Sport of golf - a profession that warrants its pursuers to be honest, fair and dedicated
"Golf is a test of temper, a trial of honour, a revealer of character. It affords a chance to play the man and act the gentleman." - Robert Forgan
This is neither just a quote, nor a set of words that came out of some ordinary person’s mouth. In fact, it is something that portrays the reality of the sport.
More than eight decades ago, the legendary Bobby Jones called himself a penalty during the 1925 US Open, when his ball moved after he addressed it in the rough.
According to the reports, there was not a single person who witnessed the ball moving from its original place after it was placed on the ground. There were no referees at that time and not even his playing partners or spectators saw it moving.
However, when he finished off his round, he made an announcement that he should be penalized for what happened on the course.
As a result, he had to enter into a 36-hole playoff where Willie Macfarlane defeated him in the end. Yet, Jones did not have anything to regret because what he did was something more than just ethical behaviour.
It did cost him a victory, but he must have felt really proud of his behaviour. Moreover, it also increased his credibility among the golf communities around the world.
Right after that, a local showed his interest in writing a story on it to praise the great man. However, Jones straightforwardly asked him not to report any such thing in the newspaper.
According to him, it was not something that he did out of the box. In fact, it was his obligation to inform the officials about the movement of the ball.
Yet, people praised him to such a great extent that he made a comment, stating, "You might as well praise me for not robbing banks”.
If summarized, it is pretty much clear that Jones could have compromised his integrity over a win. However, he did the opposite and lived his whole life as one of the best golf players in the world.
His example shows that a short-term or an artificial built of repo do not last too long. On the contrary, it can be even more disastrous for a player if he finds himself embarrassed over what had happened in his past.
So, the piece of advice is that a player must prove to be an incredible and dignified person, even if that entails a heavy price to pay. The reward of being dignified is long-lasting and self-satisfactory.
Adding up just number of victories while depending on loopholes or some unfair opportunities that present themselves, owing to the ignorance of the organisers or the staff is not fair for the players to accept.
Also, it is less likely for one to get away with a mistake, given the level of monitoring and scrutiny that comes with the assistance from the latest technology.
Yet, even if there is no big brother (CCTV camera) eye overlooking a player, as a person, the player should be honest to his game.
By the way, the sport of golf is not a game anymore, it is a profession, and all professions demand their pursuers to be honest, fair and truthful.
If someone cannot be fair, honest and dedicated to their profession, they have no right to pursue it, better leave it for someone who has the courage to stand up for what is the truth and the rightful.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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