Anonymous pro claims there's a known cheater on tour.

[mcanadiens]

You'll have cheaters in every field of human endeavor and you'll have a range of them. In each and every situation, people observing the cheating have to weigh the pros and cons of outing the cheater. The cons are usually sufficient to make for a level of toleration with small-scale cheating like being loose ("sloppy") with marking your ball. 

Expecting someone to step forward on these kind of things is a big ask.

 

[DeadMan]

8 hours ago, Shorty said:

So what do you think the reaction would have been to an LPGA player who called Lexi Thomson a cheat before her "controversial" penalty a while back? All of the sycophants and enablers would have been outraged at the slur. Because she's young, attractive, a good player with the ability to break the Asian stranglehold on the LPGA Tour and an American.

Even the fact the Lexi T. is clearly a cheat is not enough for the majority of fans and commentators, it would seem.

That is why the player in question on the PGA Tour has not been identified.

I take your point, but the allegations in this article go way beyond what Lexi did. Lexi's cheating is hard to see if you don't know what to look for and/or catch it on camera.

I would also say it depends on who the player is. If it's Patrick Reed or Vijay Singh, nobody is surprised. If it's a golden boy like Justin Thomas or something, it would be a huge deal.

[Valleygolfer]

8 hours ago, Shorty said:

 All of the sycophants and enablers would have been outraged at the slur. Because she's young, attractive, a good player with the ability to break the Asian stranglehold on the LPGA Tour and an American.

Even the fact the Lexi T. is clearly a cheat is not enough for the majority of fans and commentators, it would seem.

This

40 minutes ago, Quadhole said:

I think he is trying to report him with this article. Honestly, unless you catch him red handed, and have it documented several times on films, he will never do it again and your name will be MUD for reporting (what may or may not have happened). We hear many times of the guy or girls that told, then they end up the victim because the accused never gets punished (lack of evidence).  

Imagine Golfer A turns him in, they then ask each other golfer if they know of this. All will say, no, because they dont want linked to it. Defamation law suit comes out and because you were the good guy, you go to court... Today's world...

The article will stop the guy too, or should once he hears about it, remembers the confrontation...

No one wants to be involved.

29 minutes ago, mcanadiens said:

You'll have cheaters in every field of human endeavor and you'll have a range of them. In each and every situation, people observing the cheating have to weigh the pros and cons of outing the cheater. The cons are usually sufficient to make for a level of toleration with small-scale cheating like being loose ("sloppy") with marking your ball. 

Expecting someone to step forward on these kind of things is a big ask.

People rarely get support when someone gets called out, more likely attacked. No one wants anything to do with the after effects and even if there saw it first hand. HDTV is well on it's way to catch some of these offenders. Obviously some cheaters are so low on the totem pole that they don't even get filmed or matter to others.

I remember speaking my mind in the military where something was completely stupid and unfair. I was chastised hard by my dorm chief who was pissed that I questioned is authority. Later that evening I had multiple guys who agreed with my sentiment however didn't say boo when this was going on. Definitely was clear that you are often on your own during these situations.

[nevets88]

Just to clarify if anyone is confused, this is Undercover Tour Pro, not Secret Tour Pro, STP was the one who has been proven wrong again and again. I'm not familiar with the track record of UTP.

[Vinsk]

Well even Phil said in a press conference "there are some guys who are pretty loose with marking their balls." That tells you right there there's some questionable stuff going on and people know about it. 

[Groucho Valentine]

Im not sure how a player really cheats all of the time at that level of competition...but whatever. 

[Vinsk]

3 minutes ago, Groucho Valentine said:

Im not sure how a player really cheats all of the time at that level of competition...but whatever. 

If  you're a player who doesn't have large galleries, seldom on camera it's less risk I imagine. And really....often times I'm sure the playing partner is busy with his own ball marking, reading his putt, talking with his caddy etc...I can see how it wouldn't be hard to fudge your mark. With regards to the accused 'not replacing his ball back in the divot' from the rain delay, I'm surprised the playing partner wasn't watching more closely how he replaced his marked ball in the fairway if he's a 'known cheater."

[DeadMan]

17 minutes ago, Groucho Valentine said:

Im not sure how a player really cheats all of the time at that level of competition...but whatever. 

