Amateur golfer Zach Holland has admitted to faking a hole-in-one during a members-only event at WingHaven Country Club in O'Fallon, Missouri, a scandal that cost him his membership and was captured on video. The incident occurred earlier this month during a competition with a $5,000 prize pot.
Barstool Sports personality Sam "Riggs" Bozoian, who is familiar with Holland and has connections to several golf clubs in the St. Louis area, revealed new details about the event. Bozoian stated he received video footage of the alleged cheating directly from Holland himself before the scandal became public. The video, played on the "Fore Play" podcast, shows Holland and his playing partners reacting to the supposed hole-in-one.
In the video, Holland asks one of his group what happened, to which the response is "Hole in one, baby!" Holland then approaches the hole, saying, "It's here, No. 4, let's walk it in, boys!" Bozoian noted that Holland had only signed up for the tournament the night before.
Holland, a 2-handicap golfer who played collegiately at William Carey University, confessed to club officials that he placed his golf ball in the cup at the par-3 fourth hole before the event began and then lied to his partners. WingHaven Country Club has confirmed the incident was promptly addressed and is now considered closed, according to Nathan Charnes, the acting PGA of America president and general manager at the club.
Bozoian also claimed that Holland has a history of alleged "issues" on the golf course, including accusations of fudging his handicap and being "kicked out of multiple clubs." Bozoian clarified that a widely circulated video of him hugging Holland was from 2021, when Holland won a putting competition at the Barstool Classic, and not in celebration of the recent faked hole-in-one.
During an interview with 101 ESPN St. Louis, Holland acknowledged the consequences of his actions and mentioned that his wife and two young children had faced online harassment as a result of the incident. Bozoian further alleged that Holland had previously claimed to have made two holes-in-one in a single round at Old Hickory, with his fiancée as the only witness, and that this claim led to him being removed from that club after suggesting the club apply the cost to his wedding bill.