Fans on social media allegedly accused Bernhard Langer of cheating at the 2024 PNC Championship. The German golfer and his son Jason emerged victorious at the recently concluded competition on Sunday, December 22.
Team Langer and Team Woods tied for the lead in the game after 36 holes and then headed for a playoff, where the former registered the win. Nuclr Golf shared a video of Bernhard Langer taking his shot in the sudden-death playoff, which secured his team’s victory in the game, writing:
“Bernhard Langer and his son Jason defeat the Woods family in a sudden death playoff at the PNC Championship!”
However, fans in the comment section accused Langer of anchoring his putter during the game.
“So, you can’t see he’s anchoring? Seriously? So tired of this BS!” a fan wrote.
“Cheating! Anchored putter,” another fan added.
Several other fans allegedly accused the professional golfer of violating the rules during the match.
“Cheater tee box and cheater putter gets it done,” one more wrote.
What is anchoring in golf that Bernhard Langer is accused of at the 2024 PNC Championship?
The subject of anchoring in golf is dealt with under rule 10.1 of the USGA. According to the said rule, players are prohibited from having contact of their hand on the grip of their putter. They have to make it taking the shot provided that the grip of the putter does not make contact with chest or stomach but only the forearm.
In short, during taking their shot, the putter grip is allowed to touch the region below elbow joint and the wrist but not on the torso. This rule is broken with a two shot penalty in stroke play form or the players lose the hole in match play form.
“In making a stroke, the player must not anchor the club, either: Directly, by holding the club or a gripping hand against any part of the body except that the player may hold the club or a gripping hand against a hand or forearm; or indirectly, through use of an “anchor point,” by holding a forearm against any part of the body to use a gripping hand as a stable point around which the other hand may swing the club, the rule says (as per USGA).
Langer also played the game alongside his son Jason and the two scored two rounds of 59 and 57 to end up in a tie with Tiger Woods and Charlie. During the playoff, Team Woods got a birdie, Team Langer got an eagle on the par-5 hole and claimed victory in the match.
More to the point, that was the second consecutive year Bernhard Langer and Jason were winning the PNC Championship. They also won at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club last year.
Altogether, it is Bernhard Langer’s sixth PNC Championship win. He triumphed for two times with Stefan Langer in 2005 and 2006 and four times with Jason Langer in 2014, 2019, 2023 and 2024.