Golfer Hugs Fan With Down Syndrome Whose Outburst Caused Him To Lose Tournament.

Nov 23, 2019 by apost team

Training for sports requires hard work, perseverance, and countless hours dedicated to the cause. Sadly, many athletes find themselves grappling with the disappointment of a loss even after they have worked tirelessly in training. Brandon Matthews understands this completely, but it wasn’t his own mistake that put him out of the running for the win at the Visa Open de Argentina in Buenos Aires; instead, it was a fan who couldn’t keep his excitement in check.

Brandon was just preparing to swing when he heard someone yell out of the crowd. The noise was so unexpected that Brandon flinched in spite of himself at just the wrong moment, causing him to miss the shot entirely.

Understandably, Brandon was more than a little upset. This miss-swing not only destroyed his chances for the championship title but also knocked him out of the chance at playing at the British Open. Feeling that someone had intentionally sabotaged him, Brandon hurried off the field and to the locker room so that he could be alone.

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Thankfully, Claudio Rivas, who works as the senior administration manager at the PGA Tour Latinoamérica, wasn’t going to let Brandon go without letting him know what had happened. Claudio assured Brandon that the noise hadn’t been someone trying to sabotage the game; instead, it was an enthusiastic fan who had Down syndrome.

The fan was so excited to see Brandon play that he couldn’t keep his emotions in check, resulting in the loud outburst. When Brandon understood what had happened, he instantly began to feel less upset and his heart melted for the fan who had only wanted to cry out a cheer of support.

The twenty-five-year-old golfer felt bad about his reaction to the missed swing and asked to meet the fan so that he could talk to him. When Brandon met with the man name Juan, the golfer signed a golfing glove to give him. 

"I gave him a hug, and I asked him, 'Hey, are you doing OK? Are you having fun?'" Matthews told GolfChannel.com. "I just wanted to make sure he was enjoying himself, that he had no hard feelings, that he didn’t feel bad about what happened."

This is one situation that is especially close to Brandon’s heart since his own sister has Down syndrome and his mother works extensively with handicapped children. While he was still disappointed about the loss of the game, he explained that there are more important things out there. "Some things are bigger than golf," he said.

It’s great to see an athlete who cares more about other people and their feelings than about whether he wins or loses a particular game. Show this story to your friends and brighten their day.