We had some brilliant comments from people regarding Suzann Pettersen’s behaviour at the Solheim Cup, with many sharing their experiences of bad sportsmanship or even sharing when they were bad sports.
This got us thinking of the experiences we have either dished out or been on the receiving end of with regard to bad sportsmanship.
And we’ve got some corkers for you.
DM: A chap I played against last year gave me a putt on the 1st green that was the best part of four feet and downhill.
I thanked him and we moved on.
On the 2nd he left himself three feet or maybe a little less. I said nothing.
He muttered, settled over the putt, looked up again, looked back down and then missed it, by a distance.
He glared at me. I won 6&4.
There wasn’t a lot of conversation on the way in.
He thought he had instigated a nice game where we said ‘good, good’ a lot.
I suspected (rightly) as we walked off the 1st green that he might have some putting issues.
TL: In a junior match my team-mate was five-up with five to play and the pro (and also dad) of the opposing player noticed our guy was using a Pro-V1 ‘practise’ ball.
Loss of every hole he used it… since the 1st hole…Game over.
Petty and un-sportsman-like in my opinion, but to be fair, rules are rules.
DW: In a roundabout way, like Tom, that’s one of the reasons I won’t play with my dad.
He just will not give me a putt of any distance – it’s almost unfatherly…
I think it’s because deep down he’s losing it, and I’m improving. It’s getting to the point where I don’t want to play with him.
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My brother on the other hand is much better.
Might just be a generation thing – or just plain old fatherly rivalry – being the young buck now.
JS: Mine is the opposite of bad sportsmanship. I once played a friendly match against a club pro as a visitor to his club.
It was fairly even after the front nine but on the way in he started to pull clear.
I’d been on the receiving end of a few bad bounces…
As we got to the 15th he had a four-footer to win the match.
I’m certain he deliberately pushed it right to keep the match alive.
The match didn’t last much longer but it was a nice gesture by a pro who I could tell just wanted me to enjoy my visit to his club.
TI: I once played with a good friend of mine and I gave him 4ft on the 1st as I – wrongfully – was expecting a nice game.
I had 3ft left on the 2nd which he refused to concede.
I was so shocked I could hardly get the ball in the hole there after and lost 6&4.
We played mainly in silence.
SO WHAT IS THE WORST SPORTMANSHIP YOU’VE BEEN ON THE RECEIVING END OF? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW
