Brian Davis, fairly unknown PGA player and yet teaches us about character and integrity during very important game.
During 2010 Verizon Heritage tournament, he was playing for a win at the playoff with Jim Furyk. It was likely, very likely, that he wasn’t going to win since he had 35-foot downhill putt for par while his opponent, Jim Furyk had three-putt from just off the green. However, it wasn’t the odds but the character that is to be noticed.
In his approach to green from bunker, Davis ticked a loose reed before hitting the ball which in USGA Rule 23 is a two-stroke penalty. It was undetectable to the naked eye and yet, he felt that his club must have touched and thus, request super slo-mo and in fact, found him touching it. There was a possibility that no one could have noticed it and giving him a chance to win but with self-imposing penalty, the game was over for him!
That penalty cost (if he was to win) was $400,000 on that Sunday. However, in reality, it would have cost him more than that since the winning would have given him a spot to the Masters, possible invitationals, endorsement bonuses and other opportunities. Also it was going to be his first winning at Verizon and who know his life might have changed.
Davis said during an interview, “It was one of the best things I’ve done… I know I could go to sleep every night with no worry… I did the right thing and it was a good lesson for my kids… plenty of golfers would have done it before and plenty of golfers would do it after… HONOR, INTEGRITY… at face value they are only words but they become actions over our own accord, they reveal our own true character.”
There are many things money CAN buy but also there are many things money CAN’T buy… one of them is this great CHARACTER! Well done Davis!