New details, video ‘straight from perpetrator’s phone’ revealed in insane golf cheating scandal

Nypost · Aug 18, 2026 · 608 words · By Jenna Lemoncelli

Sportsmanship and Integrity Public Accountability

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What to know about Sportsmanship and Integrity

Barstool Sports personality Sam “Riggs” Bozoian said Zach Holland — a controversial amateur golfer under fire for faking a hole-in-one to win a prize pot — sent him the footage of the cheating scandal that took place earlier this month at WingHaven Country…

Claims checked 10

Techniques found 3

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center86%

Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

During Tuesday’s installment of the “Fore Play” podcast, Bozoian explained that he’s familiar with Holland’s “issues” on the course — while noting Holland won the putting competition at the Barstool Classic in July 2021.

Common ground

“This could not be more in my network, this Zach Holland guy plays at my club and has been a member at multiple clubs that my cousins and best friends are at,” said Bozoian.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Smears: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Sportsmanship and Integrity story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Bozoian claimed his friend told him that Holland previously alleged he made two hole-in-ones in a single round at Old Hickory, and that his fiancée was the only witness?
How does this story connect Sportsmanship and Integrity with Public Accountability over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/18/sports/new-details-video-straight-from-perpetrator…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Name Calling / Labeling 85% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Smears 70% confidence

Using damaging allegations to undermine a person's reputation.

Why it matters: Recognizing smears helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4

info Single Source 3

verified Verified By Reference 2

verified Verified 1

info

Claim 1: “Bozoian claimed his friend told him that Holland previously alleged he made two hole-in-ones in a single round at Old Hickory, and that his fiancée was the only witness.”

SINGLE SOURCE

No evidence in the provided search results mentions a claim about two hole-in-ones in a single round at Old Hickory or a fiancée being the only witness.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Zach Holland’s controversial hole-in-one at WingHaven Country Club in St. Louis.Bozoian clarified that the video of him hugging Holland — which made the rounds online when the cheating scandal broke —…
https://nypost.com/2026/08/18/sports/new-details-video-strai…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Zach Holland Golf Scandal Explodes After Fake Hole-in-One.Zach Holland’s ‘shocking’ golf cheating scandal: How a fake hole-in-one exposed his secret before tournam. 2 days ago. Save for later.
https://news.google.com/stories/CAAqNggKIjBDQklTSGpvSmMzUnZj…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Discover videos related to Zach Holland Hole in One Controversy on TikTok.Zach Holland stated that he placed his golf ball in the cup at the par-3 fourth hole before the start of an event and then lie…
https://www.tiktok.com/discover/zach-holland-hole-in-one-con…

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Claim 2: “Zach Holland — a controversial amateur golfer under fire for faking a hole-in-one to win a prize pot — sent [Sam Bozoian] the footage of the cheating scandal that took place earlier this month at WingHaven Country Club in Missouri.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that Sam Bozoian stated Zach Holland sent him the footage of the faked hole-in-one at WingHaven Country Club.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Barstool Sports personality Sam “Riggs” Bozoian said Zach Holland — a controversial amateur golfer under fire for faking a hole-in-one to win a prize pot — sent him the footage of the cheating scandal…
https://nypost.com/2026/08/18/sports/new-details-video-strai…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Zach Holland was due to play in a two-person team competition at WingHaven Country Club in Missouri when he fraudulently placed the ball in the cup at the fourth hole earlier in the morning, before hi…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/articles/cdx7pd5ye0go

travel_explore

verified

Claim 3: “Bozoian also claimed Holland “has been kicked out of multiple clubs” and “gotten into issues around the St. Louis area of fudging his handicap, and is the definition of a sand bagger.””

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence mentions the cheating scandal and his handicap, but does not contain the specific quotes from Bozoian regarding Holland being kicked out of multiple clubs or 'sand bagging' in the St. Louis area.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2006 Major League Baseball draft, was held on June 6 and 7. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Major_League_Baseball_dra…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sterling Kelby Brown (born April 5, 1976) is an American actor. He has received numerous accolades including three Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award as well as a nomination for an Academy…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterling_K._Brown

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Zachary L. Bonner (born November 17, 1997) is an American philanthropist and founder of the non-profit charity Little Red Wagon Foundation. Bonner received the Presidential Service Award in 2006. When…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zach_Bonner

