Zach Holland, a near-professional golfer, was caught on CCTV placing a ball in the cup at the fourth hole before teeing off in a pairs competition. He later confessed and resigned his membership at WingHaven Country Club in Missouri, US.
How the Scam Unfolded
Holland, who plays at a plus-two handicap, completed the first three holes before telling his group he had to make a phone call because his grandmother was ill. He said he would run ahead to the next tee and hit his shot to keep up with the pace of play.
When the rest of the group arrived at the par-three fourth, Holland coolly said he had hit his shot but did not know where the ball ended up. He then disappeared to make his call.
Discovery and Confession
When his partner and opponents found his ball in the cup, they all celebrated what they thought was a hole-in-one. However, Holland's achievement sparked scepticism in the clubhouse as there were no witnesses who saw him make the shot.
Staff at WingHaven Country Club confronted him after finding security footage of him driving a car near the fourth hole before his tee-off time. Holland confessed, admitted he had 'completely made a fool' of himself, and told radio station 101 ESPN he had resigned his membership.
Motivation and Consequences
Asked his motivation for the scam, Holland replied: "I don't really know. I've talked to people and there really is no motivation - just complete stupidity." He added: "There is no excuse for what happened."
He said due to his low handicap, he and his playing partner had to knock two shots off whatever they scored under tournament rules to even out the competition. "We were giving two shots back to the field and I went about it just completely and utterly the wrong way," he added.
Holland, a former college golfer, continued: "I made a terrible mistake - the lack of moral character. I can take the banter and the chatter because I deserve that from a golf perspective. But what I am most worried about is my family - breaking trust with a marriage I have had for five years next month. We have two kids that are under three and, you know, it's not fair to them for me to put them in that situation where they walk in a room. There is a stigma there that your dad…"
Asked if he had ever done anything like it before, he replied: "No, not to this extent." When pushed to explain what he meant, he replied: "I'm not a cheater on the golf course. I made a bad decision and I have to suffer the consequences."
Club Response and Related Scandal
Nathan Charnes, general manager at WingHaven and acting president of the Professional Golfers' Association of America, said the club had 'promptly addressed the matter' and they 'care deeply about the integrity of the game and the experience we provide for our members and guests'.
This comes just a fortnight after cricket was hit by a scandal when Brian Devine, 38, was accused of getting opponents caught out by clicking his fingers to fake the sound of the ball brushing the bat. He has been suspended, and his team Saltburn Cricket Club 2nd XI is under investigation over claims it used the trick to cheat its way to the top of the league.
