As one commentator said it, there’s honesty, and then there’s Brian Davis.  Last Sunday at the PGA Verizon Heritage golf tournament, Davis was in the running for his first PGA championship when his ball rolled off the 18th green.  PGATOUR.com reported live:

Wow. What a strange ending. Brian Davis called on himself what he thought might be a penalty when his club made contact with a twig on his backswing from the hazard left of the 18th hole. It had zero impact on the shot, but was a rules violation nonetheless — and one that was barely visible. … [It] cost him a chance at his first win on the PGA TOUR.

To be fair, Jim Furyk [who won the tournament] hit his putt to a few feet to set up a fairly easy par putt, but Davis was done. The violation cost him two strokes and eliminated any chance of extending the playoff.

As the British-born Davis told the London Sun, “I play by the rules. No victory would be worthwhile if it had a cloud hanging over it.”

Now that’s the way to  play.  It’s good to remember in the midst of Tiger Woods’ scandal that golf has a history of decent, honorable men who are willing to stand up for a high ethical standard, even when it costs them.