Overview
- Lucas Glover, who removed his shoes on the 10th green during the final round Sunday, says he acted after a rules official relayed a complaint that his metal spikes were leaving marks on the soft bent‑grass greens.
- The PGA Tour said officials asked Glover to be mindful of spike marks and called his reaction lighthearted, and Glover has publicly denied that the move was a protest of the AimPoint green‑reading method.
- Fellow players including Michael Kim posted that another golfer wearing metal spikes likely caused the visible damage and that Glover was mistakenly singled out by players behind him.
- Rule 13.1c, introduced by the USGA and The R&A in 2019, allows players to tap down spike marks on the putting green, a rule cited by Glover and others to explain how such damage can be remedied during play.
- The viral moment has refocused discussion on green‑reading techniques, pace and etiquette around the hole and on how on‑course officials handle complaints, which could lead to closer scrutiny of those practices.