Wow guys. A touching story gets touchy between GCA members....
As a rules official, after collecting all information concerning a possible infraction, if there is no clear answer to the evidence, the benefit of doubt is given to the player. If the player lies, that's something the player must live with. It's an on the spot decision.
Call it corny if you will but in my mind this is what makes golf the greatest game on the planet. Honor, integrity. It's a reflection of how someone lives there life, not just plays a game. That's MY opinion and how I choose to live my life.
"Golf gives you an insight into human nature, your own as well as your opponent's." ~Grantland Rice
Pete, thanks for sharing.
Ken
Ken,
The structure of the rules and how they are enforced is what I like most less about the game. Overzealous competitors who call infractions that lead to a he said she said scenario hold no honor. My youngest son lost interest is competitive golf for this very reason. I went to pick him up after a tournament and found him sitting alone crying because another child's parents had called him a cheat. It seems his ball hit a tree in a lateral hazard and bounced back into play. They, non golfers, said that because the ball was in a hazard it was a penalty whether it came out on its own or not. It ended up being a prolonged argument where he became confused and took the penalty because they refused to play on until he agreed. The adults, he was 10, convinced him he was a cheat.
Now I know this is unusual and extreme but in my opinion it is what happened here. If this man is truly as pure as he says I seriously doubt that he believed his ball moved that day. After years of reflection, or maybe even later that day, his mind started to doubt and guilt built it up to what his opponent wanted him to believe and admit. It should have never gotten this far. The opponent should have accepted his opinion and not brought one official, or in this instance two to the scene.
I see nothing good about either scenario or a game that needs to be officiated as such. This is why I only play match play against opponents in my group. An ideal game is one where the ball is never touched until you reach the green and if you lose the ball you start with you lose the hole.
If there was truly honor in the game we would not have rules officials. No offense, but I see most of you guys like small town cops who wear your rule book on your sleeve like a pearl handled glock. For golf to truly have honor we need to go back to the wild west where men settled disputes between each other. Wedges at ten paces.