George Costanza
A Friendly Liberal
On the final (playoff) hole of this year's Heritage at Hilton Head, Brian Davis called a penalty on himself that gave Furyk the tournament.
Furyk was on the 18th in two. Davis pulled his second shot left of the green and it wound up in a sand and scrub waste area. His ball was lying on sand, but there were a lot of weeds and brush close to the ball. As he took his wedge back, it brushed a thin stem of brush, moving it. On the downswing, the clubhead never touched the stem. The ball ended up on the green. It was a long shot, but if Davis holed out his putt for a par, and Furyk two putted, the playoff would continue.
Instead of walking onto the green, however, Davis beckoned to an official. It is a two stroke penalty for the club to move any type of loose impediment during the swing. If the stem that was moved was loose, the penalty would apply. There was a long consult. It developed that the stem had been loose. Two stroke penalty. Game over - Furyk wins.
If Davis had not called the penalty on himself, no one would have known.
It's one thing to do something like that during a normal round of golf. But when it means a tournament as important as The Heritage, that is quite a different matter. Talk about integritiy!
Which brings me to my question: I wonder what Tiger Woods would have done in a similar situation?
Think he would have called the penalty on himself? Or not?
Furyk was on the 18th in two. Davis pulled his second shot left of the green and it wound up in a sand and scrub waste area. His ball was lying on sand, but there were a lot of weeds and brush close to the ball. As he took his wedge back, it brushed a thin stem of brush, moving it. On the downswing, the clubhead never touched the stem. The ball ended up on the green. It was a long shot, but if Davis holed out his putt for a par, and Furyk two putted, the playoff would continue.
Instead of walking onto the green, however, Davis beckoned to an official. It is a two stroke penalty for the club to move any type of loose impediment during the swing. If the stem that was moved was loose, the penalty would apply. There was a long consult. It developed that the stem had been loose. Two stroke penalty. Game over - Furyk wins.
If Davis had not called the penalty on himself, no one would have known.
It's one thing to do something like that during a normal round of golf. But when it means a tournament as important as The Heritage, that is quite a different matter. Talk about integritiy!
Which brings me to my question: I wonder what Tiger Woods would have done in a similar situation?
Think he would have called the penalty on himself? Or not?
Last edited:
