Five months after the incident, the HotelPlanner Tour Disciplinary Committee has punished Cedric Gugler. The 25-year-old Swiss has been suspended for ten tournaments on Europe's second continental circuit. The reason for this is a serious rules violation committed in June during the Raiffeisenbank Golf Challenge in the Czech Republic.
The decision comes after a meeting of the Independent Disciplinary Committee, held on November 3. The committee deemed the player's conduct "failed to meet the standards of behavior and ethics expected of Tour members."
Cedric Gugler, violation
Gugler had been disqualified after the first round of the tournament at Kaskada Golf Club. The Swiss played his ball from the wrong place on the putting greens on multiple occasions, one of the most absurd infractions in professional golf. According to the disciplinary panel, this was a "reckless violation of the rules" that warranted exemplary action.
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The HotelPlanner Tour has confirmed that Cedric Gugler will be suspended for the first ten events of 2026, starting with the SDC Open in South Africa at the end of January. The exact date of his return will be known only when the full schedule is published. If the schedule follows this year's, the player would be out until the end of May.
2025 was not a great year for the Swiss player, who played 19 tournaments on the HotelPlanner Tour, missing the cut on twelve occasions. His best performance was a 30th-place finish at the Challenge de Espaa.
Gugler recently attempted to enter the DP World Tour's Q School, but failed to advance through the two decisive rounds. He is currently ranked number 874 in the world.
The Rules of Golf are a set of standards and procedures by which the sport of golf should be played. They are jointly written and administered by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, the governing body of golf worldwide, except in the United States and Mexico, which are governed by the United States Golf Association. An expert committee composed of members of the R&A and the USGA oversees and refines the rules every four years. The latest revision took effect on January 1, 2016. Amendments to the Rules of Golf are generally divided into two main categories: those that improve understanding and those that reduce penalties in certain cases to ensure balance. The rulebook, entitled "Rules of Golf," is published regularly and also includes rules governing amateur status. In Italy, the Italian Golf Federation is responsible for overseeing competitions by enforcing the rules issued by the R&A, ensuring that these rules are observed by clubs, associations, and their members, and managing the resulting sporting justice, protecting their interests abroad.