It's probably pretty minor stuff that is hard to notice unless you're looking for it.

[Groucho Valentine]

11 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

If  you're a player who doesn't have large galleries, seldom on camera it's less risk I imagine. And really....often times I'm sure the playing partner is busy with his own ball marking, reading his putt, talking with his caddy etc...I can see how it wouldn't be hard to fudge your mark. With regards to the accused 'not replacing his ball back in the divot' from the rain delay, I'm surprised the playing partner wasn't watching more closely how he replaced his marked ball in the fairway if he's a 'known cheater."

I suppose guys lower on the money list can get away with some things. But ticky tak stuff like doing funny things with your ball mark or taking more liberal relief than what you should doesn't constitute "cheating" IMO. Its just stupid. Cheating to me is like foot wedges or shooting 74 and signing for 69 or something.  

[Valleygolfer]

35 minutes ago, Groucho Valentine said:

Im not sure how a player really cheats all of the time at that level of competition...but whatever. 

I don't really look for cheaters and cheaters count on people to not pay attention. Just like most people are not pathological liars, but liars get away with so much because most people are relatively honest. They assume the same of others and don't often question them. Unless the lie becomes a very big deal.

[NCGolfer]

I hate anonymous sources...own up.

[boogielicious]

11 minutes ago, NCGolfer said:

I hate anonymous sources...own up.

Here he is!

[bkuehn1952]

3 hours ago, zipazoid said:

...That's the whole idea of being the marker - to protect the field...

The "marker" is merely there to record the other player's scores.  When I serve as another player's marker, I don't watch their play any more closely than anyone else in my group. They tell me the number, I write it down.  Now, as a competitor, I will speak up if I think someone may have miscounted ("Bob, walk me through that last hole so we make sure we got it right"), whether I am marking for them or just in the group. 

Marker

A "marker" is one who is appointed by the Committee to record a competitor's score in stroke play. He may be a fellow-competitor. He is not a referee.

[Apoc81]

It they have evidence, and they don't come forward, they are just as complicit as him. 

[Golffan89]

It's Vijay. This wouldn't be a story if it wasn't a well established pro. Vijay is definitely a loner, wears loose shirts, anchored his putter (perhaps still does), and is currently in a lawsuit with the tour for deer antler spray performance enhancements.

[zipazoid]

20 minutes ago, bkuehn1952 said:

The "marker" is merely there to record the other player's scores.  When I serve as another player's marker, I don't watch their play any more closely than anyone else in my group. They tell me the number, I write it down.  Now, as a competitor, I will speak up if I think someone may have miscounted ("Bob, walk me through that last hole so we make sure we got it right"), whether I am marking for them or just in the group. 

Marker

A "marker" is one who is appointed by the Committee to record a competitor's score in stroke play. He may be a fellow-competitor. He is not a referee.

Then I misstated by saying "Marker." I meant the fellow competitor who is supposed to protect the field. If that person knows the player cheated but didn't call the cheater on it THEN signed his card, that's being an accessory to it, at the least.

[iacas]

24 minutes ago, bkuehn1952 said:

The "marker" is merely there to record the other player's scores.  When I serve as another player's marker, I don't watch their play any more closely than anyone else in my group. They tell me the number, I write it down.  Now, as a competitor, I will speak up if I think someone may have miscounted ("Bob, walk me through that last hole so we make sure we got it right"), whether I am marking for them or just in the group.

Markers are still responsible for protecting the field. They're almost always a fellow competitor too.

17 minutes ago, Golffan89 said:

It's Vijay. This wouldn't be a story if it wasn't a well established pro. Vijay is definitely a loner, wears loose shirts, anchored his putter (perhaps still does), and is currently in a lawsuit with the tour for deer antler spray performance enhancements.

Vijay is one of the more popular guys.

Edited June 9, 2017 by iacas

[zipazoid]

27 minutes ago, Golffan89 said:

It's Vijay. This wouldn't be a story if it wasn't a well established pro. Vijay is definitely a loner, wears loose shirts, anchored his putter (perhaps still does), and is currently in a lawsuit with the tour for deer antler spray performance enhancements.

Given he's already been accused of cheating in his career, that's a safe assumption.