What’s Honesty Worth? Everything.

I was watching The Masters golf championship and saw something remarkable. Amateur Michael Thompson was over his ball getting ready to putt when he backed off and told an official that his ball had moved, in essence calling a penalty on himself. I never saw it. They had to show a slow motion replay to prove that the ball had indeed moved about a quarter of an inch.

Now name me another sport where players call penalties on themselves. It’s the beauty of golf, but it’s also the integrity of the man.

Realize this. Michael Thompson, as an amateur, had qualified to play in one of the biggest golf tournaments in the world. He was right on the edge of the cut line, in other words, the score needed to qualify for the final two rounds of the tournament.

Calling a penalty on himself cost him a stroke and put him over the edge, but it didn’t matter.

He walked off the green to the awe inspired applause of the gallery and the praise of the TV commentators who said that his action would leave an indelible impression on this tournament.

Somewhere along the way someone taught Michael that even the game of golf reflects life. There’s no substitute for honesty and integrity.

If you’re a coach, can you see how you have the privilege of “Coaching For Life” and not just for the game?

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This entry was posted on April 12, 2008 at 9:32 pm and is filed under coaching better, ethics, good examples. Tagged: , , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

3 Responses to “What’s Honesty Worth? Everything.”

  1. Travis Says:
    April 14, 2008 at 7:09 pm

    My fiance and I were just talking yesterday about the level of integrity in the golf game, and I didn’t even know this had happened with Michael Thompson!

  2. WC Says:
    April 15, 2008 at 3:16 am

    It makes you wonder what coaches have had influence upon him in the past. I would love to know who they were and what kind of values they stood for. This is a part of sports that may never make the headlines but it stands out from the rest in my book.

  3. Beth Thompson Says:
    July 10, 2008 at 1:58 am

    That’s our son. :) We have raised him to the best of our ability and with the help of several coaches who have supported our values. He is an Eagle Scout and holds integrity to the highest of his character traits. He loves this game and will honor it all his life. Thank you for your comments and support. Sincerely, Mike and Beth Thompson

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