The world of golf was abuzz with controversy after Bernhard Langer’s recent win at the PNC Championship. While some hailed his victory as a testament to his skill and experience, others cried foul, accusing him of bending the rules to get ahead. But what really happened, and was Langer truly in the wrong?

In the latest podcast by Drop Zone by Golf Podcast, the hosts dive into the controversy surrounding Langer’s win. “It’s not in the spirit of this event,” one critic is quoted. The incident in question occurred when Langer, playing alongside his son Jason, used a small mound of sand to tee up his ball, effectively giving him a better lie. While some saw this as a clever move, others felt it was unfair and went against the spirit of the game. “The reason it’s a controversy is because, you know, if you just look at things in screenshots, it will appear as though he actually, like pushed sand together to yeah, to make a mound of dirt, which was not the case”, said the critic.

Notably, Langer’s tactics were also compared to those of his competitor Tiger Woods, with some suggesting that Woods would not have made a similar move. “I don’t think Tiger would have done that.” As it turns out, Langer did nothing wrong according to the rules. In a scramble format, players are allowed to place their balls within a club length of the original spot, and Langer’s move was well within the bounds of the rules.

Despite this, the controversy has sparked a larger debate about the nature of golf and the importance of sportsmanship. Was Langer’s move clever gamesmanship, or did it cross a line? The answer, it seems, depends on who you ask.

What did Bernhard Langer say about the controversy?

So, it turns out that Bernhard Langer’s move during the PNC Championship was actually totally legit. The PGA Tour Champions chief rules official, Joe Terry, gave it the thumbs up, saying Langer was “in complete compliance with the rules for a scramble”. But what did Langer himself have to say about the whole thing? Well, after the round, he was chatting about the crucial eagle putt that won him the tournament.

He was full of praise for his son Jason’s putt, saying “I thought he made it… When his ball was six feet from the hole, it was supposed to break a little left and it didn’t. It just stayed there. I was almost in shock that he didn’t make it because he hit such a pure putt.” He even credited Jason’s putt with helping him gauge the break, which allowed him to sink the winning putt. And in a pretty classy move, Langer acknowledged that sometimes you just get lucky in golf, saying “When you catch a break, you’d be wise to take it”. What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.