DP World Tour's Sam Bairstow fined $33k after fan shot incriminating video surfaces

DP World Tour’s Sam Bairstow was fined $33k after a fan shot video came to light. The 27-year-old English golfer was playing at the Nexo Championship in August and disqualified himself after a fan video reached the DP World Tour officials.

The golfer withdrew after the first round because Sam Bairstow signed a 5 on the par-4 14th hole at the Nexo Championship, while he made a 7. When the error was brought to attention, the golfer backed out of the event.

The miscalculation took place because of a provisional tee shot he hit on the 14th hole. A fan made a video of Bairstow in the event, and in the video, the golfer was standing on the 14th hole. As he prepared to play the shot, the ball moved, and it was his actions that caused the motion.

Under the Rules of Golf, he had to place the ball to its original place and get a one-shot penalty. He didn't do that, and played the ball from its displaced position, and thought he made a bogey 5. After that event, this week, Sam Bairstow is playing at the Betfred British Masters.

How did Sam Bairstow perform in the 2025 season?

Sam Bairstow played three PGA Tour events, and his best finish came at the Genesis Scottish Open with a T65. In the DP World Tour, his best finish came with a T6 at the Hainan Classic after scoring 11 under. Here's a list of Bairstow’s 2025 tournaments:

2025 PGA Tour events

U.S. Open at the Oakmont Country Club: Missed cut, 81-72, 13 over
Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club: T65, 70-66-75-71, 2 over
Barracuda Championship at the Tahoe Mountain Club: Missed Cut, 10, 10 over

2025 DP World Tour tournaments

Hero Dubai Desert Classic at the Emirates Golf Club: T77, 72-71-73-80, 296 (+8)
Ras al Khaimah Championship at the Al Hamra GC: T16, 76-65-71-67, 279 (-9)
Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship at the Royal GC: T32, 70-72-71-68, 281 (-7)
Commercial Bank Qatar Masters at the Doha GC: T10, 67-72-70-72, 281 (-7)
Investec SA Open Championship at the Durban GC: T11, 65-66-76, 207 (-9)
Joburg Open at the Houghton Golf Club: T9, 69-70-67-65 , 271 (-9)
Porsche Singapore Classic at the Laguna National Golf Club: T43, 71-71-68, 210 (-6)
Hero Indian Open at the DLF Golf and Country Club: Missed Cut, 76-78, 154 (+10)
Volvo China Open at the Enhance Anting GC: T22, 71-66-69-74, 280 (-4)
Hainan Classic at the Blackstone Course: T6, 70-68-68-71, 277 (-11)
Turkish Airlines Open at the Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort: T7, 70-68-71-64, 273 (-11)
Soudal Open at the Rinkven International GC: T16, 72-69-70-66, 277 (-7)
KLM Open at The International: Withdrawn, 76-54, 76 (+5)
BMW International Open at the Golfclub München Eichenried: Missed Cut, 71-73, 144 (E)
Nexo Championship at the Trump International Golf Links: Disqualified, 73, 73 (+1)
Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo at the Belfry: Missed Cut, 76-73, 149 (+5)

About the author

Suchita Chakraborty is a senior golf writer at Sportskeeda. She did her post-graduation at St. Xavier's University. For a year now, she has developed a riveting inclination toward golf, with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy being her top-tier motivational figures to indulge in the sport. She even lives by the words of the Hall of Famer, "You can always become better", which impels her to excel every day. Her strong suit in golf is covering the LPGA Tour, especially the nooks and crannies of the international event, the Solheim Cup. As a pastime amusement, Suchita also engages herself in reading about golf controversies. Her favorite pick is ‘LIV and Let Die’ by Alan Shipnuck, which covers the PGA-LIV beef.

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Edited by Mitali