Tiger Woods, the talented, but tortured golfer, has another hurdle to cross in his quest for redemption. This week, he was caught by a television camera spitting on the green during the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic.
Apparently, it was a “serious” breach of the Euro Tour code of conduct.
Woods was publicly called out by tour officials and fined an undiscolosed amount.
As the world knows, last year he was wrapped up in a lurid sex scandal that ruined his marriage, rocked his game and tarnished his reputation. He hasn’t been the same since. He vowed to change, promising to “make my behavior more respectful of the game.”
After the spitting incident, to his credit he was penitent about his infraction. He admitted his wrong and vowed to never do it again.
I must admit. I have spit on golf courses. And it doesn’t stop there. I haven’t yielded to merging traffic. I’ve checked out in the Express lane with 11 items. I’ve jaywalked. I’ve detached warning tags under penalty of law. I’ve taken short cuts and broken convention throughout my life. And, for the most part, I’ve gotten away with it.
But the fact of the matter is that as minor as these things seem, flaunting them is not indicative of a heart that wants to do right. Minor infractions can easily lead blurring of the major. I’ve seen the affects of compromise in my life — and it’s not pretty.
A lifetime of simple obedience leads to a discipline that makes it easier to make the tougher choices. Building a solid reputation isn’t constructed out four walls of big events. It’s built board by board, nail by nail.
“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.” — Luke 16:10
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