Golfer Loses Playoff Hole on Purpose

[DeltaBrave03]

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/golf/news/story?id=5168124

Kind of lame in my opinion. Why even play if your intentions aren't to win. From the opponents perspective, I'm there to win fair and square not because someone let me win. A real smack in the face to the competitive nature of sports.

 

[Da Coach]

Strange.
In the game of golf it would have been quite easy for him to do this (lose the hole intentionally) without making it public, or anyone knowing. So if his real intentions were honorable, he should have just done it clandestinely.
But he decided to let everyone know he lost the playoff on purpose. That takes away any chance the other golfer had to win legitimately, and that's what I think is bad about this. Now, even though they both advance to the NAIA national tournament, the other golfer will always be known as the guy who advanced because the opponent intentionally threw the hole.

 

[tornado]

a couple thoughts...

--I think Da Coach is right....if he wanted to do this openly on purpose, he'd have hit a tee shot in the opposite direction or right into the drink...
instead he kinda plays normal and gets a double bogey.......then claims he did it on purpose. Maybe it's just a cheap excuse for shooting a bad hole and now that he's used it, he's sticking to his story to avoid looking like a liar.

--then he says this..."Whybark emphasized that no other golfer missed a chance to advance to the national tournament because of his action."
..but he really can't know whether allowing the opponent to advance could cost someone down the road a chance to win or advance, since that hasn't happened yet.
If some kid misses a medal in the NAIA tourney because he loses to the opponent that wouldn't have been there without this scheme, then the guy might be considered to have been cheated.

--then lastly - isn't this exactly what we talk about every year when a team like UNI who is going to go to the NCAA - ought to lose the conference tourney in order to give the Valley TWO bids......