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.