Scottie Scheffler Wins The American Express 2026 – But Jason Day “Drops the Bomb” With Evidence of Fraud: “This Is Not a Fair Victory!”

La Quinta, California – January 26, 2026. Scottie Scheffler continued to write personal history when he won an overwhelming victory at The American Express 2026 – the opening tournament of the new PGA Tour season. With a total score of -27, he surpassed Si Woo Kim and Jason Day (tied for T2) by 4 strokes, officially reaching the **20th victory** in just the past 4 years on the PGA Tour and becoming the third golfer in history to surpass 100 million USD in career bonuses (exactly 100,767,136 USD after this tournament).

But the joy was short-lived. Just a few minutes after Scheffler lifted the trophy and hugged his family on green 18, Jason Day – the veteran Australian golfer who just shared the runner-up position – entered the press conference room and turned the press conference into a real “media bomb”. Day did not congratulate Scheffler. Instead, he launched a series of accusations that left the entire hall speechless:

“This was not a fair win. I have proof. The referee missed a clear violation on green 17 by Scheffler. He improved his ball position without penalty. The slow-motion video I have shows it clearly: the ball was outside the penalty area, but the referee called ‘no penalty’ and let him continue. If he had been given a legal penalty, Scheffler could have hit from the rough and lost at least 1-2 strokes. The outcome of the match could have been different.”

Day immediately showed a 12-second video shot from a fan’s camera angle near green 17. In the clip, Scheffler is seen bending down to check the ball, then moving the ball slightly forward about 2–3 inches (about 5–7 cm) before playing again – a move that many viewers believe shows signs of “improving lie”, a violation of Rule 8.2 of the Rules of Golf. However, the referee standing about 15 meters away did not intervene and confirmed “play as it lies”.

Jason Day emphasized: “I’m not saying Scheffler intentionally cheated. But if it were me or any other golfer, that phase would have been penalized. Why was Scheffler ‘pardoned’? I love golf, I respect Scottie, but I cannot stay silent when I see the rules being applied unevenly. I will file an official protest with the PGA Tour today.”

Less than 30 minutes later, Day’s video spread across social networks at breakneck speed. Hashtags #SchefflerCheating, #JasonDayExposed and #AmericanExpressScandal reached the top of global trends. Australian fans enthusiastically supported Day, while Scheffler fans responded that “it was just a natural adjustment, not a violation”. Golf forums like GolfWRX, Reddit r/golf and Twitter exploded with debate: “This is the biggest scandal since LIV Golf” or “Day is bitter because he lost so far”.

Scottie Scheffler, who remained calm during the official press conference, declined to comment directly on Day’s allegations. He only said briefly: “I played according to the rules. The referee saw and confirmed. I respect Jason, but I have nothing more to explain.”

The PGA Tour officially responded the same evening: “We have received a complaint from Jason Day’s representative. The referee board and the law department will review all footage from many camera angles, including fan videos. The review process will be completed within 72 hours. The match results will remain the same until an official announcement.”

However, the PGA Tour’s move has not calmed the storm of public opinion. Many people ask: Why doesn’t the referee call a penalty on the spot? Is Scheffler – the world’s No. 1 golfer, the biggest star on the PGA Tour – “favored” because of his commercial value? Or is this just normal human observation error?

Jason Day, who won the 2015 major PGA Championship and is one of the most respected golfers because of his humble personality, has now become the center of controversy. He affirmed: “I’m not saying Scheffler cheated intentionally. But if the rules apply to everyone equally, then that ball should be penalized. I just want to be fair. Golf needs to be fair.”

Meanwhile, Si Woo Kim – who is ranked T2 with Day – also indirectly supported Day: “I saw that ball. I was also surprised there was no penalty. But I respect Scottie and congratulate him on his victory.”

The golf community is deeply divided. One side said that Day was “bitter about losing” and was trying to drag his opponent down. The other side supported Day, asking the PGA Tour to make all footage and the referee’s decision-making process transparent. Some people even call for “reviewing the results” or “excluding clubs” if violations are confirmed – although this possibility is almost zero according to PGA Tour regulations.

Scheffler currently holds the leading position in FedExCup 2026 and Money List in the new season. But his first win this year – instead of being a complete joy – was overshadowed by accusations of cheating. Tomorrow, when the PGA Tour announces the results of its initial review, the entire golf world will wait with bated breath.

Is this just a misunderstanding? Or is it the first crack in the “perfect” image of the world’s No. 1 golfer? The answer could change the way fans view Scottie Scheffler – and the PGA Tour – for months to come. Drama The American Express 2026 has not ended yet. It’s just begun.