SIGN UP Golf Digest Logo
SUBSCRIBE
News
Default Subchannel
Golf News & Tours

17 Things You Didn't Know About These Golf Legends

17 Things You Didn't Know About These Golf Legends

Share story

Lee Trevino once punched the mayor of El Paso on live TV.

AP Photo

Fred Couples' first nickname was "Downtown" after "Downtown" Freddie Brown of the Seattle Supersonics.

Harry How/Getty Images

Raymond Floyd in his teens turned down a contract to pitch in the Cleveland Indians organization.

Augusta National/Getty Images

Gary Player used to win bets walking on his hands all the way around the edge of billiard tables.

Dozier Mobley/Getty Images

Chi Chi Rodriguez used to box in the streets of San Juan, Puerto Rico for money.

Mike Powell/Getty Images

Peter Alliss does not know how to swim.

Mrs. Dulce R. Stuart/D.R. Stuart/Getty Images

Hale Irwin played defensive back, was All-Big 8 at Colorado.

Jack Nicklaus once had polio.

Augusta National/Getty Images

Ben Hogan, then 9-years-old, was in the room when his father committed suicide.

AP Photo

Sam Snead's mother gave birth to him at age 49.

AP Photo

Mark Calcavecchia grew up on a nine-hole course with sand greens.

Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

Byron Nelson at one point owned 17,000 laying hens.

Carl Linde/AP Photo

Growing up, Greg Norman used to shoot sharks because they would often interfere with his fishing.

Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images

Nick Faldo dropped out of school when he was 16.

Peter Dazeley/Getty Images

Billy Casper was a connoisseur of exotic meats, trying hippo and elk before settling on his favorite, buffalo.

Augusta National/Getty Images

Ben Crenshaw named three of his cats after famous golfers—Francis Ouimet, Ben Hogan and Bobby Jones.

Augusta National/Getty Images

Jim Thorpe could hold eight golf balls in one of his hands.

Marco Garcia/AP Photo
Share story