Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Viktor Hovland next to golf ball in a bunker
On Sunday, Viktor Hovland finished three strokes behind Scottie Scheffler at the Toru Championship and took home the $5 million reserved for second place. However, more than a few people think he got away with what would have been a very costly two-stroke penalty over a video of a bunker shot that has sparked plenty of debate.
Every golfer is expected to be familiar with the Rules of Golf, the set of internationally recognized regulations that govern the game. They are the product of a collaboration between the USGA and the R&A, which release an updated version every four years.
Most people who play the sport on a regular basis are at least familiar with most of those rules, and that’s certainly the case with the golfers (and caddies) who make a living on the PGA Tour. Every tournament boasts rules officials who are tasked with enforcing them, and a single penalty can be the difference between millions of dollars.
Bryson DeChambeau was responsible for the most high-profile rules violation to transpire this year thanks to what unfolded at the British Open, but Viktor Hovland also treated us to a little bit of drama during the final round of the last event on the PGA Tour schedule.
Viktor Hovland avoided a two-stroke penalty after video appeared to capture him grounding his club in a bunker
The Rules of Golf features a number of fairly arcane and obscure violations and situations most people will never commit or encounter. However, there are more than a few that you’re expected to be aware of before you play a round.
That includes the Golden Rule of playing a shot from a bunker, a place where you’re prohibited from grounding your club before you swing. Making contact with the sand is a two-stroke penalty (and the loss of a hole in match play), and it’s wise to give yourself at least a few inches of clearance when lining things up to avoid tempting fate.
However, Viktor Hovland did exactly that after ending up in a bunker on the 13th hole at East Lake during the final round of the Tour Championship, and there was plenty of attention paid to a clip that appeared to show his club coming into contact with the sand while he was preparing to swing.
“It does not appear to us that he has touched the sand.”
Mark Dusbabek provides some insight on Viktor Hovland’s bunker shot at the 13th. pic.twitter.com/O1dtMCb9ll
— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) August 30, 2026
It looked like Hovland’s club brushed the sand as he was putting it behind the ball, and a side-by-side showcasing the before and after appeared to confirm that was the case thanks to the presence of a slight indent that formed after he pulled his wedge back.
“It does not appear to us that he has touched the sand.”
Mark Dusbabek provides some insight on Viktor Hovland’s bunker shot at the 13th. pic.twitter.com/O1dtMCb9ll
— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) August 30, 2026
PGA Tour rules official Mark Dusbabek confirmed the video came to his crew’s attention but declined to dock Hovland for a violation, saying, “It does not appear to us that he touched the sand, so it would not be a penalty in this case.”
The ruling wouldn’t have had an impact on Scottie Scheffler’s victory, but it would have shaken things up when it comes to the payments at the top of the leaderboard.
Hovland finished in second place at -13 and earned $5 million. However, he would have dropped to -11 with the penalty, which means Ryan Gerard would have taken the second-place prize instead of the $3,705,000 he got for third (a difference of $1,295,000).
It also cost the seven guys who finished in a tie for fourth at -11, who each received $1,695,000. According to the Tour Championship payout structure, they would have each made $1,956,875.00 if eight people had tied for third (which also means Hovland stood to lose more than $3 million).
At the end of the day, it’s hard to imagine Hovland gained an edge if he did touch the sand, but it does look like he’s pretty lucky it wasn’t called.