Spoiled Children

Spoiled Children

Greetings Golfers,

So last Sunday, Matt Fitzgerald won the Valspar Championship in Florida. After the round, he didn’t want to talk about how he played … he wanted to talk about the slow play of his playing partner - Adrien Dumont de Chassart.

By the 11th hole, Matt was so frustrated that he hit out of turn. Then, he reported his partner to a PGA Rules Official. The NBC television announcer even described the pace of play as "glacial."

Fitzpatrick was upset because not only was his playing partner slow … but he was never ready.

Here’s an analogy. So … you’re in your car waiting in the left turn lane. The light finally changes, and the left turn arrow comes on. However, the car in front isn’t ready … and finally turns as the arrow turns yellow … and no one else makes the light.

That’s not fun on the road … or on the golf course.

We share the road. We share the golf course. Being not ready … is just selfish. It’s that simple.

Fitzpatrick also expressed his frustration with the PGA Tour not enforcing slow play.

I get it. I’m not a micro-manager or a control freak. However, I’m not tolerant of rude people.

In December, I was at a drug store waiting for my prescription to be filled. It was late in the day, and the place was packed. A huge line inside … and a huge line of cars outside. The staff was overwhelmed and doing a great job. While I was waiting … cars in line started honking … which was freaking-out the staff. So, I went outside and knocked on the car windows and told them to stop it. They did.

A decent society shouldn’t let rude, selfish people get away with acting like a jerk.

We’ve somehow flipped this upside-down. Confronting rude behavior is not being rude. It needs to be stood-up-to.

This is not controlling behavior.

I don’t care how Adrien Dumont de Chassart swings the golf club … that’s his right … but he doesn’t have a right to play slow.

I don’t care what music the guy in the car is listening to … but he doesn’t have a right to not turn when the arrow changes.

I don’t care what kind of prescription they’re picking up … but they don't have a right to be honking while waiting in line.

Years ago … one of my first columns in the Victoria paper was titled “Rudeness Will Not Be Rewarded."

A civilized society does not tolerate or reward rude behavior. And … it does encourage free speech and discussions of ideas. Ironically, I think that we have gone the opposite - tolerating rude behavior … and stifling free speech.

That’s not a society of grown-ups. That’s a society of spoiled children.

We’re better than that.

Cheers!

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com