‘It was me!’ Cheating golfer hit with five-year ban after admitting his guilt
A Scottish amateur golfer has been banned from competition for five years after admitting he dropped a ball and falsely claimed it was a legitimate provisional shot during a Lothians Golf Association (LGA) championship qualifier. Craig Surgeon, who has represented the Lothian region, was caught by fellow competitors during the incident at Kingsknowe Golf Club's Turnhouse course in Edinburgh in July, and subsequently confessed and disqualified himself. The LGA, which called it the first case of its kind in its history, said the punishment was necessary to protect the integrity of the sport, which at amateur level relies heavily on players' honesty and self-reporting.
Surgeon dropped the ball at the 18th hole, claiming it was a provisional shot, in order to avoid a difficult tee shot and gain an advantage over his two opponents. Following a two-month investigation, the LGA imposed a five-year ban from all its events, though three years of that are suspended, meaning he faces an effective two-year exclusion unless he breaches the rules again before 2031. Surgeon publicly acknowledged his guilt on social media, apologising and accepting the consequences of his actions.
- Golfer Craig Surgeon banned for cheating in Lothians Golf Association qualifier
- He faked a shot to gain advantage, was caught, then confessed
- Five-year ban imposed, with three years suspended
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Scottish amateur golfer Craig Surgeon has been banned from all Lothians Golf Association (LGA) competitions for five years, with three years suspended, after admitting he cheated during a championship qualifier. The LGA is the governing body for amateur golf in the Lothian region around Edinburgh, and Surgeon had previously represented the area in competition.
The incident happened in July at Kingsknowe Golf Club's Turnhouse course, when Surgeon dropped a ball on the 18th hole and wrongly claimed it was a permitted "provisional" shot, a rule allowing a player to hit a backup ball if their original is lost or out of bounds. Opponents playing with him noticed the discrepancy, and Surgeon later admitted what he had done and disqualified himself from the event.
Golf at amateur level is largely self-policed, with players expected to record their own scores honestly and call out any breaches, including their own. The LGA says this is the first case of deliberate cheating it has dealt with, which is why the case has drawn attention, and why it says a firm penalty was needed to protect trust in the sport.