DC’s Diamond Notes – Sometimes the Good Outshines the Bad

Apr 22

Dwight Cadwell-NSO

Over the past two weekends for you golf fans you have been treated to two of the best performances there are in golf. First Phil Mickelson winning the Masters with grace and elegance to become a three time Masters Champion, and on this past Sunday Brain Davis, who in a playoff with Jim Furyk called a two stroke penalty on himself which gave the tournament to Furyk. These two stories are far more positive than Tiger’s return to golf.

Mickelson’s win at the Masters was not only inspiring for all that he and his family have endured over the past year, it also showed that Mickelson has overcome his failure at Wing Foot back at the US Open in 2006. Mickelson amazed the fans with nearly producing three consecutive eagles on holes 13, 14, and 15. His remarkable shot on Sunday on the 13th hole from the woods that landed 3 feet away was one of the best in Masters History. Mickelson did all this with a camera in his face all weekend and never did you hear anything negative coming for his mouth or his behavior, unlike Tiger Woods.

Tiger Woods made his comeback at the Masters and from what I have seen he still is a remarkable golfer, one of the best ever. But one who still acts like a spoiled child on the golf course. Golf is a game played with honor and respect, but Tiger because of all of his fame and success seems to think he is above it all, just as he did in his marriage. Golfing great Tom Watson called Tiger out recently stating “His swearing and his club throwing are like a child’s temper tantrums” Watson said. “That’s not part of what we want to project as far as the professional golf tour is concerned.”

Jim Nantz from CBS Sports and one of the most respected people in all of the media worldwide also said after the Masters, “If I would have said what he said on the air, I would be fired.”Guess what? Phil Mickelson had a camera in his face all weekend,” said Nantz. “Did you ever hear him come close to approaching that? He didn’t hit every shot exactly the way he wanted. Have you ever heard Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicklaus use that kind of language?”

Nantz said that Woods had used coarser language than that during tour stops, but was “disappointed” in his slip given that Woods had pledged during prior interviews and press conferences to refrain from outbursts of either exuberance or anger. “I can’t say anything I want when I’m on a live broadcast,” said Nantz. “Tiger’s not the only guy who’s got a camera in his face all day long. But he is the only one in the field who said he wasn’t going to do that anymore.” “Moreover, how about the father and son who are standing right there by the tee and they hear that and the father when him and his son are playing tells his son not to act like that what does it show?” said Nantz.

Maybe Tiger will change his ways as he humbly stated to the press in his limited interviews recently and his stating he has to be a better person, well its simple Tiger, as one of your few remaining sponsors logos state, just do it. Your behavior on and off the golf course has shown you are not a man of character but a man of wanting what’s only best for him. The sponsors that have dropped you and your marital problems have made not only you look bad but have made the game of golf look bad. Maybe you need lessons from Brian Davis.

Brain Davis a 16 year professional, never a winner on the PGA tour, took a chance at becoming a winner at the Verizon Heritage Tournament, but instead he did the right thing, he honored the game of golf and played it the way you are supposed to play it. Brian called a penalty on himself that he knew would cost him any chance of getting his first ever PGA Tour victory. He exemplifies what the game of golf has always been about. It’s a game of honesty and integrity and he showed all of us watching where those values need to rank in relation to winning and losing.

Maybe he gave up a title, but he has earned everyone’s admiration and respect. There is no telling how far-reaching the ripple effects will be for his honest and selfless act of athletic integrity. He is bringing respect back to the PGA Tour and to his sport, after all the negativity surrounding golf this past winter it is nice to see that even though Davis didn’t win Sunday, he is a winner in the eyes of thousands of golfer’s worldwide, and he is a true role model to our youth.

Dwight Cadwell can be reached at dwight@northlandsportsonline.com