Forgotten Open Championship controversy that resulted in golf’s harshest penalty
Bildnummer: 11660442 Datum: 12.10.2012 Copyright: imago/Xinhua ANTALYA, Oct. 12, 2012 - Justin Rose of England plays a shot during his match at the final of the Turkish Airlines World Golf Final at Antalya Golf Club in Antalya, Turkey, on Oct. 12, 2012. (Xinhua/Ma Yan) TURKEY-ANTALYA-WORLD GOLF FINAL PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN; Golf Herren x2x xmb 2012 quer o00 Symbol Silhouette Golfer Golfspieler Image number 11660442 date 12 10 2012 Copyright imago Xinhua Antalya OCT 12 2012 Justin Rose of England Plays A Shot during His Match AT The Final of The Turkish Airlines World Golf Final AT Antalya Golf Club in Antalya Turkey ON OCT 12 2012 Xinhua Ma Yan Turkey Antalya World Golf Final PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN Golf men x2x xmb 2012 horizontal o00 symbol Silhouette Golfers Golfer
Bildnummer: 11660442 Datum: 12.10.2012 Copyright: imago/Xinhua ANTALYA, Oct. 12, 2012 - Justin Rose of England plays a shot during his match at the final of the Turkish Airlines World Golf Final at Antalya Golf Club in Antalya, Turkey, on Oct. 12, 2012. (Xinhua/Ma Yan) TURKEY-ANTALYA-WORLD GOLF FINAL PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN; Golf Herren x2x xmb 2012 quer o00 Symbol Silhouette Golfer Golfspieler Image number 11660442 date 12 10 2012 Copyright imago Xinhua Antalya OCT 12 2012 Justin Rose of England Plays A Shot during His Match AT The Final of The Turkish Airlines World Golf Final AT Antalya Golf Club in Antalya Turkey ON OCT 12 2012 Xinhua Ma Yan Turkey Antalya World Golf Final PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN Golf men x2x xmb 2012 horizontal o00 symbol Silhouette Golfers Golfer
The Open Championship is back at Royal Birkdale this week, so is the story of a Scottish golfer who received golf's harshest penalty, a 20-year ban after officials accused him of moving his ball during qualifying.
David Robertson was that golfer, but he actually denied the charges for the rest of his life.
Robertson was 28 years old when officials disqualified him during Open Championship qualifying in 1985. According to the Times of India report, published July 18, 2026, Robertson was accused of deliberately moving his ball to improve its position on multiple occasions.
Officials believed he relocated the ball at least five times, with some incidents involving moves of as much as 10 feet. The incident resulted in a 20-year suspension and a fine of $7,000.
RECORD DATE NOT STATED Silhouette of Chinese golfer at sunset Beijing China Copyright: xýxBluexJeanxImagesxLLCx bji01470012
RECORD DATE NOT STATED Silhouette of Chinese golfer at sunset Beijing China Copyright: xýxBluexJeanxImagesxLLCx bji01470012
What made the case extraordinary was the identity of the key witness. Robertson's own caddie, Paul Connolly, walked off the bag after nine holes. Connolly later said, "I walked off because I couldn't stand what I was seeing." Tournament officials disqualified Robertson on the 14th hole of the final qualifying round.
It was his fourth disqualification as a professional. Previous issues involved incorrectly marking his ball on the green and submitting an inaccurate scorecard.
European Tour Executive Director Ken Schofield said at the time that the punishment was designed specifically to protect golf's reputation and remind every player that honesty is at the heart of the game. He noted that while the case was disappointing, the overwhelming majority of golfers continued to compete fairly.
Robertson challenged the ruling but failed. Seven years later, he regained his amateur status. He admitted life after the ban was never easy. "The hardest part is people looking at me," Robertson said during his time on the amateur circuit, per Times of India. "I just want to get on with my golf, but everyone puts this unnecessary pressure on me. Every game I play is like a cup-tie."
He maintained his innocence throughout.
Robertson's ban remains unmatched in professional golf more than 40 years later
No on-course infraction in professional golf history has produced a longer fixed-term ban, per the Times of India. Lifetime bans from specific clubs or tours have existed for legal and financial breaches. But for something that happened during a round of golf, Robertson's 20 years stand alone.
Robertson's fine of £5,219 was just £300 short of his entire career earnings as a professional golfer. The punishment didn't just end his professional career. It wiped out almost everything he had made from it.
Robertson had shown real promise earlier in his career. He was a former British youth champion, winning the title in 1974 by defeating Sandy Stephen by three strokes, becoming the first Scottish winner of the title in 11 years. But he failed to build on that breakthrough over the following decade.
The 1985 Open qualifying was supposed to be a chance to remind people he was still a competitor. His reputation, per GiveMeSport, never truly recovered.
Do you think a 20-year ban was the right punishment in Robertson's case? Tell us in the comments!
Written by
Sneha Abraham
Edited by
Suyashdeep Sason