed – Brian Davis calls penalty on himself
7:40 #3 Delayed Penalty Dilemma – Anna Nordqvist’s major loss
8:33 #2 Club Count Crisis – Ian Woosnam’s 15-club mistake
9:31 #1 The Embedded Lie – Patrick Reed’s Farmers Insurance controversy
11:28 Conclusion