Anonymous Pro Claims There’s a Popular Cheater on the PGA TOUR

One of the most compelling stories of the golf year has been the saga around golf rules and how they are enforced on the PGA TOUR. And now, the rules problem is taking on a whole new light.

The whole controversy about the rules of golf began months ago when Lexi Thompson was called out by a fan who caught her in a rules violation after watching on TV. This resulted in many players voicing their displeasure with the viewer call-in rules and the PGA has even made some minor tweaks to that rule. There have also been instances lately where Phil Mickelson said ball marking was loosely enforced and Branden Grace controversially dug his spikes into a bunker for a free drop.

The latest development comes from an interview done by Golf Digest with an unknown PGA golfer discussing the perceived cheating that he sees on the course. In particular, the anonymous golfer states that there is one particular player on the PGA TOUR that all players know as a cheater. Further, the golfer states that he has played rounds with the cheater before, even refusing to sign his card after their round.

A muddy ball sits on a muddy crosswalk on a fairway during the…

A muddy ball sits on a muddy crosswalk on a fairway during the resumption of the weather delayed third round of The BMW SA Open at Glendower Golf Club on January 10, 2016 in Johannesburg, South… Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

The unknown golfer states that this other player cheats mostly by mis-marking his ball by more than two inches. The anonymous golfer stated that the cheater likes “Using his hand to obscure the distance behind the ball, he picks up his coin so fast that you almost can’t be certain of what you’ve just seen.” This is not the only thing the other players does, as he is also accused of anchoring his putter to his body, another no-no on the PGA TOUR.

As for who this specific cheater is, the player who was interviewed said that he would not reveal a name but that if you asked any player on the PGA TOUR who cheats, they would all say the same name. Other characteristics were given of this cheater by his accuser, specifically that he uses a long putter and wears loose shirts on the course to help him anchor his putter while going unnoticed.

While an anonymous golfer’s accusation of a cheater should be taken with a grain of salt, many will likely be paying even closer attention to the U.S. Open later this week to see if anyone fitting this description looks to be mis-marking his ball.