Why golf is the best sport in the world no. 112

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Unbelievable. Football has Henry, golf has Davis.

Of course, golf has its versions of Henry, too

[Wyatt Earp]

Why golf is the best sport in the world no. 112

I've having a spot of trouble on the links.

[ursus arctos]

Why golf is the best sport in the world no. 112

The dreaded double "http" at the start of the link.

This should work.

Brian Davis couldn’t deny what he saw and knew he was honor-bound to tell the world.

Davis ticked a loose reed during his backswing on the first playoff hole of the Verizon Heritage, calling a two-stroke penalty on himself that gave Jim Furyk a victory on Sunday.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Why golf is the best sport in the world no. 112

Tried to sort that now.

[Kid A]

Why golf is the best sport in the world no. 112

Snooker is similarly gentlemanly for calling your own fouls but it's hard to think of any other sports that do this.

[The Exploding Vole]

Why golf is the best sport in the world no. 112

I seem to recall Arthur Ashe double-faulting on purpose after receiving the benefit of an incorrect line call. I don't remember if it cost him the match, though. And that was back in the day.

[Brandenburger Toro]

Why golf is the best sport in the world no. 112

Great story. There's the Robbie Fowler and Paolo Di Canio incidents, too.

I suppose the unusual thing about golf is that doing this is just expected. Padraig Harrington had a similar incident a few years ago.

[WOM]

Why golf is the best sport in the world no. 112

Why on Earth... wrote:

I'm having a spot of trouble on the links.

That deserves dignified applause from the gallery.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Why golf is the best sport in the world no. 112

Davis' self-imposed penalty has cost him more than just the immediate $300k in prize money (which, with a second prize of over $600k, I suppose some would argue he wouldn't "notice"). Victory would have lifted him much closer to the world top 50 than his current 98th place (guaranteeing entry into the US Open, Open Championship and PGA later this year) and would also have guaranteed his entry into next year's Masters, and his playing card on the USPGA tour for the next two years.

The amazing bit of it really is that the penalty is the same, for inadvertently flicking a reed, as it would have been for quite deliberately heaving a great big pebble that was behind your ball out of your way, on the backswing. Golf, unlike football, has no element of interpretation of "deliberate" or "seeking to gain an advantage" in its rules - an offence is an offence, inadvertent or deliberate. I wonder if it's the better for that, or the worse?

Still, as the Tour ommissioner says, Davis's action will "pay back tenfold in spades". He will be an automatic sponsor's invite for big events for some time to come, a bit like the hapless but charming Jean Van de Velde after Carnoustie in '99.

[The Exploding Vole]

Why golf is the best sport in the world no. 112

It would be interesting to see the same ethos in, say, ice hockey, with players skating off to the penalty box before the whistle.

[Brandenburger Toro]

Why golf is the best sport in the world no. 112

Rogin the Armchair Fan wrote:

Still, as the Tour ommissioner says, Davis's action will "pay back tenfold in spades".

What on earth will he do with three million pounds' worth of shovels?

[Mumpo]

Why golf is the best sport in the world no. 112

Has anyone considered the fact that the guy might only have owned up because he thought he might be caught?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Why golf is the best sport in the world no. 112

"It's not cricket" should long ago have given way to "it's not golf".

[David Agnew]

Why golf is the best sport in the world no. 112

In the snooker yesterday morning, Fergal O'Brien called a foul, claiming he moved the black with his cue, as he took a shot. The foul cost him a crucial frame (making it 8-5, instead of 7-6).

Only the replays showed that he didn't appear to touch it, and if he did touched it, he didn't move it, so it wasn't a foul

[Guest]

Why golf is the best sport in the world no. 112

Ian Woosnam famously called a penalty on himself, during the 2001 British Open. On the second tee during the final round, his caddy noticed that he had put 15 clubs into Woosnam’s bag, one more than is allowed. Immediately Woosnam approached the referee and told him of the error. He had just moved into a share of the lead, this admission cost him a two-shot penalty and, ultimately, a chance of victory. Though he was furious with his caddy (he shouted something like, “You have one fucking job to do and you can’t do that right,” and threw the offending club into the rough), it simply never crossed his mind to try and cover up the error, which presumably would not have been too difficult.