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Here is a story that you don’t find too often these days.  A young golfer, a sophomore at the University of St. Francis had secured a spot in the NAIA National Championship by his team winning the Chicagoland Collegiate Conference Championship.  Grant Whybark was in but was vying for an individual spot against Olivet Nazarene’s Seth Doran, a senior who was playing his last college tournament and had not once played in the national championship.  Finding themselves in a playoff for a spot in the championship, the young sophomore knew he was playing in the next round and if he won the playoff would have two spots and the senior would not be playing another collegiate round.

Well, in most cases one would want to defeat their competitor and win.  In this case young Grant chose a different approach to sportsmanship and displayed the true essence of the integrity found in golf.  Knowing that Seth was truly worthy of playing in the championship, but having not qualified because his team did not win the team championship, Seth had to win the playoff to continue to the next round.   After discussing with his team his intentions, which the team agreed with, Grant stepped to the tee on the first playoff hole to begin the playoff.  He teed his ball, looked down the fairway and then did what most would never consider, drove his ball, intentionally, out of bounds.  Grant made a double bogey and Seth made a par on the hole.  Now both Seth and Grant will play in the national championship and develop memories to last a lifetime.

I applaud this young man’s sportsmanship qualities and hope that both do well in the next tournament.  This is something that won’t make the headlines, get recognitions in tabloids or on ESPN so I wanted to bring attention to this display of character to the nation.  Please pass this story on to others as we need more of this kind of display of respect for others and there dreams in society today.

May the best man win.

Good Golfing.

JB

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