Sporting gesture or nonsense?

[texasdave]

Golfer purposely shanks drive in playoff. Is throwing the playoff a noble gesture or nonsense?


What happened next is the type of stuff movies are made about. Whybark stood over his tee shot on the first playoff hole, looked down the fairway and back at his ball, and hit it 40 yards right of the fairway, out of bounds by a mile. He made double bogey, Doran made par, and Olivet Nazarene had a man in nationals.

What makes it so incredible? Whybark intentionally did it, because he felt Doran had earned a spot in the next round.

http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/devil_ball_golf/post/When-losing-a-golf-tournament-really-makes-you-a?urn=golf,238912

[Slyder]

Golfer purposely shanks drive in playoff. Is throwing the playoff a noble gesture or nonsense?



http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/devil_ball_golf/post/When-losing-a-golf-tournament-really-makes-you-a?urn=golf,238912

Its golf how many people don't care unless Tiger is involved? Honestly good for this guy, maybe NCAA or (insert ruling org) will reward the guy with a "Special exemption".

[Kingspoint]

Golf is a gentleman's game played on the honor system.

You don't do what that guy did.

It's not acceptable.

To think it does rules yourself out as someone capable of using the honor system.

[Slyder]

Golf is a gentleman's game played on the honor system.

You don't do what that guy did.

It's not acceptable.

To think it does rules yourself out as someone capable of using the honor system.

It was his decision. Maybe I'm just odd to think its a nice gesture for a guy to let someone else have an oportunity like this.

And I've only played golf 1 time in my life.

[Dom Heffner]

If he was ahead, how did the other guy "earn" it over him?

[Razor Shines]

I don't like it. If I was the guy that ended up winning, I wouldn't have wanted to win that way.

[Slyder]

Okay I get it, I'm in the minority that doesnt get the whole golf "honor system" or whatever you want to call it. After watching Mike and Mike's reaction I agree he could have done it a bit more subtletly.

He wanted this senior to have a chance to participate in nationals.

[Scrap Irony]

Meh. I wouldn't have done it, as I'm way too competitive, but obviously this guy has his reasons and is willing to stand up and do something about it. For that, I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt.

In other words, I think his honor was just where it should have been.

[bucksfan2]

Okay I get it, I'm in the minority that doesnt get the whole golf "honor system" or whatever you want to call it. After watching Mike and Mike's reaction I agree he could have done it a bit more subtletly.

He wanted this senior to have a chance to participate in nationals.

I have no problem with this what so ever. Player A had already qualified for nationals while Player B was in an playoff for the top individual. If Player A won Player B would not get to go to nationals even though Player A already had a guaranteed spot.

Especially when you are dealing with guys from the same conference or same geological region they are used to playing with each other all year long. They play during the season but also in individual summer tournaments. They know each other pretty well and Player A obviously had a great deal of respect for Player B. It was a nice gesture but it could come back to bite player A in the butt.

[SeeinRed]

Okay I get it, I'm in the minority that doesnt get the whole golf "honor system" or whatever you want to call it. After watching Mike and Mike's reaction I agree he could have done it a bit more subtletly.

He wanted this senior to have a chance to participate in nationals.


This is exactly how I feel. He wanted to give a senior golfer the chance to get to Nationals. The only problem I have with it is that the way he did it made it look like the other guy couldn't have beaten him unless he threw the hole. Play it out, and if you need to "mis-read" a putt. Doing it in such an obvious way just doesn't show the respect he was supposedly going after.

[NJReds]

If it was me, I'd want to earn my place at nationals, not have it handed to me by an opponent that thought I'd have no chance to beat him. Worse, he made a big show of it to get attention, rather than just missing a putt or something. I'd be embarrassed, and consider not going to nationals. Sports is about competition.

[JaxRed]

I agree with SeeinRed. Totally a class thing to do. In no way shape or form does it violate the Honors rule, but he could have done the same thing by 4 putting.

[Slyder]

I agree with SeeinRed. Totally a class thing to do. In no way shape or form does it violate the Honors rule, but he could have done the same thing by 4 putting.

Or by knocking it "just out of bounds" rather than crushing it out. Or by knocking it into the rough a couple times. Mi****ting around the green to send it over it. 4-putting like someone said may have been a bit to blatant also.

[bucksfan2]

If it was me, I'd want to earn my place at nationals, not have it handed to me by an opponent that thought I'd have no chance to beat him. Worse, he made a big show of it to get attention, rather than just missing a putt or something. I'd be embarrassed, and consider not going to nationals. Sports is about competition.

But the thing is he did earn his spot at the Nationals. He came in tied for first after the tournament was complete. It isn't like the player intentionally blew it during regulation.

[Hoosier Red]

I think the kids heart was in the right place but I disagree with what he did for two reasons.

1) I'm sure the other kid would have liked to earn the place, or at least feel like he did. Now he feels like he doesn't belong in Nationals, will have to answer questions about whether he "deserved" to go, etc. etc.

2) By making it so obvious, the story became about what a nice guy he was, not about the other guy making nationals as a senior. Even when it was so obvious, he could have simply said, "Yeah I picked the wrong time for the duck hook to come out, but hey I'm happy for the other guy because he gets to go to nationals." He wouldn't have made yahoo sports as somebody getting the NCAA golf tournament is not a big deal, but Instead he essentially said, "Yes I threw the extra playoff hole, what a nice guy I am, throw your adulation on me."

[Razor Shines]

I am not certain his heart was in the right place. Like others have said, if all he cared about was this other guy getting in, then why did he do it the way he did? Why'd he make it obvious and then talk about it after? Why'd he embarrass the other guy? The more I think about it, if I was playing against someone I didn't like, I might do this.

[SeeinRed]

I am not certain his heart was in the right place. Like others have said, if all he cared about was this other guy getting in, then why did he do it the way he did? Why'd he make it obvious and then talk about it after? Why'd he embarrass the other guy? The more I think about it, if I was playing against someone I didn't like, I might do this.

I can certainly see that point, but I tend to think he did it with good intentions but didn't think it out as much as we have here. Maybe he just couldn't keep himself out of the story as some of us think he should've. I don't know what the thought process was, and I hate to rip on him without knowing what his true intentions were. As it is, I'm willing to give him benefit of the doubt.