I saw someone cheating !

Today was a medal and also a qualifler for a knock out cup.

We had our usual three ball plus this guy who I play with during the week in practise rounds. His four ball wasn't playing so he asked if he could play with us.

During my other games with this guy during the week, I've noticed on many occasions that he cheats. However I didn't think he would during a competition round. I was wrong !

On the first he slices his drive badly onto the next fairway. While I was stood on the fairway waiting to hit my second shot I clearly saw him reach into his bag and get another ball. He chucked this ball onto the ground, did a few practise swings and hit it. I saw it clear as day, One of my playing partners confirmed to me he had seen it as well. So this guy holes a good putt and gets his par on the first. I three putt for a bogey. He says, "that was an adventurous par !".

From then on I don't see any clear cheating but after loads of bad drives, he always managed to find his ball and have a swing etc.

We both finished with gross 80's but he's a 10 handicapper and I'm a 5. So he's qualified and I haven't !

The question to anybody who as read this is : What shall I do about it ?

Many Thanks !

Its not what you do about it now, it is what you should have done about it then. Your're time has passed to do or say anything about it. Excpet maybe right to him, but that is up to you.

What you needed to do was ask him what that practice shot was on the first hole. "I saw you hit a shot, then another...which was your real ball? Regardless, you realize that is an infeaction of 2 strokes....bla.bla.bla"

Thanks.

Maybe I should have said something but it was on the first hole so you can imagine what the atmosphere would have been like for the rest of the round. Hopefully he won't ask to play again on Sundays (Comp days). I've played with him for 9 years and when he cheats during practise rounds it doesn't bother me so much.

Another point is that he didn't even bother to look for his first drive. I saw him. He obviously couldn't find his ball easily so he just dropped another one really quickly.

First off don't play with him again. You dont have to stop being friends (if you are indeed friends) but just dont play golf with him, if he asks you why tell him straight.

Would this have bothered you if you had qualified as well??? Think on that too, sour grapes affect your game as well try not to let it get to you.

At the end of the day the guy has to sleep at night and if he can then he is a rather hollow character anyway and he should be pitied for that.

I think just about everyone who comes on this forum has seen this for themselves and would agree its a bane of the game. Unfortunately most of us are too polite or too amazed/disgusted/shy to take the offenders to task.

At the end of the day play your own game by the book and you have done your bit.

D.

__________________
Longniddry Golf Club Champ 2005.

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Odyssey DFX 2-Ball

Callaway Tour iX

This sort of thing is really poor.......

You should speak to him anyway and make it clear that you will report him to the commitee unless................

Give him the opportunity to withdraw his card from the competition, tell him you have had time to think about it and it's wrong.

Not only this competition, how many other players are going to be robbed of a win or qualification over the comming season.

It's your duty having witnessed this first hand to give him the opportunity to correct his ways or report him.....


This happened to me in a matchplay a few years ago, I saw him drop a ball by the water saying it was his, I won the hole but lost the match....it wasn't untill after I realized that he could have cheated on a few more holes that gave him his victory.........I still regreat not doing anything to this day.


Why do they do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Ian.

__________________
Once you learn the swing, your next step is mastering golf psychology................

I saw him today and he was full of himself. He qualified easily while I missed out by one shot. I played a practise round with him today even though I didn't really want to. We've been playing during the week for years so it's always hard to desolve four balls. It would mean changing the day I play which could prove difficult. I told the others (of our 4 ball ) and they were disgusted but not surprized since he cheats on every round he plays.

I was more annoyed today during the round than ever before. He drives the ball into trees on nearly every hole yet always as a shot to the green. And he gets cheap digs in about beating my score as well.

I'm definately not going to play in a competition with him again. If he rings up I'll think of an excuse or something.

Or play with him, and call him for ALL his infractions. Then, at the end of the round, refuse to sign his scorecard.

Nice one LowPost, that's the way to go about it, careful not to lose track of your own game whilst keeping an eye on him.

If nothing else it will stop him wanting to play with you again, Puttking.

D.

You really don't have to track your own game, as if you don't sign his scorecard, he probably won't sign yours.

After re-reading my post, it sort of came across as harsh to not sign his scorecard if he scores properly. PLEASE sign his scorecard if he scores properly. But it probably won't be an issue if you have to say 'that's a stroke' on every hole.

Find his parents. Slap them. Next time you play, on the first tee offer a friendly Nassau and say "by the rules today"? If he has any shame at all he'll reply in the affirmative and watch his apples from then on. If he comes back all incredulous, hand the dope a rule book.