Argument Over Golf Etiquette Results in Stabbing

Ever since its creation, golf has been seen as a “gentleman’s game” and has several rules of etiquette. Ironically, golf’s etiquette ended up resulting in a very ungentlemanly event among some friends.

Back in August of 2017, three friends were enjoying their day watching a boxing match on TV before heading out to their local golf course in Australia. While watching the match, the group began drinking and that carried over onto the golf course. One of the friends, Matthew McKay, arrived at links pretty intoxicated, which led him to do some pretty unsavory things.

Apparently frustrated on top of being wasted, McKay began disrupting the golf course, completely forgetting about course etiquette. According to McKay’s friends, he began damaging greens all across the course, including dragging a flag pole across one green and stomping balls into another. Once his friends called him out for destroying the course, McKay stormed off. But this was not the last they would see of him.

Melbourne man jailed for 20 months after stabbing his mate during a round of golf https://t.co/dw6br37dl9 pic.twitter.com/yJq0lwE9J3

— AussieGolfer ⛳ (@AussieGolfer) April 17, 2018

A few minutes after storming off of the course, McKay returned, this time wielding a knife, swinging it at his friends. One man, Simon Mudd, was hit by the knife in his thigh. While this doesn’t seem like a fatal spot, McKay connected with an artery, causing massive blood loss. Mudd was flown to a local hospital for treatment and while he survived the ordeal, he has not yet fully recovered from his injury.

This seems to be a theme for McKay as it isn’t the first time that he has stabbed someone out of anger. He did the same exact thing back in 2009, stabbed that victim in the thigh as well.

This week, Australian courts handed out their punishment to McKay, sentencing him to 20 months in prison. McKay will be eligible for parole, however, after 10 months.

This just goes to show that violence can break out over even the gentlest sports. And this will also serve as a reminder that no matter how fluid the rules of etiquette may be, there’s no need to have a hot head over the common sense issues.

Cover Photo via Twitter