The narrator opens by stating that luck, not skill or virtue, governs the world. The story is set in 1978 at a country club near New York City. Kenneth “Kenny” Foster, a shy 17-year-old, works as a caddy and feels alienated from the older, more experienced men he works with. He is often embarrassed when caddying for the parents of his classmates, as he feels they look down on him.

One afternoon, the caddy master calls Kenny’s name for a “loop” with Brendan and Jill Bedford. At that exact moment, a talented high school senior is practicing her drives into a large net nearby. The net has a tear in it, but nobody knows that. The girl hits a powerful drive, and the golf ball, traveling at approximately 140-150 miles per hour, passes through the hole. Just as Kenny looks up in response to hearing his name called, the ball strikes his head, and he collapses and dies from an epidural hematoma before an ambulance can arrive. The narrator then reveals her role in the tragedy: “I know because I was there. I know because I was the girl who hit the golf ball” (10).