ESPN Golf

PALM HARBOR, Fla. -- The golf purists love this kind of story, and with good reason. They once again have someone to wrap their arms around, someone who adds more validity to the reasoning that golf is the most honorable of games.

Mark Wilson needed a two-stroke penalty last week at the Honda Classic like he needed another trip to Q-school. He's been to the most dreaded of tournaments 10 times, and probably thought he was headed back after incurring one of those penalties that makes one wonder if he should be in another line of work.

Of course, the most amazing thing about it is that Wilson, 32, called the penalty on himself, even though his transgression did nothing to help him. In fact, it wasn't Wilson who erred, but his caddie -- Chris Jones -- who was soon looking for the nearest bridge.

By now you know that Wilson won his first PGA Tour event in a playoff on Monday, beating Jose Coceres, Camilo Villegas and Boo Weekley on the third extra hole. That Wilson was even there was nothing short of a miracle, seeing as he gave away those two strokes on Friday, turning a 64 into a 66 at PGA National, and how he needed to hole several long putts during the final round and the first playoff hole even to have a chance.

All of this became an issue during the second round when Wilson hit his shot to the par-3 fifth hole. Afterward, Villegas asked his caddie what kind of club Wilson had hit and was told it was a hybrid. Then, Jones barked out "18 degrees," referring to the loft on the club.

And that's a no-no -- although it took awhile for it to sink in for Wilson.

As he walked to the green, it occurred to Wilson that Jones may have violated Rule 8-1 on giving advice to another player. After holing out, Wilson summoned a rules official to tell him what happened and, sure enough, he was hit with a two-stroke penalty.

And to think, had Wilson said nothing, no one would have been the wiser.

Talk about a punch in the gut. That Wilson went on to post what should have been a 64 was remarkable. That he didn't push Jones into a nearby pond was stunning. And that he called it on himself when nobody around him thought anything of it again shows that golfers think differently than others who play sports.

"I don't think I would be here if I had not called it on myself, because I would be thinking about it and if I had not called it on myself, every time I look at the trophy, it would be tarnished," said Wilson, who could barely hit a practice shot on Tuesday at the PODS Championship, where he was being offered constant congratulations heading into this week's tournament.

The funny thing about the rule regarding advice is you can't verbally tell another player what club you hit, but it's OK for him to look in your bag -- as long as he doesn't move anything, such as a towel, to get a peak. It's sort of like being allowed to steal an answer on a math exam by looking at another student's paper, but getting expelled for asking for the same info.

PGA Tour rules official Mickey Bradley said, "It is a violation you do not see very much. Guys know not to ask or give advice. But there are a lot of things you can talk about that are common knowledge and not considered advice."

What if a spectator offers advice about how a green breaks? Or a marshal thinks he's doing a favor for a player by telling him that the wind is stronger than others have believed? It's not a violation unless the player asks. That is why Villegas wasn't penalized at the Honda; he wasn't asking anyone else, just his own caddie. There are some strange rules in golf, but the one concerning advice has a lot of validity. What if one player had a 10-shot lead over the guy in second and wanted to help him along down the stretch? That wouldn't be fair to the rest of the players, would it? It's called protecting the field, which is why advice, however inconsequential, is not allowed.

"He broke the rule," said Paul Goydos, matter-of-factly. "I don't think there's a guy I know on tour who wouldn't have done the same thing. That's just the way the game is. I saw Mark on TV and he didn't even want to talk about it. I like how he handled it, he didn't want to come off as a martyr."

Goydos told the story of his first victory at the Bay Hill Invitational in 1996. Over the weekend, Jeff Sluman, who was in contention, disqualified himself. He thought he had taken an improper drop and before the next round, returned to the spot, looked at the situation again, and determined that he had erred. Because he had signed his scorecard, he had no choice but to be disqualified. If Sluman had not come forward, nobody would ever have known.

Wilson was able to put his penalty behind him last week. After a few tense holes with Jones, they realized they had to forge on. "And I ended up playing some of the best golf of my life," Wilson said.

A few days later, he was rewarded with his first victory, but he'll be remembered for much more than that.

QUICK TAKE
Paul Goydos came to the Innisbrook Resort last October thinking about his future -- and whether he had one in golf. Today, he's thinking about the Masters. Goydos, 42, had just one tournament victory in his career and was 160th on the money list heading into the last full-field event of the year. Then he tied for second to secure his top 125 status for this year. His next tournament was the Sony Open in Hawaii -- which he won. Meaning in two tournaments, Goydos had gone from oblivion into the top 50 in the world rankings. "It's about as big a turnaround as you could imagine," Goydos said. Today Goydos is ranked 45th in the world and 10th on the PGA Tour money list. If he can hold his position in the top 50 or top 10 through the CA Championship, he'll earn his first trip to the Masters since 1996.
MAILBAG: ASK BOB HARIG
Got a question about the PGA Tour? Ask ESPN.com golf writer Bob Harig, who will answer some inquiries in his column each week. Q: Does the PGA Tour have a rule against certain companies, like those which sell alcohol, sponsoring its events? Mike F. Boston A: The PGA Tour has allowed beer companies to advertise but has not allowed hard liquor companies to be title sponsors. Q: What do you expect from Seve Ballesteros on his maiden Champions Tour appearances? Could he inject some energy/emotion into this moribund tour? Steve Brockton, Mass. A: It would be naïve to think that Ballesteros will have much success when he's barely played the last few years and struggled when he did. That said, Ballesteros will be great to have on the Champions Tour, and if he can find some enjoyment playing golf, not even at his best, he'll give the tour a boost. Q: Where is Craig Perks this season? I haven't seen his name in any tournaments thus far. Greg San Francisco A: Perks made just one cut last year but is still exempt due to his 2002 Players Championship victory. He is making his first start of the year at the PODS Championship after rehabilitating a knee injury.

Bob Harig covers golf for the St. Petersburg Times and is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com. He can be reached at harig@sptimes.com.