Excellence through Ethics Essay Contest
Winning essay by Brook Miller of St. Louis, MO
 

Are you considered an ethical person if you conduct yourself ethically in one aspect of your life and not in others? How important are honesty and integrity? Honesty is one of the most important standards that a golf player must establish for himself or herself because golf is a self-policing sport. Typically there are no official scorekeepers, umpires, or referees to count your strokes or call penalties. As a golf player, I can attest to why honesty is an integral part of the game: you are responsible for counting each stroke, marking each ball, and keeping your own score. In the case of Robert and his dilemma, he should simply be honest.

If I were Robert, I would approach Dr. Wilson and ask to speak with him privately; I would then tactfully explain that I was not sure whether he noticed that the ball moved when he took his practice swing.

Hopefully, after our conversation, Dr. Wilson would notify the tournament officials that his ball moved after he addressed it. That would most likely result in his losing the tournament, but it would preserve the integrity of the game and the spirit in which true golf should be played.

Should Dr. Wilson refuse to correct the situation, then I would report my observation to the tournament officials. Unfortunately, I might not receive a glowing recommendation from Dr. Wilson, however I would be able to maintain the honesty and integrity of golf and I would have the satisfaction of knowing that I had done the right thing. Not many people have the courage to come forth when they see something wrong or unfair. I would rather present a recommendation from an honest individual than one from someone who feels he needs to cheat to get ahead.

A true athlete plays to win, but understands that one only wins by performing better than one's opponents in competition and within the confines of the rules of the game. Hopefully, Dr. Wilson would recognize that in golf, as with life, it is better be honest, rather than remain silent and reap rewards that he has not earned. Moreover, the doctor would regard the honesty and integrity of the sport before his own successes; furthermore, as a result of my honesty, I would hope that he would write a recommendation that would commend my probity as well.

Last year, J. P. Hayes, a professional golfer reported his accidental use of a non-tournament-approved ball to official. This resulted in his disqualification from the tournament and prevented him from advancing to the prestigious PGA Tour, which equated to him losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in income. His actions brought him positive press, sponsor's exemptions to other tournaments, and proved that honesty and integrity are more important than winning. The life lesson to be learned in any dilemma like Robert's is this: always tell the truth because "to one's own self be true" -- it counts far more than any sports victory.