By Shawn Fury<\/p>\n
Gregor Tait \u201921 helped Seton Hall win its first BIG EAST golf tournament in 22 years with one of the greatest individual rounds in University history. But it was a gesture of remarkable sportsmanship that made him a true standout; he conceded a playoff round so that a competitor could advance with him to the NCAA Regionals.<\/p>\n
It happened after the final 18 holes of the tournament at Callaway Gardens in Georgia, when Tait, a standout from Martlesham Heath, England, used a blazing start to his round to chase down 36-hole leader Caleb Manuel of the University of Connecticut.<\/p>\n
Overcoming breezy, difficult course conditions, Tait enjoyed the best round of the day by four shots, opening with four consecutive birdies and never letting up. \u201cYou\u2019re nervous, of course, but I wasn\u2019t nervous to the point where I wouldn\u2019t commit to what I was going to do. I was nervous because I wanted it so bad, but I was also just very calm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Manuel wrapped up his 18 holes tied with Tait at 11-under, making them co-champions of the tournament. As the two competitors gathered on the 18th hole, tourney officials told them the winner of a playoff round would automatically qualify for the NCAA Regionals.<\/p>\n
Thanks to Seton Hall\u2019s team victory, Tait had already earned his way to Regionals. But if he won the playoff, his opponent couldn\u2019t advance. A concession, Tait discovered, would guarantee Manuel a spot.<\/p>\n
Tait didn\u2019t hesitate, deciding to concede the round without any input from his coach Clay White, or from Manuel, who did have to knock a single shot off the tee to officially seal his bid.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce I figured out what was happening, then it was an easy decision,\u201d Tait says. \u201cIt would have been the wrong thing to play that playoff, because I was already going. I would have just been putting effort in for Caleb to not go to Regionals.\u201d<\/p>\n
White adds, \u201cIt was awesome for a player to come to me, without me even mentioning it, and to be like, \u2018Coach, this is what I want to do.\u2019 And I was 100 percent in agreement. He earned the right to make that decision on his own, and he\u2019s just a good kid and that\u2019s what a good kid would do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Word of this display of sportsmanship spread quickly in the golf world, with publications such as the Hartford Courant and the website Power Fades complimenting Tait\u2019s grace.<\/p>\n
But receiving personal accolades couldn\u2019t compare to the joy Tait felt at helping the Pirates capture the BIG EAST team championship for the first time in 22 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI promise you, I did not think about the individual leaderboard,\u201d Tait says. \u201cThe entire golf tournament, not once. Winning the BIG EAST championship was the singular goal once we got into spring. The scores at the BIG EAST, it was amazing. It was brilliant. It was exactly what we wanted. We had a game plan and we executed it and you can\u2019t really write it up any better than that.\u201d Tait went on to help Seton Hall to its best Regionals result in school history, an eighth-place finish. He shot 1-under to tie for 21st with teammate Andres Acevedo.<\/p>\n
The postseason capped an outstanding college career for Tait, who took a somewhat unusual path on his way to success. Unlike many top golfers who started playing almost as soon as they learned to walk, Tait came to the game as a teenager. Once he fell in love with golf he proved a quick study and caught the attention of White, who saw Tait play at the British Boys\u2019 Championship. \u201cI\u2019m always on the lookout for players, and I was really just walking around and saw him swing a couple of times, I think he was hitting some short irons, and I was just like, wow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over his five seasons at Seton Hall, Tait wowed White many more times \u2014 he played the most rounds in University history and had the fourth-best career scoring average. Tait has left a legacy at Seton Hall, and a lesson in sportsmanship for the golf world.<\/p>\n
Shawn Fury is an author in New York City<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Gregor Tait \u201921 helped Seton Hall win its first BIG EAST golf tournament in 22 years with one of the greatest individual rounds in University history. But it was a gesture of remarkable sportsmanship that made him a true standout.<\/p>\n