Lucas Glover shares the story behind the strange barefoot moment that surprised golf fans
PGA Tour golfer Lucas Glover made a putt at the 3M Open in Minnesota, then took off his shoes and crossed the green to get his ball.
A video of this unusual moment has been seen hundreds of thousands of times, with some people guessing that the 2009 US Open winner was making a point against AimPoint. AimPoint is a scientific way to read greens, but some golfers say it slows down the game.
Lucas Glover cleared things up, saying his action was actually about a disagreement over spike marks left near the hole from his shoes.
“Let’s clear this up,” Glover wrote on Instagram.
“I’ve worn spikes for 23 years on the PGA Tour. That wasn’t always allowed, but it’s been fine for a while now. Yesterday was the first time anyone complained about my spikes. It wasn’t even from another player, but an official, in the middle of the round.
“This official had no right to say anything because I wasn’t breaking any rules. Plus, others nearby were wearing metal spikes too. The greens at 3M are bent grass, soft, and probably watered a lot because of the weather. No matter what kind of spikes you wear, those conditions will cause marks.
“As I left the hole, I did my best to tap down any damage. Remember, we’re allowed to do that now – even fix soft spike marks.”
Since 2019, a USGA rule lets players fix almost any damage on the green, including shoe marks.
Lucas Glover, who has six PGA Tour wins and last won at the FedEx St Jude Championship three years ago, missed the cut at the PGA Championship this year, his only major so far.
He added, “My actions had nothing to do with AimPoint. I don’t know why people thought that. I took off my shoes to get my ball out without making marks around the hole.”
He was disappointed that people focused so much on this “non-issue” instead of celebrating Jackson Koivun.
The 21-year-old Koivun won his first PGA Tour event at TPC Twin Cities, just his third event since turning pro, beating Scottie Scheffler by three strokes. Glover finished tied for 57th.