Unexpected results at the Verizon Heritage

Yesterday's Verizon Heritage Classic ended in unexpected fashion with a playoff between Jim Furyk and England's Brain Davis.  In no other sport will you find an ending as happened near the 18th green of Harbor Town Golf Links in Hilton Head South Carolina, and in many ways it is what defines this great game.

Off the tee both men were in the middle of the fairway with mid irons in to the green.  Davis hit first and in trying to take some off of his 6 Iron, put the ball into the hazard.  In this case the hazard was hard-packed beach sand, amongst general ocean debris.  Furyk was next up and put his ball at the back of the green with a lengthy putt ahead of him.  On the green Furyk, although on the fringe, was still away.  He nestled his ball up to four feet from the hole leaving him a not so easy Par putt in playoff conditions.

Davis was left with choice, take a drop 30 feet from the hole and try to make a miraculous chip in for the par to potentially tie or take his chances with his ball in the hazard lying on hard packed sand.  After deliberating with his caddy he went for the shot out of the hazard.  Davis set up as if in a bunker took a nice full swing and plopped the ball out of the sand and across the green to give himself a 30-40 foot putt to tie the hole.  But wait...what's this...Davis is pulling a rules official over to talk.  He is telling the official that in his back swing he thinks he hit some of the debris poking out of the sand.  Within seconds of doing so without even looking to see where his ball had gone he was turning himself in for what he had to have known was going to be a 2 shot penalty and the end of the playoff.  When hitting the ball from the hazard it is against the rules to come in contact with any loose impediment.  To do so is considered improving your lie.  Some dramatic 2 way radio transmissions followed as the rules department tried to establish if a 2 stroke penalty was needed.  In the end it was, and Davis walked away with second place, a loss of what I can only imagine to be many thousands of dollars and a clear conscience.

A pat on the back goes out to Davis after his showing.  You make us all who have kicked a ball into the fairway from a poor lie,  not gone back and re-hit a ball that went OB, or grounded their club in a bunker and never taken penalty stroke all hang our heads in shame.  On the line for us is nothing more than one or two strokes written on a piece of paper.  But for Davis, it means money that he will not make and a two year exemption on the tour not obtained.

For all you other players of professional sports take note of how a true sportsman plays.  I want to see football players who tap the shoulder of a ref and say, "excuse me but I am pretty sure I was holding back there while your back was turned, a look at the replay will show that I was so please send my team back 15 yards and we can continue the game," or a baseball player who says to the umpire, "I know you couldn't see it from your angle but I felt the glove tagged me out so don't count the run I just made."

Oh, how all sports would change if they were all played in such a fashion.

Cheers to All!