HSBC Premier Golf Day and the worst cheating I have ever witnessed

I do apologise in advance and this is a suitable Linked in update, as this involves Corporate golf with Two companies who are very highly thought of in the golfing and business field and I want to flag what I can only describe as the worst example of cheating in Sports I have ever witnessed and something that was allowed to happen.

I still cant believe this happened - I got invited to play in the HSBC Premier Golf Day, something which I have done for the last 5 years.

One of the reasons I love Golf as a sport, is the fact that there is no-one else to blame but yourself, if something goes wrong. It is you against the course and the elements.

Golfers have always known of cheats and have probably come across cheats in different forms throughout golfing times, whether this is dropping balls when they think no-one is looking, teeing up in rough, preffered lies and obviously the bandit etc

Last week was the most incredible I have encountered yet. Using the VPAR system of scoring, which enables you to keep updated live as to how everyone else on the course is doing as a team or individually, it is a great way of keeping track and adding intrigue to the round, particularly on a corporate day such as last week.

Best 2 scores out of 4 on the hole count and it was 3/4 handicap. The prize on offer was a grand final date at the Trump course in Turnberry.

All 4 of our team at various points played out of our skins - we shot 35 under which most of my golfing friends will know is a hell of a score in this format. This obviously wasn't the problem.

The team who we beat last year and who made a song and a dance about us beating them last year, as it was the first time they had lost in a while, were the only ones in contention with us (we ended up 20 shots ahead of third place).

I love the VPAR system but The problem with the VPAR scoring is that you can go back and edit previous scores. Now we started off like a steam train and so did the other team - however on our tenth hole, I noticed that we had levelled with them in terms of score and the amount of holes played. We teed off on our tenth hole and when I went to double check the score, they had somehow pulled 2 ahead and were still on the same amount of holes ( the system doesn't update until all scores are in on the hole) so they would have had to gone into the system and rearranged the score.

For the next five holes we were either level or 1 ahead, however suddenly, they had finished their 15th hole and their score was updated, their score had been sitting there for a good five minutes before we updated and we after this were 2 shots ahead, with 3 holes to play.

However lo and behold within a matter of a minute of us updating our score to go 2 ahead, they jmped to 3 ahead and were still on the same amount of holes played as previously. Again it was blatant the fact they had gone in and edited their previous scores.

We gained a shot on the next hole but played the last 2 holes in 14 points, which included a net albatross and net birdie on a par 5 and 2 gross birdies on the last hole. Which was 6 under for the last 2 holes, we updated our score as we could see they were refusing to update until we had.

When the final scores were tallied up they had beaten us by 1 shot - which whatever we would have scored they would have done. It is the most incredible blatant act of cheating I have come across in my 27 years of playing golf and to say I am still extremely angry is an understatement.

2 other groups of teams noticed this and even complained to HSBC and IMG the organisers, however they refused to do anything, saying there is nothing they can do.

I am flabbergasted that this goes on and was so blatant - if we had got beaten by a better team then fair enough but to be cheated out of winning by a 4 ball so desperate to win at any costs it makes me sick.

 A suggestion to VPAR - do not allow people to edit scores - once they are in lock them in and please could this be looked at or for us to be given another chance. I am shocked that this was allowed to go on in the competition and something that was spotted by other groups, not just ours.

The complaint was made by a HSBC Premier Manager to the organisers on the day and they would not act upon it.

This has to be acted upon as surely it is not only against the spirit of golf but also I should imagine against HSBC corporate standards.