“The thing I love about golf and this sport is that I have no one else to blame but myself”
Golf is throwing up some gracious losers this year.
It has been a tough year for professional golfers. For the 11th time this year on the US PGA Tour, a golfer has come from more than four shots back on the final day to win. Today is was Keegan Bradley’s turn take the honours. He started the day at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational four shots behind Furyk but ended up with the winner’s trophy after a final hole collapse from Furyk.
It was just another heartbreaking finish to a 2012 golf tournament when Furyk made double-bogey on the last to hand Bradley his third career victory.
“I walked over, and my boy is crying right after the round,” Furyk said. “I guess it reminds you as an adult, as a parent, that you have to act the proper way. You have to do and say the right things to try to give the right lessons.”
“It is a cruel game, and I’ve lost some tournaments in some pretty poor fashions, but I don’t think I’ve let one ever slip nearly as bad as this one. This was my worst effort to finish off an event.”
“The thing I love about golf and this sport is that I have no one else to blame but myself…”.
Class. All class.
But he hasn’t been the only one to exude such class after snatching defeat from the jaws of victory this year. Adam Scott held his head high in post-round interviews after his Open Championship heartbreak, Kyle Stanley was forthright and bounced back after his loss at the Farmer’s Insurance Open, and Ernie Els was amazing to hold his tongue when a microphone was thrown in his face after his bogey-bogey finish at the Transitions Championship.
None of these were ordinary losses. All were brutal given the expectation before the final round began, but no tantrums, no bitter words like you see in many other sports.
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Consummate professionals in every sense. To remain gracious with so much at stake is extraordinary. Amateurs who spit the dummy for choking in nothing competitions take heed.
Golf is a brutal game…played by brutal men.