November 25, 2008 5:09 AM

There's no wrong way to do the right thing

MY NEW HERO #130: J.P. Hayes

J.P. Hayes says anyone else on the PGA Tour in his situation "would have done the same thing.".... During the second stage of the PGA Tour qualifying tournament last week in Texas, Hayes discovered that on two shots on one hole, he had unwittingly used a prototype golf ball not approved for competition by the United States Golf Association. No one would have known. And a full-time spot on the PGA Tour in 2009 was on the line. But Hayes, honoring the tradition of a game where the players police themselves, turned himself in and was disqualified.

From time to time, a reader will observe that I don't a lot of "positive" pieces...so this one's for all y'all who think I'm some sort of cynical curmudgeon.

As I've gotten older, I've become more of a cynic. It's hard not to, really, when you see that integrity all too often seems to be the exception instead of the rule. Too many people, especially those in positions of power and authority, think "doing the right thing" means doing what's best for their own self-interest. Being true to your word, and being a person of integrity seems to have long since given way to situational ethics, whereby people facing difficult moral and ethical decisions ultimately do whatever accrues the most benefit to themselves. This is especially true if "no one will ever know". Though it's been awhile since I've swung a golf club in anger, one of the things I've always admired about the sport is the spirit of integrity that's part and parcel of the tradition of golf. Sure, some of the rules might seem silly, arcane, and superfluous to those who have never played the game. To most golfers, though, the rules are the rules, and they're followed scrupulously, even if "no one will ever know" if they were to choose to selectively ignore a rule. Most golfers know that THEY will know, and that's usually enough...so while J.P. Hayes may not think he did anything special, the fact that he stood up and did the right thing only serves to demonstrate how low a priority integrity is in today's world.

It happened...at Deerwood Country Club in Kingwood, Texas.

On his 12th hole of the first round, Hayes' caddie reached into his golf bag and tossed a ball to Hayes, who played two shots -- a tee and a chip onto the green -- and marked his ball. At that point he realized the ball he was playing was not the same model with which he started the round -- by rule, a two-stroke penalty.

Would anyone have known that Hayes had played two shots with a different ball? Of course not; for most of us a golf ball is a golf ball is a golf ball. To Hayes, who makes a living playing a game based on the concept of honor and self-policing, HE knew...and that made all the difference in the world.

That Hayes would call a penalty on himself, given that no one else would have EVER known, only serves to demonstrate the sort of integrity that governs the game of golf. Most any professional golfer would do the same thing, because, as professionals, most of them recognize their role as caretakers of the game. That Hayes did so and in doing so cost himself a regular spot on the PGA Tour only makes his actions that much more remarkable...to everyone except anyone who truly understands the traditions of golf.

Hayes would have been within his rights to blame his caddy, who tossed him the wrong ball. Hayes, though, knew that he bore the ultimate responsibility for not checking the ball prior to hitting his tee shot.

By doing what he knew to be the right thing, Hayes cost himself in the short term. In the long term, though, he's part of a long list of golfers who follow the rules of the game simply because they know that if they don't eventually chaos, anarchy, and self-interest would reign.

If I'm ever fortunate enough to meet J.P. Hayes, I'm buying the man a beer or six. If there's any justice in the world, Hayes will never have to buy another beer as long as he lives. Well done. It's true; there really is no wrong way to do the right thing.

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on November 25, 2008 5:09 AM.

Shed those unsightly pounds as you repress innocent, defenseless, subhuman minorities!! was the previous entry in this blog.

In the end, we'll learn that Hank Paulson was holed up in his office, snorting cocaine off the naked backs of hookers using rolled-up $1000 bills is the next entry in this blog.

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