Go ahead, you can admit it to me. I won’t tell, I promise.
You’ve used the foot wedge, haven’t you? You’ve taken too many mulligans. Heck, I bet you’ve hit a few into the woods, teed it back up and didn’t take the stroke.
You are a cheater.
And what of it, I say? Yes, you’ve cheated. I’ve cheated. I use the foot wedge, and far too liberal winter rules, and take too many mulligans, and countless other rules infractions. Heck, I’m willing to bet that I cheat every single round.
I hurt myself and my golf game; I’ve probably deflated my handicap by a couple of strokes (and considering my handicap, that’s pretty sad) and as a result I don’t have a true gauge of my skill. I might’ve even gloated to my father-in-law over a win that I didn’t deserve because he gave me a few strokes too many.
But, I don’t play in tournaments. I don’t bet on golf. I try to enjoy the game and, if a foot wedge or two helps me enjoy the game, what of it?
The thing is, I’m not a pro. When you hit that level of skill and competition, even the stigma of cheating is a serious matter. Take this quote from an SI article while Vijay won the Masters back in 2000:
Acceptance has been an issue for Singh ever since a nebulous 1985 incident in Jakarta in which he was accused of altering his scorecard in order to make the cut at a tournament, an allegation he denies. At the mention of Singh’s name last week one American Ryder Cupper sniffed, “Once a cheater, always a cheater. Golf has a long memory.”
And, Ernie Els follows up that article with some rather indignant rhetoric in defense of Vijay in Sports Illustrated a couple of weeks later:
“Why would someone say that about Vijay as he triumphed in the Masters? Why would SI’s article on the first major of the 21st century not confine itself to Vijay’s magnificent victory? Why instead did the writer dredge up an unsubstantiated allegation about an event that may or may not have occurred 15 years ago?”
Why, Ernie? Because in the Pros, you’re not supposed to cheat. Dig up Shoeless Joe Jackson and the rest of the Black Sox and ask them how likely it is they’ll ever make Cooperstown.
Nearly twenty years ago a 22-year old Vijay Singh was fined by the Southeast Asia Golf Association for modifying his scorecard in a tournament by one stroke so he could make a cut. As this Sports Illustrated article points out, the growing tendency in the media is to forgive and forget this incident. “He’s a great golfer,” the thinking goes. “Cut him some slack for a youthful indiscretion and let the man’s brilliance be the standard-bearer for his career.”
“Once a cheater, always a cheater.”
Obviously, one ‘Ryder Cupper’ isn’t alone in his failure to accept Vijay for the great golfer he’s become. Go read this post on blogger, and you’ll see that even today, Vijay’s past comes back to haunt him.
“Golf has a long memory.”
Is that fair? Let’s be honest here; cheater or not, Vijay has had one of the best years in the modern era of golf. If he wins this weekend at the Tour Championship, it’ll be his tenth win of the year – double-digit wins and the most wins in a single year since Sam Snead won eleven in 1950.
Impressive? No, dominant. Historic, even.
So what do we talk about? Tiger. Honeymoon-itis.
Cheating.
Is it fair to Vijay that we’re bringing back up something that happened when he was 22, struggling to make it as a professional golfer, when he’s fighting to make every cut so he can make it just one more week on the tour? Worst yet, can we say we’d really do any different?
“Once a cheater, always a cheater.”
Yup, I’m a cheater. Even when I promise to play it straight, I cheat. It’s not fair to my playing partners, and it’s not fair to me. More importantly, it’s not fair to the game.
If I never cheated during a round of golf, I’d feel comfortable blasting Vijay for cheating on the Southeast Asia Tour. But I cheat, and I can cut the man a little slack.
Especially when he’s gunning for history.
I’m with you on this one. The media and the self-righteous both should let it go. Let’s say he did cheat. Its over and he’s been playing like a saint for a long time. He’s a great golfer and I respect his present integrity, work ethic, family man persona, and ability on the course. Let it go cause he’s writing history.
Yeah, that one possible indiscretion 19 years ago did not make Vijay what he is today. You can’t discredit his skill just because of that.
My very close friend and business partner was in Jakarta and witnessed Singh cheat first hand. Everyone at the time knew it and his entourage went all out to sweep it under the rug.
who cares? VJ is a great golfer. he had a great season and everyone should let go!
i think it was entirly uneeded as vijay is a good golfer ❗ and i have witnessed cheating first handed in a competition as the player kept moving his ball forward 1 inch and it was nothing like that 😐
every amatuer golfer in the world has signed a scorecard incorrect at some stage in there life and knowingly,weather from touching the ball unintentionally in the rough or hazard to playing the wrong ball.it is a fact that 95 per cent of all amatuer golfers dont even know the extent of the rules of golf so most of them dont even realise they are cheating when they are,everybody has made mistakes including vijay,lets get over it and enjoy the all the great players in action.
Yep, once a cheater always a cheater. He’ll do it again 👿 I promise.
Montgomerie cheated in 2005. Montgomerie, Garcia, Daly, Sabbatini, Woods, Woods’ caddy etc… are all much bigger pricks than Vijay. Yet most of the time they get away with it.
Vijay just let Glover halve the match without putting from 7 feet. Now that is classy of him and proves once again how much his fellow pros like him.
Yes it’s true most amateurs may have cheated one time in their life, but being a pro is different and should never be done. That will haunt him forever.
Most of Vijay’s critics would be more forgiving if he came clean about it. He was caught cheating and has lied about it ever since.
He was banned for life from the Asian Tour. That doesn’t happen for “unsubstantiated allegations.” He was very lucky to have even been allowed in the PGA.
Signing an incorrect scorecard is not an uncommon occurrence. Sergio did it at the 07 PGA. Many other Pros have done it and we dont call them cheaters. It seems that political connections and clout 25 years ago in Asia allowed some people to bann vijay from that tour. If this happened in the US or UK it would be no big deal. People just want to dislike Vijay for no apparent reason, yet they love Arnold Palmer who had a blatant violation of the rules at the 1958 Masters. People give him a pass at the world’s biggest tournament yet hold something against vijay in some nothing tournament in Asia. I wish someone would explain this to me.
VIJAY HAS SAID IT WAS SOMEKIND OF MISUNDERSTANDING WHEN THE WRONG SCORE WAS ENTERED.IF IT WAS CHEATING MOST OF US ARE GUILTY OF CHEATING HOWEVER MINOR IT MAY BE IN OUR PAST.FORGET AND MOVE ON
Ok Hari (Harry Vardon)…we’ll move on.
You miss the point. Vijay has never respected the game. He practices more than anyone because he want s money. He cheated because he wanted to win the money. He is known on the tour as “Cheap-Jay.”
At least he cheated on the golf course instead of the bedroom….as far as we know.
For those who keep on about cheating by Vijay, why not add a few others to the list or is it because they are Americans? I don’t care what you say, he is still my favorite. He is a good man, husband and golfer. I am surprised that he is the only one who is just in it “for the money.” Keep it up Vijay!!!
To have a life time ban from the Asian tour surely confirms any doubt. The PGA should have followed suit. Regardless of age or situation a Pro
Should not earn anymore as a cheat. If the figures in our day to day jobs were fiddled, we’d be fired.
Don’t comment on any of the Pro’s personal life’s please. Tiger woods could of had 100 affairs. It’s nothing to do with us. It’s what’s produced with the golf ball that we should concentrate on.
Don’t forget this cheat has a lifetime ban from the Asian tour.
Only the yanks could induct him into the hall of fame.