The golfer will not be allowed to tee up for five months after breaking the European Tour’s ‘Code of Behavior’.
The European Tour has suspended one of its pros for 10 tournaments due to a “reckless infringement” of its rules.
Cedric Gugler, who plays on the second-tier HotelPlanner Tour, was disqualified from the Raiffeisenbank Golf Challenge in June “after playing his ball from the wrong place on putting surfaces on multiple occasions”.
A statement confirmed that an independent disciplinary panel met on November 3 and found that the 25-year-old had “conducted himself in a manner that fell below the standards of behavior and ethical conduct expected of tour members” during the first round of the tournament, which took place at Kaskada Golf Club in the Czech Republic.
The panel, comprising Philip Evans KC, sports administrator Ian Larsen, and Legends Tour member Markus Brier, ruled that Gugler’s conduct was a “reckless infringement of the Rules of Golf”.
Gugler, from Switzerland, has been suspended for the first 10 tournaments of the 2026 HotelPlanner Tour schedule, which starts in January at the SDC Open in South Africa.
He will be permitted to return after the first 10 events have concluded – the date of which will be determined once the Tour’s full schedule has been confirmed. If it’s similar to the 2025 HotelPlanner Tour schedule, Gugler’s ban will run until the end of May.
The player, who most recently teed up in the DP World Tour’s Q School, where he failed to make the cut at Infinitum, later issued a statement via Instagram.
It read: “As an athlete who has played golf since the age of six, and for whom fairness, respect, and sportsmanship have always been top priorities, this is, of course, a very difficult moment.
“I have been accused of not marking or replacing my ball correctly on the green during the first round of the Kaskada Golf Challenge. This is what my playing partners reported to the tournament officials after the round. My mistake was that, during the initial hearing in the tournament office on the same evening, I somewhat carelessly admitted that it might have been possible, out of simple inattentiveness, that the ball was not placed back exactly on the same spot.
“However, it was never my intention to gain any sort of advantage. Unfortunately, this imprecise statement triggered a long and burdensome process which has now resulted in this decision. I deeply regret this mishap.
“I accept the decision, and I will use it as motivation to be even more careful in the future, especially when marking and replacing my ball on the greens.
“Thank you all for your support during this difficult time.”
Gugler played in 19 HotelPlanner Tour events this year, missing the cut in 12, while his best finish was a tie for 30th at the Challenge de Espana.