Hunter Mahan chooses his daughter's birth over golf

Hunter Mahan was leading the RBC Canadian Open golf tournament on Saturday. But then his wife went into labor. So, Hunter Mahan withdrew from the tournament.

|
(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)
Adios! Hunter Mahan waves after sinking a birdie putt on the 18th hole during the second round at the Canadian Open golf tournament in Oakville, Ontario. Mahan was leading the tournament on Saturday July 27, when he withdrew to attend the birth of his first child.

Golf is a sport that emphasizes integrity.

Players are expected to call penalties on themselves, even if no one is looking.

That's why it's fitting that Hunter Mahan – who was leading the RBC Canadian Open after two rounds –  withdrew to attend the birth of his daughter. Mahan did the right thing – for himself, for golf, and for fathers everywhere.

That's not to say that it was an easy decision. Mahan hasn't won a PGA tournament this year. He finished in the top 10 in two recent big tournaments – the US Open and the British Open Championship. Going into Saturday's third round, he was leading by two shots. And if he had won, Mahan would have pocketed a $1,008,000 winner's check.

How many new dad's would walk away from a $1 million pay day?

The baby wasn't due for a few weeks. But then his phone rang Saturday morning, while he was warming up on the practice range. His wife was in labor, her water had broken. He didn't hesitate. He politely left the tournament.

“I received exciting news a short time ago that my wife Kandi has gone into labor with our first child,” said Mahan. “As a result, I have withdrawn from the RBC Canadian Open to return to Dallas. I would like to extend my very sincere gratitude and appreciation to RBC and the RBC Canadian Open.

"Kandi and I are thrilled about this addition to the Mahan family and we look forward to returning to the RBC Canadian Open in the coming years.”

Mahan is not the first golfer to face the challenge of fatherhood vs. work. As Yahoo Sports writer Jay Busbee wrote: "Back in 1999, Phil Mickelson famously wore a beeper during the U.S. Open. His daughter was born the day after Mickelson lost to Payne Stewart. More recently, Ross Fisher vowed to walk off the course at the 2009 British Open no matter what if he heard his wife was going into labor; he was just one stroke behind leader Tom Watson at the time."

And last fall, Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman caused a stir when he suggested that the birth of his child would take precedent over showing up for his job. It sparked conversations on talk radio and in social media about work and family priorities. Tillman said:

"[Football will] always be second or third in my life. That was a great lesson learned, to teach me that family — when I’m done playing football — my family will always be there for me.”

As The Christian Science Monitor reported at the time, "Tillman's announcement drew criticism from some sports columnists and fans. Sport radio talk show starkly framed the question: "If you only work 16 days a year, should you miss one for the birth of your child?"

Tillman's daughter was eventually born on a Monday, saving the NFL player and fans from any further controversy.

But Mahan's daughter Zoe arrived on a work day. As a father, it's unlikely Mahan will regret the decision to leave the golf tournament. And there are probably more than a few dads – who missed the birth of their first child – who would now gladly give a $1 million to be there.

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
Real news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.
What is the Monitor difference? Tackling the tough headlines – with humanity. Listening to sources – with respect. Seeing the story that others are missing by reporting what so often gets overlooked: the values that connect us. That’s Monitor reporting – news that changes how you see the world.

Dear Reader,

About a year ago, I happened upon this statement about the Monitor in the Harvard Business Review – under the charming heading of “do things that don’t interest you”:

“Many things that end up” being meaningful, writes social scientist Joseph Grenny, “have come from conference workshops, articles, or online videos that began as a chore and ended with an insight. My work in Kenya, for example, was heavily influenced by a Christian Science Monitor article I had forced myself to read 10 years earlier. Sometimes, we call things ‘boring’ simply because they lie outside the box we are currently in.”

If you were to come up with a punchline to a joke about the Monitor, that would probably be it. We’re seen as being global, fair, insightful, and perhaps a bit too earnest. We’re the bran muffin of journalism.

But you know what? We change lives. And I’m going to argue that we change lives precisely because we force open that too-small box that most human beings think they live in.

The Monitor is a peculiar little publication that’s hard for the world to figure out. We’re run by a church, but we’re not only for church members and we’re not about converting people. We’re known as being fair even as the world becomes as polarized as at any time since the newspaper’s founding in 1908.

We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”

If you’re looking for bran muffin journalism, you can subscribe to the Monitor for $15. You’ll get the Monitor Weekly magazine, the Monitor Daily email, and unlimited access to CSMonitor.com.

QR Code to Hunter Mahan chooses his daughter's birth over golf
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Family/Modern-Parenthood/2013/0727/Hunter-Mahan-chooses-his-daughter-s-birth-over-golf
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe