At a time when many professional athletes find themselves in trouble with the law, PGA Tour players continue to show why golf is indeed a gentleman's game.Brian Davis was on the first hole of his sudden death playoff with Jim Furyk yesterday when he called a penalty on himself, and lost the playoff due to the two-stroke penalty that was imposed on him as a result. Brian couldn’t deny what he saw and felt during his backswing and knew he was honor-bound to tell the world.
He had ticked a loose reed during his backswing Sunday on the first playoff hole, and then called the official over to tell the official what had happened during the playoff at the Verizon Heritage.
The two-stroke penalty gave Furyk the victory.
“It’s just awkward to see it happen at such a key moment in the golf tournament,” Furyk said. “Awkward for him to lose that way, and a little awkward for me to win.”
Professional golf has a long history of players calling penalties on themselves, usually costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money for doing so.
Can you imagine a football game where a center raises his hand after a play and tells the officials he held the rushing linebacker on the previous play, and that his team's ten yard gain should be called back?
Never happen, right?
Over the last 40 years, I have always interviewed prospective new employees or potential business associates over 18 holes of golf. I can learn more about an individual during 18 holes of golf than I can over a conference table.
That is one reason I started Reciprocal Golf in 2003, to allow businessmen to entertain guests, clients, or other businessmen while playing private country clubs.
Have you used golf to help promote your business?
Haha. I totally agree. Golf really is unique among sports in this way. Of course, we'll never know how often PGA pros fail to live up to the obligation to call penalties on themselves. Still, the fact that it happens at all (and regularly enough indeed) is very telling.
ReplyDeleteKudos to Furyk!