Oosthuizen Double Eagle: Fan Right to Return Historic Ball to Augusta Club

It's very rare indeed one will see a double eagle, but that's exactly what Louis Oosthuizen did at the par-five second hole on Sunday at the Masters.

And then he just flipped the ball into the crowd, where it landed in the hands of an unsuspecting fan, Wayne Mitchell.

Imagine that, a piece of history just casually tossed into your lap. Think of all the things you could do with that ball. You could keep it as a memento to show to all of your friends, or sell it online to the highest bidder.

But instead, Mitchell did the right thing—he returned it to the Augusta National Club.

Now, as Gene Wojciechowski from ESPN noted in his article recounting the incident, Mitchell probably got a little something in return. Augusta National officials approached him about obtaining the ball, after all. But to his credit, Mitchell seemed to have the proper perspective on his new-found souvenir.

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Moments after he got the ball, Mitchell was asked if he would consider giving it to the club?

"I'd certainly listen," said Mitchell, who added that he wasn't concerned about the value of the ball.

And if Oosthuizen wanted a mulligan on the tossed ball and asked for it back?

"If he wants it back, have it back," he said. "Absolutely."

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Listen, if the Club was willing to hook him up in some way for returning a golf ball, take advantage of that fact. I can't blame Mitchell one bit if he graciously received a few gifts. But his (seeming) willingness to simply return the ball to Oosthuizen if the golfer wanted it back was refreshing.

How often have you gone to a baseball game, for instance, and seen grown men knock children out of the way to catch a foul ball or home run?

It's pathetic.

Souvenirs are great, but at the end of the day it's just a baseball or a golf ball. But if it marks a significant moment in that athlete's career, that ball can represent far more to the player than it could ever mean to you. If they want it, you should have the good grace to give it back to them.

They earned it. You were just lucky it fell in your lap.

But enough of my soapbox. I was pleased to see how Mitchell handled the situation, even if I was a bit surprised that Oosthuizen just tossed the ball into the crowd.

All in all, it was a memorable moment from all around.

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