His name is Yago Horno Mateo, he’s seven years old, and has been playing golf practically since he learned to walk and this past Saturday he taught us all a lesson about sportsmanship. Surely without being very conscious of what he was doing, he demonstrated a true and accurate testament to golf’s core values.
It all happened in a tournament organized by the Andalusian Golf Federation, which counts toward the national rankings, held on the Isla Canela course in Huelva. Yago shot a 50 and finished in second place scratch and won his handicap. Complete bliss, because apart from having enjoyed playing on the course, and having won, with every par, the door to the Spain championship was closer and closer.
However, when he went over the card with his father, Kostka Horno, the club manager, he saw that there was an error. He hadn’t shot a 50, but one more: 51. His father explained that an error of this type results in disqualification, according to official Golf Rules. Yago, in an honorable act, wrote the following letter explaining what had happened and returning the trophies. Now, his place in the Spain Championship is up in the air, but the lesson he taught us all will not be forgotten. Yago, by the way, takes classes in Juan Agüera’s School.
Letter:
My name is Yago Horno Mateo and my golf license is: AM9616788. On Saturday, March 12th, I played in the Benjamín tournament in Isla Canela. The score on the lists was 50 shots.
As I was going over the card with my father, I realized that I signed my card with one less shot than I actually had. The real score is 51 shots. My father told me that signing a card with less shots than you actually finished with is disqualification. That’s why I’m sending the trophies back, so you can give them to my fellow golfers who deserved them.
I learned that I have to go over my scores before I sign the card.
Best regards,
Yago Horno Mateo
