Golfer kills a hawk, faces jail time

Golfer kills a hawk, faces jail time Pro golfer Tripp Isenhour could face some serious jail time, after killing a hawk last December. According to reports, the golfer lost his temper on the course and killed a federally protected red-shouldered hawk with a golf ball. The incident occurred on December 12th, when Tripp Isenhour, ranked No. 152 on the PGA Tour last year, was taping his Play Like a Pro video at the Grand Cypress golf course in Orlando. The hawk began to shriek up in the sky over the course, while the golfer was reciting lines, which made the crew stop rolling a few takes. Isenhour got upset with the hawk and started hitting drives at the bird, getting closer with each swing, witnesses said. At the 10th swing, the ball hit the bird, causing it to fall more than 30 feet to the ground to its death. A production assistant later buried the bird off the fairway.

"As soon as this happened, I was mortified and extremely upset and continue to be upset. I want to let everyone know there was neither any malice nor deliberate intent whatsoever to hit or harm the hawk. I was trying to simply scare it into flying away. As evidenced by our family having adopted three cats from a local shelter, I am an animal lover. We ask that everyone accept my sincerest apology, and please be respectful of my family's privacy," was the statement made later by the golfer. If convicted of cruelty to animals and killing a migratory bird, he could face up to a year in jail and fines.

Published on 03/07/2008