(OT) Gamesmanship at the Ladies Amateur Championship

[Tom Culley]

Today in the Ladies Amateur Championship at Carnousite, the number 134 in the world rankings Kelly Tidy was a victim of terrible bad sportsmanship on the way to losing 4 & 2 against French Perrine Delacour.

Here in her own words (tweets), is what Kelly claimed Perrine did on the golf course:

[/i]Witnessed the worst sportsmenship I've ever seen in my 15 years of competing this morning. Disgusting behaviour. #karma

Slamming your club on my down swing just because your in the crap off the tee!

Sticking your fingers up at my Grandma when she tells you to stand still as I'm hitting my shot.

Cheering and fist pumping when I go in a bunker off the tee. #shocking #karma[/i]

I have always believed that women shouldn't play match play, then take it far too personal 

[JSlonis]

Wow!  If that's true, Ms.Tidy should have called for an official during the match to observe. It's beyond poor etiquette and should've been a DQ.

If I ever had someone banging a club during my swing or outwardly cheering a bad shot of mine, there would first be expletives and then I'd probably just say "If you want to win that badly..." and walk off the course.  Life is too short to have to spend 4 hours on the course with someone like that.

[RJ_Daley]

That does sound incredible.  It is as if this other competitor has some sort of mental disorder.  If so, it raises even more questions in my mind about allowing a perhaps diagnosed mentally-emotionally disabled individual into a tournament to compete and likely disrupt.  If the behavior is documented, it seems to me a ban pending evidence of a signed document that medication or therapy has been effective to eliminate such uncontrolled outbursts.  If not a mental disorder, she should simply have a long term ban, followed by one and only one more chance before lifetime ban, IMHO.

[Rich Goodale]

IMO, Ms. Tidy should have chewed another arsehole for her opponent (she sounds as if she is gifted with multiples of these) when the first incident occurred and then discontinued play after the second, refusing to play on until an official was informed of this unacceptable behaviour and made a ruling.  I'd disqualify the witch under Rule 33-7.

[RJ_Daley]

Let's hope the ladies am golf game isn't going the way of the ladies am soccer game in this instance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvEobeNfGcc

[Jeff_Brauer]

Years back, when my son was on the high school golf circuit, he earned his way into an event at famed Colonial over in Ft.Worth, and I went out to watch.  His opponent behaved similarly, including throwing clubs, laying down on the ground and pounding his fist over missed putts, etc.  The coup de grace was him accusing my son of mis scoring him.  First, its hard to know how many penalties he incurred, but I know he broke many rules, like giving himself putts, and my son counted the actual number.  Filed a formal protest and all,  and so I got a bit involved at the end as perhaps my son's rep in the golf community would be affected by this kid's performance.

Thoroughly ruined my day, my son's day, and anyone else who was watching.  It was awkward, in not knowing if I should report a fellow junior golfer or not.

Given golf's grand traditions, that woman ought to be severaly chastised, suspended, whatever to nip any behavior like that in the bud at that level.

[Tom Culley]

Of course Kelly's poor grammar should not go unpunished.

[David_Tepper]

Ms. P. Delacour has won two further matches after defeating Ms. Tidy and is now in the semi-finals. I presume her on course behavior, if it is indeed as bad as Ms. Tidy relates, will now come under closer scrutiny. In the 4 matches she has won, her narrowest margin of victory has been 4&2. Regardless of her behavior, she appears to be a formidable golfer.  

[Scott Warren]

Tom,

You state with such certainty that Tidy "was a victim of terrible bad sportsmanship". Have you anything besides her Twitter allegations on which to base that?

[Tom Culley]

Scott,

I also read reports from golf writer Alistair Tait on Twitter, however he did not state his source, so there is a chance that he may have just seen Kelly's tweets.

[Greg Tallman]

Seve, from the heavens, is not at all impressed by the French girls alleged actions.

[DMoriarty]

Like Scott I am left wondering as to the reality of the situation.  Also I am not sure that twittering your complaints about your opponent is in the spirit of "sportsmanship."  Likewise regarding Granny inserting herself into the match. 

[Mark Johnson]

i thought the same until Alistair Tidy (great golfweek reporter)  confirmed via twitter.

[DMoriarty]

I thought Tom wasn't sure whether or not he was just passing on information from the golfer's tweets.