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The Most Versatile Athlete of All Time Was…a Golfer?

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Babe_Didrikson_-_page_323
Babe Didrikson-Zaharias did it all…

A golfer was the most versatile athlete of all time you ask? That’s right…she was a golfer. Wait…what? I know…you’re having a hard enough time getting by the title as it is. And then I go and throw in “she.”

Now you’re completely thrown off! I’m obviously a few fries short of a Happy Meal. I’m sure I’ve even lost some credibility (what little I have) with many sports fans. Well, trust me, I would never have thought I would feel this way before I really looked into it.

But, maybe you’ll even agree with me afterward. Maybe you might even consider dropping “most versatile” from the title and replacing it with, simply, “greatest.” After all, being a great golfer on top of numerous other athletic accomplishments, some at an expert level, deserves a little bit more attention than being a standout at only one sport, no?

If you haven’t already guessed who I’m talking about, it’s a little lady by the name of Babe Didrikson-Zaharias. Most people who know anything about her know the obvious – she was the greatest female golfer of her time (and one of the greatest of all-time). She was a cofounder of the LPGA. She excelled in other sports besides golf and was voted by ESPN’s SportsCentury to be the 10th greatest athlete of the 20th century. While many people are aware she had other athletic achievements, I don’t think most realize exactly how amazing an athlete she was. Quite honestly, she was great at everything she attempted.

Professional golf came relatively late in life for Babe. After high school, she didn’t attempt to play competitively again until she was 24, which makes her golfing achievements all the more impressive. However, seventeen consecutive amateur wins later, a feat still unequaled to this day, she was ready to turn pro. Over the following eight years, Babe went on to win 41 tournaments including ten majors despite playing the final three years of her career while being treated for cancer. Even more amazing was, in 1954, just one month after surgery for colon cancer, she won the US Women’s Open – her final major victory. She was also the first woman to compete on the PGA tour, missing the cut in her first attempt. It would be the last cut she would miss.

But most of us are already aware of her golfing accomplishments. What about the rest? What are the other examples which make her such an amazing athlete? It starts with basketball. Her team won an AAU championship in 1931 and she was an All-American hoops player three times.

You may have also been aware she was an Olympic athlete and participated in the 1932 games. But did you know she actually qualified in five different events? However, due to the rules of the time, being a female she was only allowed to compete in three. And compete she did, taking home two gold medals (hurdles and javelin) and a silver (high-jump). Additionally, she set world records during the Olympics and qualifying tournaments in the 80m hurdles, javelin, high jump and baseball throw (which was an Olympic sport until 1957).

Babe was also a competitive player to a lesser degree in billiards, baseball, softball and bowling. She even won a sewing competition at the Texas State Fair! When not on a competitive playing field, she somehow also found the time to sing and play the harmonica. She did this well enough to record for Mercury Records. Is there anything this woman couldn’t do?

So let’s look at the tally. She’s one of the greatest golfers of all-time. She was an Olympian who took home three medals and set five world records. A three time All-American basketball player. She also competed in baseball, softball, billiards and bowling among other sports. For what reason would she not seriously be considered as the greatest athlete of all-time?

Now, being ranked 10th on the list of greatest athletes of the 20th century does confirm she was at least considered to be listed at number one. But I have to admit, I have a hard time taking the SportsCentury list seriously considering three of the 100 athletes are not even human (they’re horses). I have an even harder time with this list when I see one of the horses (and a jockey for that matter) is ranked 37 places higher than Bo Jackson, an all-star baseball player AND pro-bowl NFL player! Jackson, I might add, could also have been a track & field star, but gave it up to focus on baseball and football. But a guy who rides a horse while beating it with a whip is somehow a better athlete? You get my point.

#1 on the list is Michael Jordan who is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all-time. But does that make him the greatest athlete of the 20th century? Is being the best at one sport a greater feat than excelling at almost every sport you take on? Hard to say.

Considering all of the accomplishments and accolades acquired by Zaharias, I wonder the reason why she wouldn’t be ranked higher on the list. I can only come up with one idea. Maybe you can help me out. If all of these achievements were accomplished by a male, would he be ranked higher?

