An ethics question from a deep philosopher

[oldtrig]

What if you were playing in the club championship tournament finals and the match was halved at the end of 17 holes. You had the honor and hit your ball a modest two hundred fifty yards to the middle of the fairway, leaving a simple six iron to the pin. Your opponent then hits his ball, lofting it deep into the woods to the right of the fairway.
Being the golfing gentleman that you are, you help your opponent look for his ball. Just before the permitted five minute search period ends, your opponent says: "Go ahead and hit your second shot and if I don't find it in time, I'll concede the match."
You hit your ball, landing it on the green, stopping about ten feet from the pin. About the time your ball comes to rest, you hear your opponent exclaim from deep in the woods:
"I found it!". The second sound you hear is a click, the sound of a club striking a ball and the ball comes sailing out of the woods and lands on the green, stopping no more than six inches from the hole.
Now the real "what if" in this story......
What if you had your opponent's ball in your pocket?

 

[jwkde]

sounds like the James Bond film - Goldfinger

 

[Tom52]

What if you were playing in the club championship tournament finals and the match was halved at the end of 17 holes. You had the honor and hit your ball a modest two hundred fifty yards to the middle of the fairway, leaving a simple six iron to the pin. Your opponent then hits his ball, lofting it deep into the woods to the right of the fairway.
Being the golfing gentleman that you are, you help your opponent look for his ball. Just before the permitted five minute search period ends, your opponent says: "Go ahead and hit your second shot and if I don't find it in time, I'll concede the match."
You hit your ball, landing it on the green, stopping about ten feet from the pin. About the time your ball comes to rest, you hear your opponent exclaim from deep in the woods:
"I found it!". The second sound you hear is a click, the sound of a club striking a ball and the ball comes sailing out of the woods and lands on the green, stopping no more than six inches from the hole.
Now the real "what if" in this story......
What if you had your opponent's ball in your pocket?

I would say there is some doubt that the ball in the pocket, although the same brand and number as the opponent's, was really his ball. There is also the possibility that your opponent stumbled across a ball of his same brand and number and truly thought it was his ball. There is more a possibility that the opponent is an honorable person than the person who picked up a ball. He definitely is not honorable, but there is the possibility the opponent is.

Now, "accidentally" stepping on the opponent's ball and smashing it into the dirt to make that shot impossible, well maybe you didn't see it till after you stepped on it.

 

[growing_older]

Perhaps you are playing Calvinball, where each player makes up rules as they go along. No ethics question here.

 

[Nemo2]

Sounds like the old punchline: "Would you play with a crook?"......"No, and neither would my opponent."

 

[Alan]

sounds like the James Bond film - Goldfinger

exactly

 

[Chuckanut]

The answer is simple. Obviously, both golfers are lawyers. They can sue the golf course.

 

[pb4uski]

Sounds to me like you got what you deserved!!!

Now just make the 10' putt for birdie to halve the match (assuming opponent makes his 6" putt for birdie) and move on to the first extra hole.

 

[ls99]

I don't see a problem. It is now established that both are cheats. Keep mouth shut and proceed.

 

[Nords]

I don't see a problem. It is now established that both are cheats...

... and one of them isn't trying hard enough.

 

[tightasadrum]

It's ok to play golf with them, just don't put down any bets.

 

[pb4uski]

I guess you could always check the ball that is 6" from the pin, but if opponent was crafty he used the same brand and number as the original ball.