One of the earliest cases dates back to the 1930s when Jack McGurn, better known as Machine Gun Jack, was handcuffed during a golf game.

Although not a golf professional, McGurn was known as a hitman for Al Capone’s clan. His criminal career came to an abrupt end in 1933 when he was arrested under the false name of Vincent Gebhardi while participating in the Western Open in Chicago.

This event marked the beginning of a series of cases involving golfers in various illegal activities. Even Joe Ogilvie, when compared to McGurn’s exploits, seems like a trivial case. In 2006, before a tournament at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina, he was stopped for driving under the influence.

The officer who stopped him stated that he “smelled of alcohol,” a statement later confirmed by the breathalyzer test. Ogilvie spent several hours in custody, an incident that significantly deviates from the stereotypical image of the impeccable golfer.

Matt Every found himself behind bars due to a suspicious smell coming from his hotel room, where the police found marijuana. This incident, which occurred two days before a tournament in 2010, led to the suspension of the player for three weeks and marked the beginning of a series of controversies related to drug use that would characterize his career.

The list of controversial cases also includes prominent names such as John Daly, arrested in 2008 for intoxication and uncooperative behavior, and Tiger Woods, whose 2017 arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs shocked the world, highlighting the personal problems that plagued his life at that time.

However, it’s not only issues related to alcohol and drugs that tarnish the image of green sportsmen. Angel Cabrera, the winner of the 2009 Masters, has been involved in a series of assault and harassment allegations, leading him to spend several years behind bars, indelibly marking his career.

A particular case is that of Thorbjorn Olesen, arrested for harassment on a flight back from a tournament in 2020. Despite the accusations and suspension from the tour, he was later acquitted after a trial that highlighted his incapacity due to alcohol and sleeping pills.

These cases highlight the dark side of the golf world, demonstrating that behind the facade of elegance and rule adherence, personal problems and illegal behavior often lurk, compromising the reputation of athletes and the entire sport.