The Consequences of being a Good Golfer

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Angry twenty something couple yelling at each other
Being a good golfer takes its toll on more than you might think… (photo by Vic / CC BY 2.0)

There’s an old Jerry Seinfeld bit that pokes fun at how people view those who won silver medals instead of gold: “What happened? Did you trip? Didn’t hear the gun go off?” Seinfeld highlights the preposterous fact that a fraction-of-an-inch is the difference between the “greatest guy in the world” and “never heard of him.”

Well, the same can be said of golf. You see, the vast majority of golfers stink – we have trouble breaking 90 or even 100. Then there’s a smaller group of “better players” who will shoot in the 80’s regularly and break into the 70’s once-in-a-while. Meanwhile, the tour players are a tiny, elite group of talented athletes who are making money because they are the best golfers the world has to offer.

But what about that other group? You know – those scratch golfers that can shoot around par most of the time, but are just a smidge shy of that elite “best in the world” class? In my opinion, these people have it the worst.

I once worked with a woman who had just gone through a terrible divorce. Did he cheat on her? No. Beat her? No. Verbally abuse her? No. This guy lost his marriage because he was a really good golfer – the type of player we average hacks are always striving to be.

He consistently shot near par, and won many local tournaments. These talents led him on a quest to make a mini tour (to compare to baseball, this would be the A or double-A leagues of golf, where the Nationwide Tour would be equivalent to triple-A). This kept him on the road and away from home. Friends and family would praise his golfing abilities and encourage him to keep trying to qualify for any tour he could. But he wasn’t making any money doing this – in fact, he was spending more than he could make, and at 30, he was neglecting other responsibilities in his life. Thus came the inevitable strain on his marriage, fights with his wife, and subsequent separation. He’s never qualified for the PGA tour. I’m not sure he even qualified for a mini tour.

But even if he had made a mini tour, would his life be more stable? Would the money start rolling in? Hardly. In the April 2010 edition of Cigar Aficionado, there’s an article penned by Hooters Tour-player, Nick Mackay. Mackay, perhaps unintentionally, paints an uninviting portrait of life on a mini tour – driving across the American South, racking up more than 30,000 miles on his car annually and paying over a grand to enter a tourney where he may not even make the cut (which also means he wouldn’t get paid).

Mackay will turn 28 in May, and it appears other responsibilities are catching up to him. “Due to several factors” he only played in 10 events in 2009. And he disclosed that being short on cash forced him to skip the PGA Q School in 2010: “…the hefty entry fee is the main reason I did not sign up to go back to [Q] school for the third time this year. It was a tough decision, but in my circumstance, paying the rent during the winter took precedence over career ambitions.” Regardless, Mackay still says he would never trade life on the mini tour for a steady paycheck. I wish him all the luck in the world. But that’s a tough sell when you’re pushing 30 and are partaking in what he describes as “glorified gambling” for a living.

The reality is we all want to be good golfers. But to be that good yet not good enough? Sometimes…just sometimes, in a fleeting moment of sheer arrogance and/or bitterness, I like to think I’m the one in the better position – glad that I’m not good enough to consider chasing down pipe dreams while wasting my time and money.

But that’s all BS. The moment I finish posting this, I’m off to buy a new driver – one that I hope will make me a better player; closer to the level of Mr. Mackay, the divorcee or anyone else who ever had a shot at the gold medal.

If The PGA Rules Allow It, Then It’s Not Cheating

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Phil Mickelson (photo by Corn Farmer / CC BY-ND 2.0)
Phil Mickelson (photo by Corn Farmer / CC BY-ND 2.0)

I don’t know how much more clear it can possibly be. The rules say it’s OK….so who’s to say someone is doing wrong? Phil Mickelson used a club that is perfectly legal and within the rules. Can anyone please explain to me how this is cheating? Besides the obvious “within the rules” argument, I have numerous problems with this whole issue.

Problem #1 – Is it true a club that is over 20 years old provides an advantage over the equipment these guys are using today?! With all of the technology, research and development these club manufacturers put into their products these days, I find it incredibly amusing that a club which is practically an antique provides an advantage! If this is the case, then why the hell am I at my local golf shop checking out brand new sets of clubs, about to drop way too much bank, when the clubs I’ve been using for the past ten years may be better?!

