ICONIC MOMENTS IN GOLF HISTORY
ICONIC MOMENTS IN GOLF HISTORY
Most golf fans are familiar with famous moments in golf history. Tiger’s miraculous putt to win at Bay Hill. Larry Mize’s shocking chip in to win the Master’s over Greg Norman in 1987. Tom Watson stealing a win at the 1982 US Open, and so on.
But there is another side of “golf” history we want to call attention to.
Below we highlight moments when the course of American history was changed - for the good and the bad. Many people will be surprised to learn the role that golf hats and golf brands played in shaping these events.
President Richard Nixon Resigns
Nixon resigns from office
On August 8th, 1974, after denying for months that he played any role in the Watergate scandal, and following his impeachment by Congress, Richard Nixon announces his intention to resign as President of the United States, making him the first in history to do so.
But few realize he deliberated leaving office while wearing a MacGregor golf hat…
Nixon contemplating his fate while wearing a MacGregor golf hat
Had Nixon worn a different golf hat during his deliberations - one that would help him “Keep It Together” - he may have decided to NOT resign, thereby changing the arc of history.
Captain Sully Sullenberger
Everybody knows Captain Sullenberger successfully landed a plane full of passengers on the Hudson Bay, but many people will be surprised to learn that he wasn’t wearing his “U.S Airways” pilot cap when he touched down…
Sully Sullenberger pictured in the cockpit just moments after landing on the Hudson Bay.
Celebrities show their support for Sully.
A practicing Buddhist, Sullenberger noticed the hat instilled a sense of calm and helped him block out negative thoughts on the golf course. Figuring it would be helpful in the cockpit, Sullenberger credits the Birddha hat with helping him to stay focused as he engineered the famous water landing.
Many of you will recall how celebrities paid tribute to Sullenberger in the weeks after the crash, by wearing their hats in a similar fashion (i.e., the “Sully”).
Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Lawrence, Hillary Duff, Emeril Legasse, Brad Pitt, George Bush, Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, Tone-Loc, Snoop, Madonna, Sting, Michelle Obama, Willie Nelson, Kim Kardashian, Brittany Spears, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Stephen Hawking, and Bruce Springsteen all proudly wore their Birddha hats to celebrate Sully’s miraculous landing on the Hudson Bay.
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
On March 24, 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez went off course in Alaska’s Prince William Sound and hit submerged rocks on a reef, causing one of the worst oil spills and environmental disasters in US waters.
Clean up efforts went on for a year
A months-long investigation revealed the ship’s captain, an avid golfer, was practicing his putting on the deck moments before impact. He was immediately terminated.
Leaving his puts short of the hole (as can be seen in the image above) gives us an indication of the captain’s faltering depth perception. And foreshadows the kind of day he was about to have…
Unhirable for maritime positions in the aftermath of the accident, and wanting to stay connected to the sea, the former captain found work as a different “type” of captain: the night manager at a Captain Dee’s restaurant in the Chicago suburb of Elmhurst.
“I challenge another fast casual restaurant in the Chicagoland area to turn out the high quality ‘fish & chips’ my crew serves up day-after-day.”
“Ain’t happening!”
“I can’t tell you how good it feels to finally work at a place that only kills fish and crustaceans on purpose.”
The Cap’n and his new “crew.” (Several employees have asked that we keep their association to the Cap’n discreet.)
Washington Crossing the Delaware
Everyone recognizes this famous portrait by artist Emanuel Leutze of General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River with the Continental Army on the night of December 25–26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War.
A closer inspection clearly shows that Washington (a 15 handicap but wildly erratic off the tee) did so while wearing the “H2O™” golf hat. As Washington stated before departing, “This is my ‘go-to’ hat anytime we have to do a water-crossing.
It’s a reminder to us all that if the boat sinks, we are to treat it only as a temporary setback. You can’t ultimately prevail if you allow a few unfortunate incidents to define you.”
Washington added, “The other thing we like about the hats is each one has the words, ‘Keep it Together’ inscribed on the back. It’s a catchy phrase and the men really seem to have embraced it, which is good for morale.”
Japanese Surrender in WWII
Emperor Hirohito formally surrenders to the Allies on September 2, 1945. Riddled with anxiety Hirohito is unable to remember his first name (Michinomiya), and in a blind panic elects to sign the surrender papers with the first name that pops into his head, “Herschel Hirohito.”
He also signs every document upside down under the watch of curious and concerned American generals, before rushing out the door to a waiting car.
A Day Earlier…
Not amused, “Emperor Mulligan,” as his golf buddies called him, searches for another lost golf ball.