Timing was bad on Miller's stand

You've got to give Todd Miller some credit for standing up for his beliefs in refusing to play a State Amateur final match on Sunday. In these days of the wishy-washy, follow-the-crowd mentality, it's refreshing to see an athlete take a strong stand for something he believes in.

Miller, in case you haven't heard by now, had earned his way into the State Am golf finals with four match-play victories and then said "I'm done." He said he'd rather go to church on Sunday than play 36 holes for a shot at the state's most prestigious amateur trophy.

That handed the championship to Clark Rustand, who, like Miller, also happens to be a 24-year-old returned missionary who attends BYU but believes it's OK to play on Sunday under certain circumstances.

Miller, the youngest son of Johnny Miller, said he would be a "hypocrite" if he played on Sunday, while teaching teenage boys at church that they should keep the Sabbath Day holy.

On the other hand, you could call what Miller did very selfish, by waiting until the 11th hour to let everyone know his stance about playing on Sunday.

That's what many folks, including defending champion Tommy Sharp and Utah Golf Association executive director Joe Watts, thought about Miller's last-minute revelation.

Sharp called it "disrespectful" to the 106-year-old tournament and said nobody would want to have an asterisk by his name as the champion who didn't have to win the 36-hole Sunday marathon. Watts said he was "shocked" by Miller's decision and lamented that "it should have been made sooner."

Miller clearly was thinking about himself and what was best for him, not the dozens of others involved, from the Utah Golf Association officials to the many volunteers to his Sunday opponent to the personnel at Jeremy Golf Club. A substantial amount of work had gone into the annual tournament, and suddenly the crowning moment was taken away.

While he may not say it, I wouldn't be surprised if Rustand had his way, he'd have rather played Sunday and lost than accept the winner's trophy without even playing.

Like the old saying goes, "Tis better to have fought and lost, than never to have fought at all."

But Rustand never got the chance to fight.