Jeffery Miller during the Golfweek Junior Tournament of Champions
At my age I’ve learned it is possible to have a role model that has not even reached his teenage years. Jeffery Miller, 12, is a role model and his recent actions prove what the great game of golf teaches.
We have heard the stories about how golf teaches integrity and builds character. For example, remember the headlines a couple seasons ago when professional golfer J.P. Hayes turned himself in for unknowingly playing a non-conforming golf ball in the second stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School. It cost him a chance to play full time on the PGA Tour.
And at the 2001 British Open, Ian Woosnam was very much in contention to win, but started the final round with 15 clubs in his bag (only 14 are allowed). Woosnam called the two-shot penalty on himself and went on to finish just four shots behind champion David Duval.
This is the way it is supposed to be, right? Golf is a sport where the players police themselves. Miller has learned that at a young age.
In November, Miller posted rounds of 75-79 to finish second at Golfweek’s Junior Tour Orange Tree Open in Scottsdale, Ariz. A runner-up finish would more than likely give him enough points to earn a spot in the GJT Ryder Cup event - a goal of his.
After returning to his nearby Phoenix home the night of the final round, the sixth grader realized there was a 15th club in his bag. It was an 18-inch hybrid club that belonged to his brother Nicholas. The club had found its way into the bag the night before when it is believe that the younger Miller had placed it there after the two were outside practicing in their backyard.
“It was raining that day and I had tried to put an umbrella in my bag, but I felt something in there and did not know what it was and it wasn’t until afterwards when I got home and went to clean out my bag that I found that club,” Miller said.
Miller did not take long to decide what he needed to do. The decision to report the the breach of Rule 4-4 was something he knew he had to do.
“It was very sad for me because I knew if I finished top three I would have enough points to get into the Ryder Cup, so it was really hard for me and I was crying because if I DQ’ed myself there would be a very low chance that I would make it to the Ryder Cup.”
When Miller was asked if it ever crossed his mind to not say anything, he said: “At beginning, but I couldn’t live with myself because its not the right thing to do. Those are the rules of golf.”
Miller told his mother, Julie, of the situation and the next day he called the directors of the tour to inform them of the rules violation.
“I was extremely proud of him,” his mother said. “All of the things he has learned playing golf – a lot more has sunk in than just learning how to play golf.”
If that was not enough to make you admire the pre-teen, he did something at his very next event that would once again make anyone proud to know him.
The GJT major at Dove Mountain in Tucson, Ariz., was a tournament Miller had been looking forward to for a couple of reasons. It was the site where the pros play the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship and the winner of the event automatically gets a spot on the GJT Ryder Cup team.
On the sixth hole, Miller’s right hand found a Jumping Cholla Cactus plant that left more than 20 needles lodged in his right hand. After a brief delay to get each needle removed, even some that went all the way through his hand, Miller did not withdraw. Instead he finished the round and posted a 17-over 89.
“I finished the round and was tempted to withdraw, but I did not want to have a DQ and then a withdraw on my scores, so I just finished out,” Miller said.
In my many years around junior golf I have heard stories and seen many kids find any excuse they can to withdraw from an event. Anything to avoid posting an 89. Twenty needles from a cactus plant would have been a justified reason, but not for Miller.
It was not about the score, Miller simply wanted to play the course that the pros play. But, again he thought his chances to make the Ryder Cup team were gone.
But, at his next event at Silverado Golf Club, Miller shot 72-69 to win and earned enough points to barely make the team.
His mother stated it best “all the stars had to align” for Miller to reach his goal.
Something tells me the stars will align often for this young role model who is learning valuable life lessons through the game of golf.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Five Filters featured site: So, Why is Wikileaks a Good Thing Again?.
No comments:
Post a Comment