When Lucas Glover rolled in a 10 foot birdie putt at the par 4 10th hole Sunday, he did not immediately walk toward the cup. He stepped away from the green, removed his golf shoes, then returned in his socks to collect the ball.
The strange scene at TPC Twin Cities looked deliberate. Golf Channel initially framed it as a possible protest against AimPoint, the green reading system Glover has criticized in the past. Viewers quickly reached the same conclusion.
Glover had another explanation.
A PGA Tour rules official had approached him after receiving a complaint about spike marks near the holes. Glover wears metal spikes, and the greens were soft enough to hold visible impressions. Removing his shoes was his pointed way of making certain he left no further marks around the cup.
The PGA Tour soon clarified that Glover had been asked to watch his spike marks and was attempting to be lighthearted. Glover then addressed the confusion himself.
“Alright, let’s clear this up,” he wrote.
Why Everyone Assumed It Was About AimPoint
The AimPoint theory did not come from nowhere.
Glover has openly criticized the system, which asks golfers to use their feet to feel the slope of a putting surface. Critics argue that the process can slow play and create unnecessary traffic around the hole.
Golf Channel’s initial segment asked whether the shoeless walk was Glover’s latest statement against the method. From a distance, the theory made sense. A known AimPoint critic had suddenly removed his shoes before stepping near the cup.
The PGA Tour offered the first correction during the broadcast. Its statement explained that Glover had been warned about spike marks and was trying to be lighthearted.
Glover provided a much firmer correction the following day.
“My demonstration yesterday had nothing to do with AimPoint,” he wrote. “I have no idea how anyone came to that conclusion.”
His shoes came off because he believed walking in his socks was the only guaranteed way to retrieve the ball without creating another mark.
Glover Felt Singled Out Over His Metal Spikes
Glover has worn metal spikes during his entire 23 year PGA Tour career. Until Sunday, a rules official had never approached him about them.
“Yesterday was the first time I’ve ever had a complaint,” he wrote.
Other golfers in the groups ahead of and behind Glover were also wearing metal spikes. He felt singled out for damage that several players could have caused.
The course conditions added to his frustration. Glover described the bentgrass greens as soft and said they appeared to have received considerable water because of the forecast. Under those conditions, metal and soft spikes could both leave impressions.
He also said he repaired his marks before leaving each green. The complaint arrived despite those efforts.
“I took my shoes off to get my ball out of the hole because that was literally the only way to not make any marks around the hole,” Lucas Glover wrote.
Rather than argue with the official during the round, Glover answered with a visual joke. He left his shoes beside the green and padded toward the hole in his socks.
The humor carried a clear edge. Glover followed the request, but he did so in a way that showed exactly what he thought about it.
Rule 13 Allows Golfers to Repair Spike Marks
The current Rules of Golf support a major part of Glover’s argument.
USGA Rule 13.1c allows a golfer to repair nearly all damage on a putting green. The rule specifically includes shoe damage and spike marks, provided the player makes a reasonable repair without delaying play.
That was not always the case. Before the major rule changes introduced in 2019, players had fewer options when a spike mark sat on their putting line. The newer rule allows them to restore the affected area before attempting a putt.
Golfers still have a responsibility to protect the course. The rule does not excuse dragging a foot or carelessly damaging the surface.
Glover never claimed that his metal spikes left no marks. His position was simpler. The greens were soft, several golfers wore similar spikes, and any player following him could repair the damage.
“Have I mentioned that we can tap them down now?” Glover wrote.
That repeated question captured his frustration. He believed the rule already offered a straightforward solution to any marks his shoes might leave.
The Shoe Debate Overshadowed Jackson Koivun
Glover finished tied for 57th at the 3M Open. He also made clear that the complaint would not persuade him to change footwear.
He plans to wear metal spikes again at his next tournament in Detroit. Players behind him, he added, will remain free to repair any marks.
His larger disappointment concerned the attention generated by the shoeless moment.
Jackson Koivun had just delivered one of the season’s biggest victories. The 21 year old won the 3M Open in only his 3rd start as a professional. He closed with a 5 under 66, finished at a tournament record 25 under and defeated World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler by 3 strokes.
Glover believed Koivun’s performance deserved far more attention than a complaint about footwear.
“My biggest disappointment in all of this is that a small faction of people are talking too much about this, a non issue, instead of Jackson Koivun,” he wrote.
He had a point, although a veteran golfer walking across a PGA Tour green in his socks was always going to travel quickly.
The clip looked like an AimPoint protest because viewers already knew Glover’s position on the system. The reality was narrower and more personal. A rules official questioned his metal spikes, so Glover removed the shoes and made sure nobody could blame him for another mark.
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FAQs
Why did Lucas Glover take his shoes off at the 3M Open?
Glover removed his shoes after an official approached him about spike marks. He walked in his socks to avoid leaving another mark near the hole.
Was Lucas Glover protesting AimPoint?
No. Glover said the gesture had nothing to do with AimPoint and was a response to a complaint about his metal spikes.
Can golfers repair spike marks on a putting green?
Yes. Rule 13.1c allows golfers to repair shoe damage and most other putting green damage without causing an unreasonable delay.
Does Lucas Glover still plan to wear metal spikes?
Yes. Glover said he would continue wearing metal spikes at his next tournament in Detroit.
Who won the 3M Open?
Jackson Koivun won at 25 under in his 3rd professional start. He defeated Scottie Scheffler by 3 strokes.
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