The PGA Tour’s contentious decision not to penalise Viktor Hovland for an apparent infringement might have been worth over $3million.Hovland looked to have touched the sand before playing a bunker shot on the 13th hole of the final round of last weekend’s Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, where he finished second, banking $5m.Hovland avoided a two-stroke penaltyGettyHovland off the hookHowever, the Norwegian was adjudged not to have committed any infringement.At the time, PGA Tour rules official Mark Dusbabek explained: “We have received a couple of inquiries about this, but we’ve looked at [footage of the shot] and it does not appear to us that he has touched the sand, so [there] would not be a penalty in this case.”Had Hovland been found to have touched the sand, he would have incurred a two-stroke penalty.In that event, he would have finished tied fourth and pocketed around $3.3m less in prize money.View Tweet: https://t.co/KcqjvEjiSaThe decision not to penalise Hovland also, in effect, cost third-placed Ryan Gerard almost $1.3m.Hovland might have got away with one, then – and the same could be said for Wyndham Clark.Clark accusedClark, who won his second US Open title this year, escaped punishment last month for allegedly improving his lie at the BMW Championship.The American ended up winning that tournament, collecting $3.6m in doing so.But he came in under scrutiny from commentators after he repeatedly pressed down on the grass before a shot on the 14th hole of the final round – at which point he was tied for the lead with Rory McIlroy.Commentating, 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman observed: “He’s [Clark] taking a long look at this.Clark won the BMW Championship despite being accused of improving his lieGetty“This is like the third club he’s placed down behind the ball there.”Co-commentator Frank Nobilo then chipped in: “So the lie might be better.”What do the rules say?Under Rule 8.1a of the USGA handbook, players are forbidden from improving their lie or stroke area.Bryson DeChambeau found that out the hard way at The Open in July.That being said, there is an exception: players are allowed to lightly club the ground directly behind the ball – unless they are in the bunker.And Clark denied any wrongdoing, responding to claims of cheating by saying: “I think any player, when they’re trying to judge a lie, takes out different clubs to see what it feels like.“I never fully put the club down behind it. I don’t think anything of it. When the cameras are on you, they’re going to find anything.”