ST. LEON-ROT, Germany – Athletes who play golf at the highest level aren’t nobler than athletes in other sports.
They are as flawed and imperfect as people playing in the NFL, the Premier League, Major League Baseball and other elite athletic organizations.
People who play golf professionally don’t necessarily have more integrity or character than pros in other sports.
The nobility in golf is in how the game aspires to be different. It’s in how the game holds its participants to higher standards. It’s also in how violating its honorable traditions punishes reputations.
Golf’s traditions create pressure to conform unlike any other sport.