As a young pro on the P.G.A. tour, and with his chance to win the first golf tournament of his career. The hangman’s noose finally caught up with him. With the Heritage on the line with a first hole playoff against Jim Furyk, he makes a small mistake that will cost him his dream of winning.
Golf is a gentleman’s game unlike any other sporting event. It’s based solely upon honor and integrity. Brian Davis was faced with a conscionable decision he had to make, if you don’t say anything you might just get away with it. How would you act? Would you own up to your mistake, or would you keep quiet and hope for the best?
Being a young player Brian Davis isn’t the best known name in golf today. However, after Sunday he should move up the list a few notches. What happened was his approach shot bounces off the fist playoff green and nestled in among some weeds. Watching television you could see the gunk he was trying to hit out of. He tried to punch the ball up onto the green, but his golf club grazed a stray weed on his back swing.
Loose Impediment Rule 18-2a. When a player’s golf ball is in play and it moves when addressing the ball, or causes it to move an immediate one stroke infraction occurs. If the golf ball moves it must be replaced back to original position. If movement occurs after the player begins his stroke, or the backward movement of the golf club and touches any part of a hazard the stroke shall be deemed occurred. Another penalty stroke must be assessed.
Being that this is such an ethical game and is based upon honor, integrity and tradition. Brian Davis did more for this game of golf by calling the violation on himself. It will pay him back in an abundant way. Even though the difference between 1′st and 2′nd place is a loss of $400,000. He’s a good player with a lot of respect by his peers now.
This reminds me of the 1984 Senior’s Championship at Oak Hill C.C. One of the greatest golfer’s in our lifetime did a similar mistake during the third round of the tournament. Arnold Palmer was putting for a 2 inch par on a par 3, and called a stroke on himself. I wasn’t near the green, but I could hear a terrible groan from the gallery. I asked someone who was watching what happened? They said, “they couldn’t see him move the putter much less make a stroke.” Even the television cameras couldn’t pick it up, not unlike Davis where you could see the golf club moving the impediment on his back swing. Arnie would go on and lose the championship by one stroke to Miller Barber.
There has been other incidents such as J.P. Hayes disqualifying himself for playing the wrong golf ball during qualifying school. Craig Stadler committing a penalty by putting a towel down on the ground under a pine tree and kneeling down on it. Which violates under improved lies rule. Adam Van Houten, who cost his team an Ohio state title when he admitted signing an incorrect scorecard. A similar situation occurred to a good friend of mine, who was caddying and keeping score for a top amateur in the Rochester area. This tournament is the biggest event of the year, with an automatic exemption into the N.Y.S. Amateur’s. That proved to be a costly mistake that he never got over, because he knew the golf rules.
Do you believe that the general public, regardless if their watching from the gallery or viewing it on television, that they have the rights to call the P.G.A. and point out any infractions that could have incurred? For starters, Davis shot was on television, and while he could have “not noticed” the movement. The TV cameras still did, and someone might have called him on it later on. Do you believe technology should be the determining factor when making a ruling? Should golf be judged like you have with other sports in using instant replay?
As soon as the replays confirmed the violation, Davis conceded the victory to Furyk, who was somewhat stunned. Make no mistake, Jim Furyk was grateful for the overall win. Davis said, “I thought I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, and I thought we’d check it on TV.” Indeed there was movement. Immediately after the shot, Davis called over a golf rules official, who conferred with television replays and confirmed the movement. It was only visible on slow-motion. Unbelievable. “To have the tournament come down that way is definitely not the way I wanted to win,” Furyk said. “It’s obviously a tough loss for him and I respect and admire what he did.” The key to great sportsmanship was that Davis gave away a chance at winning his first ever P.G.A. Tour event. He knew that in golf, honesty is more important than victory. It’s a tough lesson to learn, but here’s hoping he gets his accolades.
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