Davis happy he did the right thing despite cost

GOLF:ONE YEAR on from losing a play-off for calling a penalty on himself, Londoner Brian Davis believes it is one of the best things he has done.

Davis birdied the tough final hole to tie with Jim Furyk at The Heritage in South Carolina, but on the first extra hole strayed into the hazard left of the green.

He touched a loose reed on his backswing, called the referee over and accepted the penalty after the incident had been studied on television.

The 36-year-old, five times a runner-up in the States now, earned some €460,000 rather than the €700,000 that would have been his if he had triumphed.

But despite the loss of prize money and a first victory in America, Davis has no regrets.

“It was only afterwards when I was driving home from Hilton Head that I started thinking about what that actually cost me,” he said. “It would not have actually changed what I decided to do, but it turned out to be one of the best things I have ever done.

“I know I can go to sleep every night and not worry. That’s the biggest thing for me. I did the right thing and it’s a great lesson for my kids.”

Golf and snooker are perhaps the best examples of sports where players routinely call penalties on themselves, and Davis added: “There’s been lots of guys that have done it, but because it was live on national television it got highlighted.

“There have been plenty of golfers that have done it before and there will be plenty that do it after me as well.”

Luke Donald can move top of the world rankings with a victory on Sunday.

Donald is ranked third behind Ryder Cup team-mates Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer, but would claim the top spot with a win, even if Westwood does likewise in the Indonesian Masters.

That is due to the higher number of ranking points available at Hilton Head, where Donald has finished joint third and joint second the last two years.

Another Ryder Cup colleague, Graeme McDowell, ranked fifth in the world, could also go to number one depending on results.