I found myself in an online debate with a golfer yesterday about whether or not Phil Mickelson should have been disqualified for his behavior at the US Open this weekend. The golfer’s assertion was, “no, Phil obeyed golf etiquette and therefore, what he did was okay.” By definition, Phil supposedly respected the other players and the sport by throwing a baby fit, because the game wasn’t going his way; breaking the rules, because breaking them would cost him less than playing by the rules; telling multiple stories about why he broke the rules; and finally, apologizing three days later, but only after getting called out.
Let’s begin with a definition:
Etiquette: the customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group.
Golf, the sport of rich folks, has its own code of conduct, its own code of behavior. A code that allows the behavior of Phil Mickelson and considers it normal. A code so entrenched that they didn’t even consider disqualifying the man for blatantly stating that he broke the rules to gain an advantage.
I can see why Donald Trump loves this sport.
I’m not much above being a redneck myself. My father was an electrician, my mother, a housewife, and they had their own etiquette. Only they called it manners. I played sports, went to school and hung out in my neighborhood. In those activities, I was expected to act within the etiquette of my family and community.
First, throwing a baby fit because I didn’t get my way was a fast way to a public spanking. Yes, I know, many consider this a bad thing today, my parents didn’t and they wanted me to not meltdown as an adult, and frankly, it worked. Yep, there are other ways, but clearly, they aren’t being used in some cases.
Second, cheating was bad, period. Whether or not the cost was higher than the gain would never have entered my parent’s minds. It wasn’t a calculation you made. The rules were there to be obeyed. Frankly speaking, this calculation has increasingly become the norm for rich folks, conservatives, and corporations. What is the cost, and what is the benefit? Do I gain more than I give up? If I support a blaggard for President, what will I gain?
Third, telling one story, then changing it to another, my parents would have called it lying, was another spanking opportunity. The lying thing was bad and not acceptable in any way.
Fourth, not fessing up for a misdeed. This one gets me every time I read the news. Politicians and rich people who break the rules and don’t have the given manners, sorry, etiquette, to apologize. To stand up and say, “gee, I was a donkey, I’m sorry.” They have to be pushed into it, typically by an image consultant who tells them, if you don’t it is going to cost you money.
I have to admit, all of this leaves a sour taste in my mind about the sport of golf, and about those who play it. Rich folks who seem to be above the law, who lack a moral code that requires they play within the rules and boundaries of a rational, functioning society.