J.P. Hayes called foul on himself, and lost his full time job in the process.  During first round play at the PGA Tour qualifying school his caddie flipped him a new ball on the par 3 12th hole. 

After missing the green, chipping onto the green, and marking his ball Mr. Hayes realized this was not the same model Titleist he’d started the round with that day.  He called over an official and took a two shot penalty.  The round ended with him shooting a 74, the next day he shot a 71 leaving himself with a good chance of reaching the final round of Q school and an opportunity to regain his playing privileges for 2009. 

Back in the hotel that evening Mr. Hayes noticed that the ball he had used on the 12th hole of day one was a prototype Titleist not on the conforming ball list as approved for tournament play.  Gulp.  Swear.  Smack forehead. Repeat Roberto deVicenzo’s famous "What a stupid I am".  Call tour officials and hang self out to dry.  "I pretty much knew at that point I was done."  Which sums it up nicely.

What one does when no one is watching, when the opportunity to either do the right thing (or avoid doing the right thing) presents itself, is the truest test of character.  Mr. Hayes stood up and did the right thing, something seldom seen in the world of professional sports, outside golf anyway.  In fact it’s seldom seen in the world.  Whether because it doesn’t happen much or because in the real non insular world nobody comments on the good things folks do regularly.  I could be jaded as well.  No, I am jaded as well, but that tangent is not one to follow at this time. 

Mr. Hayes wants, nor will he get, any sympathy for his predicament.  After all he did finish 178th on the money list this year, thus earning the trip to Q school in the first place.  He’s won over $7 million in his career so losing a guaranteed spot on the PGA tour and having to play mostly Nationwide Tour events is not a hardship compared to me losing my job.  Still, I find the honesty refreshing.  "We don’t have refs on the course, so we have to call penalties on ourselves. I’ve done it before, dozens of guys have," Hayes said. "Just about everybody out there does, but usually we move on and nobody hears about it."  Ah but we do hear about it.  Can you see a defensive back in pro football calling interference on himself?  Didn’t think so. 

Mr. Hayes still figures to get a dozen or so starts on the PGA Tour next year so if he plays well he won’t be destitute.  But still, the idea of opening the closed door and letting the truth out is a rare enough occurrence that applause seems necessary. 

I salute J.P. Hayes.  An honest man.