Problem #2 – The fact that almost any club is banned from the tour is ridiculous enough. I mean for starters, these guys are using clubs that are custom fit to their exact specifications. And I don’t mean just length and weight. They are engineered around that particular golfer. These are clubs that neither you or I will ever have the opportunity to own. “But that club provides too much spin….waaaahhh…waaaahhh…..waaaahhh.” Shutup. You have a club head the size of a watermelon. The shaft is made of something currently being used on the International Space Station. You’ve worked with the best coaches, pros and trainers your whole life. But you’re worried that someone else’s club spins the ball more? Again….shutup.

Problem #3 – The focus on Lefty. If I read it correctly, Hunter Mahan, Brad Adamonis and John Daly also used these clubs. Did they cheat? Why is Scott McCarron not calling them out? Do they not matter? Is it OK if they cheat? Or is McCarron only mad that the current best player on the tour is “cheating?” Shutup.

Problem #4 – Scott McCarron. I don’t know the first thing about him, but to quote Joe Pesci from My Cousin Vinny…”I’m tru wit dis guy.” Really, Scott McCarron, who are you to call out Lefty for anything? Especially when what he did is within the rules! How can you call him a cheater? I’ll tell you what…when you win more tournaments in your career than Phil wins in one year…then you can accuse. When you get yourself ranked higher than #92 on the money list (compared to Phil’s #3 for 2009)…then you can accuse. When someone actually does something outside of the rules, thus it actually is cheating…then you can accuse. When you actually earn yourself some face-time with your play and not with your mouth…then you can accuse. Until then, shut up.

I’m willing to admit that if a club (or any piece of equipment) provides an unfair advantage, then a review of the rules must be done. But until then, if the club is allowed, then it’s OK with me and should be OK with everyone else also. If it’s legal, then every player has the opportunity to do the same. Whether they take advantage or not is their choice. It’s like a baseball player using a maple bat. It provides an advantage because it’s a harder wood and will obviously drive the ball farther and faster. It’s kind of a crappy advantage, but it’s within the rules. Therefore, it’s not cheating.

So until the rules change and say it is not allowed, let’s give it a rest.

A Real "Grip It and Rip It"

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I’m a huge football fan. By far my favorite sport. The NFL especially. I can give or take college football. Between too many mismatches, way too many meaningless bowl games, no playoff system in FBS, the whole BCS system, the pansy overtime rules…there’s just so much to dislike. But hey, it’s still football, so that makes it OK.

But on Sunday afternoons, I don’t want to know anything from anyone. I want to plant my ass on the couch for the next ten hours and not be disturbed. Don’t call my phone because I won’t answer. Don’t send me an email because I’m not checking it. And for heaven’s sake, between the months of September and early February, if you want me to show up to your birthday parties, kids birthday parties, social gatherings and various other events, plan to have them on Saturdays. If that’s not possible, then you’d better plan on having a TV somewhere in the general vicinity. Otherwise, you’ll get my card and/or gift either in the mail or the next time I see you.

I like football. But something strange happened just a few recent weeks ago. I was in the midst of my usual Sunday afternoon routine when, for some still unknown reason (maybe I was stuck watching the Jets), I changed the channel and found myself strangely drawn to what I had stumbled upon. At first I tried to resist and return to football, but every time a commercial was on, I went right back to my new found attraction.

What was it you ask? What was it that could possibly pull me away from my beloved NFL? It was an exhibition. An exhibition of accuracy, power and skill. It was the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship and quite simply, I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. They say “Chicks dig the long ball.” Well guess what…so do I. And so do most other golfers and golf fans. Think about when you’re on the course with your buddies. When someone sinks a nice putt or makes a great chip…that’s all that’s said – “Nice putt man” or “great up-and-down” – that’s it. But when a member of your foursome rips into a drive that sails about 320 down the pipe…now there’s a reaction from the other guys in the area! We all know it’s only part of the game, but people love to see it. It’s like the home run in baseball. Sometimes it may be completely meaningless…but people still love to oooh and aaah when it happens.

