Sadler did the right thing
Here’s a break from the norm: A story about an athlete who did the right thing and was rewarded in the end.
Bentworth senior Christian Sadler was sitting in the rough after his tee shot went a bit left of the fairway on the 14th hole at Tom’s Run Golf Course.
Sadler opened the shotgun start on the 17th hole, so with only three holes remaining he was sitting at 7-over for his round as he fought his way through wet fairways, very windy conditions, and crisp, fall temperatures in Blairsville.
The senior had taken a penalty stroke on the front nine when he was unable to find a drive and had to rehit from the tee.
I was nestled (at a safe distance) behind him with my camera focused on his approach shot from the rough to the 14th green. The ball seemed to be sitting up, but his approach would need to fly over a pair of greenside bunkers with little area to land the ball near the flag.
Sadler set up for his shot when he suddenly pulled back. I feared I might’ve been responsible, but gravity was to blame, not my actions.
Seems the ball moved as Sadler addressed the ball and now he had a quandry. He looked at the coach marking the group and explained the ball moved, ever so slightly.
“Did you ground your club?” asked the coach.
Sadler replied he thought he touched the top of the grass, but not the ground.
I think Sadler knew the decision was his, being golf is a gentleman’s game, of which he was reminded by the coach. Sadler kept looking at the coach, seemingly wanting him to make the decision, no matter what it might be.
After a few pensive minutes, Sadler informed the coach and his group he was going to take the penalty and replace the ball (maybe a quarter of an inch?) to its original spot. He took a double bogey-6 on the hole.
Sadler closed with a par and bogey for a round of 82.
Because of the proximity of his finishing hole to the clubhouse, Sadler was one of the first golfers to report his score, so he had a long wait to see if his final tally would make the top 22 for a berth into a second state final.
The senior was somber when I interviewed him after he signed his card, fearful his 82 would be on the outside looking in when the list qualifiers was announced.
He briefly talked about the two penalty strokes, especially the lost drive on the front nine. Sadler thought he was positioned to take a birdie, and instead took a double bogey.
But, in the end, Sadler’s score stood, as did Carmichaels’ Matthew Barrish.
The folks at the PIAA Western Regional do things the old fashion way with postings by black marker on a scoresheet. Feeling privileged, I slipped inside the barrier to get a closer look at the scores, notably the Class AA boys.
Carmichaels coach Dave Briggs was counting, too. We figured we counted right when one of the committee members said there would be a playoff at 85.
The leftie was the lone figure on the putting green. Barrish figured he was going to be in a playoff and wanted to stay warm on the crisp day.
I was the lucky guy to inform the junior he was in. Barrish broke out into a huge smile, pondering his good fortune after he felt his score wouldn’t stand.
Now, he’s off to his first PIAA championships.
Uniontown’s Danae Rugola, who just missed the Class AAA awards podium last year in sixth place, Greensburg Central Catholic’s Abby Zambruno, the junior from Bullskin Township tied for ninth in Class AA last year, Sadler, who was 12th, and Waynesburg Central’s Aaron Yorio, who tied for 17th, return to the state finals Monday and Tuesday at Heritage Hills Golf Resort & Conference Center.
Brownsville freshman Lindsay Sethman, Barrish and Elizabeth Forward senior Joe Klingensmith will be playing in their first state championship.