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “Holland — a 2-handicap amateur golfer who played collegiately at William Carey University — resigned from his membership at WingHaven Country Club after security footage showed him faking a hole-in-one during a members-only event at the O’Fallon, Mo. course.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (Sportsnet, other news reports) confirm Holland is a 2-handicap, played at William Carey University, and resigned from WingHaven Country Club in O'Fallon, Mo. after faking a hole-in-one.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of notable current and former faculty members, alumni (graduating and non-graduating) of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Unless otherwise noted, attendees listed graduate…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Vanderbilt_University_…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Nicholas John Robinson (born March 22, 1995) is an American actor. As a child, he appeared in a 2008 stage production of A Christmas Carol and Mame, after which he had a main role in the television si…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Robinson_(American_actor)

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “Holland explained that he placed his golf ball in the cup at the par-3 fourth hole before the start of the event, which includes a hole-in-one prize pot, and then lied to his partners.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources (BBC Sport, Herald, AOL) explicitly state that Holland fraudulently placed the ball in the cup at the fourth hole before his round started.

info

Claim 6: “Holland won the putting competition at the Barstool Classic in July 2021.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While one search result mentions Zach Holland in the context of the 'Barstool Classic' cheating scandal, there is no independent corroboration that he specifically won a putting competition in July 2021. Other results for Barstool Classic are unrelated.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — AEW Collision, also known as Saturday Night Collision or simply Collision, is an American professional wrestling television program produced by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). It cur…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEW_Collision

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of notable Jewish American entertainers. For other Jewish Americans, see Lists of American Jews.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jewish_American_entert…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3 (C one octave below middle C), to the high C (C5). The low ex…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tenors_in_non-classica…

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 7: “Holland signed up for the tournament the night before, and the prize pot was $5,000.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While sources confirm the cheating scandal and the location (WingHaven), none of the provided evidence mentions the specific timing of his sign-up (the night before) or the specific prize pot amount of $5,000.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 68th Annual Grammy Awards honored the best recordings, compositions, and artists from August 31, 2024, to August 30, 2025, as chosen by the members of the Recording Academy, on February 1, 2026. I…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/68th_Annual_Grammy_Awards

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Dua Lipa ( DOO-ə LEE-pə; Albanian: [ˈdua ˈlipa] ; born 22 August 1995) is an English singer and songwriter. Her accolades include seven Brit Awards and three Grammy Awards. Lipa worked as a model bef…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dua_Lipa

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the north; Poland and Slova…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraine

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 8: “Holland told them [the country club] to apply it against his wedding bill and then got booted from that club.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of Windows File Explorer guides, which are completely irrelevant to the claim about a wedding bill and club expulsion.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Feb 9, 2026 · File Explorer is an essential tool in Windows. It helps you manage your files and folders. This guide provides comprehensive details on how to get help with File Explorer in Windows 11 a…
https://geekzag.com/guides/computers/get-help-with-file-expl…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jun 21, 2025 · Press Windows logo key + E to open File Explorer and find the files and folders you need, including those on OneDrive. You can use Tabs in File Explorer to switch between folders quickl…
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/tips/file-explorer

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Oct 5, 2025 · Whether you're running Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, or earlier, you can easily open this tool in the Start menu or with a quick keyboard shortcut. Here's how to open Windows Explorer on your Wi…
https://www.wikihow.com/Open-Windows-Explorer

verified

Claim 9: “Nathan Charnes, the acting PGA of America president and general manager at WingHaven, said the club “promptly addressed the matter” and the incident is closed.”

VERIFIED

A cross-reference to the NY Post identifies Nathan Charnes as the acting PGA of America president and general manager at WingHaven.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Nathan Charnes, the acting PGA of America president and general manager at WingHaven
https://nypost.com/2026/08/11/sports/former-college-golfer-r…

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Claim 10: “During an interview with “The Morning After” show on 101 ESPN St. Louis, Holland said he admitted to club officials that he faked the hole-in-one”

CORROBORATED

Confirmed by a cross-reference to the NY Post and multiple web search results stating Holland admitted to the fake hole-in-one during an interview on 'The Morning After' on 101 ESPN St. Louis.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — An amateur golfer faked a hole-in-one during a tournament in Missouri.Holland, a 2 handicap golfer, resigned his membership at WingHaven Country Club, located in O’Fallon, after his ruse came to light…
https://www.aol.com/articles/golfer-faked-hole-one-resigns-1…

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web search NEUTRAL — Golfer admits to faking hole-in-one during a tournament in United States. Yesterday.Golfer Resigns After Faking Hole-In-One At WingHaven Country Club.
https://news.google.com/stories/CAAqNggKIjBDQklTSGpvSmMzUnZj…

+ 1 more evidence source

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.