This gets me thinking; Why is the PGA not capitalizing on the potential popularity of this by creating their own exhibition? Think about it. MLB has the immensely popular Home Run Derby. The NBA has two popular exhibitions with the slam-dunk contest and the three-point shootout. These leagues have figured out this is what fans love to see. So they give it to them! Why not have some of the long drivers on the PGA tour take on some of the guys from the LDA on the Wednesday before one (or more) of the majors? Not only could they possibly gain some TV time, but they could sure make some extra money at the gate with an extra day for the fans to get in!

Wouldn’t you like to see John Daly grab hold of one of those custom 50″ drivers and just tear into one? Wouldn’t it be great to see him go up against five-time long drive champ Jason Zuback who is more than capable of 400+ yard drives on an almost regular basis?! Now that’s a show! Another benefit for the PGA would be to get fans more familiar with some of the golfers most of us have never heard of.

Anyone know who Robert Garrigus is? No? That’s because he was #127 on the money list. But he led the tour in driving distance at 312 yards. How about Charley Hoffman? He was #41 on the money list, certainly off the radar for many fans. But did you know he hit a 467-yard drive at the Valero Open in 2009? That’s right, I just said 4-6-7! Dustin Johnson was 15th on the money list, so he’s more recognizable. But did you know he hit five drives last year over 400 yards? Take any one of these three guys, put a custom long-drive club in their hands, and you have a damn good show!

I feel, especially with the #1 golfer temporarily out of the picture, now is the time to experiment with some things that may help to draw the fans that will undoubtedly be missing from some of the tournaments. Hey if the Home Run Derby can go from a tape-delayed exhibition in the mid-80’s (inspired by a TV series which ran for a few months in 1960) to what it is today, then why can’t the PGA do the same? For crying out loud, take your noses out of the air, stop taking the sport so serious and give the fans something to watch simply because it’s fun. The fans will thank you for it.

For more information on the Long Drivers of America and the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship, check out http://www.longdrivers.com/.

The Economics of Golf

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5ThingsWrongWithGolfNow that the public has been formally introduced to mortgage-backed securities and collateralized debt obligations, I thought our readers would like to know golf is doing its part to help the economy.

It may surprise you that PGA players (and the pro tours in general) contribute just a small amount to golf’s total economic impact. Instead, it’s average golfers like the majority of us that help drive golf-related revenue and subsequently stoke the economy.

According to the most recent study by Golf2020 (conducted in 2007 for the year 2005), golf’s total economic impact is nearly $76 billion annually. Of that figure, all the pro tours combined (PGA, LPGA, Champions, etc.) contributed just $954 million (or about 1% of the total).

Compare that to what we spend to play golf each year (around $27 billion), or on golf-related travel ($18 billion), or on golf equipment ($3.7 billion), or golf apparel ($1.5 billion) – Heck, we even collectively spend a billion dollars at the driving range annually! Actually, we must really want to improve – not only do we spend at the range, but we also plunk down nearly as much ($925 million) on golf-related magazines and books.

Beyond its sport and recreational value, golf is at the heart of a major industry cluster that generates jobs, commerce, economic development, and tax revenues for communities throughout the country. – Golf2020

Golf2020’s methodology extrapolates additional economic impact from the golf industry to include the golf-related jobs and wage incomes surrounding all the aforementioned golf products and services. Furthermore, golf real estate was included in the mix (nearly 64,000 golf course homes were constructed in 2005). Taken as a whole, Golf2020 estimates that golf contributes more than $195 billion annually to the US economy (see chart below). Now that’s allot of green to spend on the greens!


While it would be interesting to see more recent data given the spending decline of the last two years, the 2005 study still suggests golf’s economic importance in the US. Golf2020 notes the golf industry seems to be “staying ahead” of inflation, and golf outperforms industries including other spectator sports and motion pictures.

The full magnitude of every round you play or every golf-related purchase you make rarely comes into perspective, but its nice to know we’re contributing to the health of the overall economy – especially these days. So get out there and keep playing!

Golf2020’s full report can be found HERE.

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