Glover spikes explanation for removing golf shoes

Longtime PGA Tour pro Lucas Glover didn't put his foot down in protest of AimPoint, the green-reading system used by many of his competitors, during Sunday's final round of the 3M Open. Instead, Glover confirmed Monday that he was responding to other golfers' complaints about his metal spikes allegedly leaving marks on the greens at TPC Twin Cities. After making a birdie putt on the 10th hole in the final round, Glover removed his shoes and walked to the hole in socks to retrieve his ball from the cup. "Alright, let's clear this up," Glover said on his Instagram account Monday. "For 23 years on the PGA Tour I've worn spikes. 23 years ago, most of us did. It hasn't been that long since we were NOT allowed to tap them down. Yesterday was the first time I've ever had a complaint. "I know there have been some pretty heated discussions and arguments between other players in years past about spike marks and knowing how to walk, but not since we've been able to tap them down. Yesterday was the first time I've ever been approached about my spikes. In the middle of the round, by an official, not a player." Lucas Glover removed his shoes prior to approaching the hole in protest of AimPoint 👀 pic.twitter.com/HNpSZoYPPv — Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) July 26, 2026 Another golfer in the tournament, Michael Kim, posted to X that "someone with metal spikes wasn't walking cleanly creating some bad spike marks and some player or players complained about it to rules officials thinking it was Lucas. Officials told him about it and that's the reaction." Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open winner, mentioned repeatedly in his Instagram statement that golfers are now allowed to tap down spike marks. "First of all, it's not the officials' place," Glover said in his post. "I wasn't breaking any rules. Secondly, there were people in the groups in front of me and behind me wearing metal spikes as well. The greens at 3M are bent grass, were soft, and appeared to have been watered a fair amount (because of the forecast I'd imagine). I don't care what you wear on your feet, metal or soft spikes, in those conditions they are going to get beat up. I did my best around the hole to tap down my damage as I was leaving the area." While TV commentators suggested that Glover was protesting AimPoint because golfers get too close to the hole while reading putts, he insisted it had nothing to do with what he did. "I have no idea how anyone came to that conclusion," Glover said. "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. Again, no matter what type of spikes were on my shoes." Glover, 46, said his biggest frustration is that the incident took some attention away from rookie Jackson Koivun, who held off world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler to win his first PGA Tour tournament with a closing 5-under 66 for a tournament-record 25-under 259 total. "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 Koivin," Glover said. Glover tied for 57th at 5 under. He's in the field for this week's Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club. "I'll be wearing metal spikes, and the people playing behind me are still allowed to tap down the marks," Glover said. "Did I mention that?"