[Young Drachma]

Grant Whybark loses hole on purpose, lets foe Seth Doran into finals - ESPN Chicago

University of St. Francis (Ill.) golfer Grant Whybark has become a national name in light of his decision to intentionally lose a playoff for his conference tournament's individual title and allow an opponent to advance to the national finals.

Whybark, who had already qualified for the NAIA national championship by virtue of his team's victory in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament on April 27, made a double-bogey on the first playoff hole to allow Seth Doran of Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) University to qualify as an individual.
The national title tournament is May 18-21 at TPC at Deere Park in Silvis, Ill., site of the PGA Tour's John Deere Classic.

Whybark, who was told that the overall individual winner earned a spot in nationals before the playoff with Doran began, hit his tee shot out of bounds on the first playoff hole at Heritage Bluffs Public Golf Club. Doran made par to advance.
St. Francis advanced as a team to nationals for the second straight year.
"We all know Seth very well," Whybark said, according to GolfWeek, "and he not only is a very good player, but a great person as well. He's a senior and had never been to nationals. Somehow, it just wasn't in my heart to try to knock him out."

"I think some people were surprised," Whybark said, according to GolfWeek, "but my team knew what I was doing and were supportive of me. I felt Seth deserved to go [to nationals] just as much as I did.

"It was one of those things where I couldn't feel good taking something from him like this. My goal from the start was to get [to nationals] with my team. I had already done that."

The decision prompted plenty of debate on the "Mike & Mike in the Morning" program on ESPN Radio, as well as on a variety of Internet sites. Some believe Whybark's decision was an act of sportsmanship; others believe getting into the national championship tournament because an opponent deliberately lost a match was the wrong way to advance.

So did he do the "right thing?"