PGA Tour pro admits ‘unintentional cheating’ before firing career-low round of 60

Sam Ryder has revealed how a simple rules oversight forced him to withdraw from a Monday qualifier — despite being firmly in contention.

Speaking on the Any Given Monday podcast with Ryan French, the PGA Tour pro admitted he “unintentionally cheated” after misapplying the Tour’s updated lift, clean and place rule during qualifying for last week’s Valspar Championship.

The rule change, introduced earlier this season, reduced preferred lies relief from a full club length to the much shorter distance of a scorecard. Ryder, however, had yet to compete under the revised interpretation — and it proved costly.

After nine holes, the 36-year-old American was three-under par and well on pace to challenge for one of the limited qualifying spots. But midway through his round, he realised he had been placing his ball incorrectly.

“I hadn’t been doing scorecard length,” Ryder explained. 

“It didn’t really give me an advantage, but there were definitely a couple of situations where I hadn’t applied it properly. So I withdrew.”

In a format where even the smallest infractions can carry significant consequences, the World No.230 chose to remove himself from the competition rather than risk a rules breach—despite being in a strong position.

While the mistake ended his qualifier early, it didn’t derail his week entirely. 

Ryder still made it into the Valspar Championship field as an alternate after Akshay Bhatia withdrew.

He went on to make the cut, finishing in a tie for 64th.

Listen to what Ryder had to say about his eventful week: 

Ryder's response since has been emphatic.

At this Monday's qualifier for the Texas Children’s Houston Open, Ryder bounced back in style, firing a stunning 12-under 60 — the lowest round of the day — to earn medalist honours and play his way into the tournament at Memorial Park. 

Jackson Suber also secured his place in the field with a nine-under 63.

Remarkably, Ryder achieved the feat without a caddie, opting instead to use a push cart throughout the round.

It has been a mixed 2026 season so far for Ryder, who has struggled for consistency with two missed cuts in five starts. 

His best finish remains a tie for 27th at The American Express and it leaves him outside the top 140 in the FedEx Cup standings.

Still searching for a maiden PGA Tour title, Ryder — whose lone professional win came on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2017 — will hope his recent surge can provide the spark his season has been missing.