Golfer accused of cheating 'blatantly broke the rules'

A GOLFER suing two players who accused him of cheating in a tournament broke the rules so blatantly that it was an insult to his opponent's intelligence, a court was told yesterday.

Reginald Dove, one of two men being sued by John Buckingham after they accused him of cheating, described events at the 8th hole during a competition at the Sherwood Forest club in Nottinghamshire in August 1990.

'I stopped to watch Mr Buckingham, who had hit his ball into the semi-rough. At that moment he attempted to move his ball forward with the sole of his golf-shoe. He then moved it a further five or six inches with his instep.'

Mr Dove, who had played regularly with Mr Buckingham for two years, said: 'I was so embarrassed. It was such an insult to my intelligence that he should do something like that under my nose after my playing with him so many times. It was just so blatant.'

Mr Dove said that at the 12th and 13th holes, Mr Buckingham's ball appeared to be lost in wooded areas and then appeared in open ground where Mr Dove had already looked.

Mr Dove said his suspicions were aroused again at the 17th hole. 'My impression was he was about to drop another ball. I said he should take the shot again, which he reluctantly did.'

Mr Buckingham is claiming damages from Mr Dove and Graham Rusk, who accused him of moving his ball and dropping another down his trouser-leg. He started legal proceedings in June 1991 after Sherwood's committee cleared him of cheating.

The case continues today.