No one else knew about the extra (额外的) club in Zach Nash's golf bag. It belonged to a friend, and Zach forgot it was there as he played his way to win in a junior tournament (锦标赛) this summer in Wisconsin, US.
The 14-year-old accepted his medal, and celebrated with grandparents who had come from a long way to watch. But when he stopped by his country club to share the news, a professional player noticed something wrong. "Count your clubs," he told the teenager.
Fifteen—one more than allowed. Zach's eyes filled with tears.
If Zach had just won a basketball or a soccer game and someone had discovered an offence (违反) after the win, it would not have mattered.
Bending the rules has become acceptable, if not encouraged, in many sports. It is nothing unusual for soccer players to make a turtle dive (假摔) in the hope of breaking rules.
Golf is different. In a win at all costs world, the game holds itself to a higher standard.
Golf isn't a game where referees (裁判) watch closely. In golf tournaments, dozens of competitors are spread across acres of land, so officials cannot hope to see each shot. Competitors call punishments on themselves.
Players feel the weight of history. Golf began at least the 15th century, but it became popular as a pastime for the wealthy who seemed to always have strict rules of behavior, even when it came to shooting at each other in rights.
"It was a sport for gentlemen, not laborers, and gentlemen did not care about winning. They cared about doing the right thing," said Robert Simon, a golf coach at Hamilton College in New York.
Honesty became a symbol of honor. When one of the game's early stars, Bobby Jones, was praised for calling a penalty on himself at the 1925 US Open. He replied, "You might as well praise a man for not robbing a bank."
So even the error had no effect on Zach's final score—he never used the extra club, the teenager packed up his medal and dropped it in the mail. "But this was golf, and rules are rules. I just knew what I had to do," he said.
Then came another tournament. Before teeing off, Zach counted his clubs four times.
Zach Nash returned the medal he won in the junior tournament because________.
A.he was caught cheating by a player |
B.he decided to follow the rules of golf |
C.he used another player's club by mistake |
D.he made a mistake counting his final score |
Which of the following statements about golf is TRUE according to the passage?
A.In golf, honor comes before win. |
B.Early golf players didn't care about the rules. |
C.Golf players usually do whatever it takes to win. |
D.Golf referees watch each shot and call punishments. |
The underlined phrase "teeing off" in the last paragraph probably means "____ ".
A.getting started | B.getting caught |
C.leaving | D.winning |
What is probably the best title of the passage?
A.Zach's medal. | B.The history of golf. |
C.Honesty counts in golf. | D.Golf is rich men's game. |