The Ottawa Citizen has a very interesting article on Papwa Sewgolum, an illiterate native of Durban, who some say may have been the best golfer South Africa has ever seen.

High praise, considering the accomplishments of Gary Player.

During the prime of Mr. Player’s career there was another South African who was his equal on the links, who defeated him in 1965 at a sensational provincial open championship in Durban and who won several European championships. Papwa Sewgolum was the great-grandson of an indentured labourer from India, an impoverished illiterate who possessed prodigious amounts of raw talent. Had he been permitted by the apartheid regime to play the game at the same level, with similar advantages as Mr. Player and other white golfers, there is no telling what he might have accomplished.

Mr. Sewgolum could have left his home in Durban’s suburbs to play professional golf overseas, where racism was less overt. But he was a sweet, simple man who hated travelling. His life and career thus became portraits of the evil apartheid did. The regime crushed him bit by bit, in a myriad of ways. And it happened while Mr. Player golfed with prime minister Johannes Vorster, the symbol of everything apartheid represented.

The article reminds me in some ways of the speculation that surrounds the potential of various Negro League Players. How good would Josh Gibson or Buck O’Neil have been if given a chance to play in the bigs? We’ll never know.

Ultimately, Sewgolum’s story, and that of the Negro League players, is a sad one. I don’t think there’s anything as tragic as great potential wasted.

TPK Personalized Leather Scorecard Holder

A scorecard holder is a classy course accessory. I really like the one I’ve got because it keeps my card from being destroyed in my pocket. That’s especially important to me when I play a new, or high end course because I like to keep the card as a souvenir.

It’s also make a good holiday gift for the golfer in your life.

A University of Wisconsin study has determined that playing golf on a Nintendo Wii burns one fewer calorie per minute than hitting balls at a driving range. According to the results, playing the Wii burns 3.1 calories per minute vs. 3.9 calories per minute hitting balls at a driving range.

It of course does not burn nearly as many calories per minute as walking and playing a course (8), but actually comes close to the energy expenditure of those who ride a cart (5).

Of all the Wii sports games, boxing burns the most calories, at 7.2 a minute. Tennis burns 5.3. 

Note that neither of those is as much as walking through a round of golf.

You can read the whole study here.

ESPN has inked an eight-year, $200 million dollar deal to broadcast the Open Championship.

Under the agreement, ESPN will pay $25 million annually to broadcast 34 hours of the live coverage over four days, including six hours of highlights that will appear on broadcast brethren ABC.

The deal begins in 2010. Turner Sports will broadcast this year’s Open Championship from Turnberry.

In addition to television rights, ESPN also has the rights for web and digital media, including broadband, mobile and video-on-demand, plus expanded television and digital media rights for ESPN International.

Not to rub it into the faces of my fanatical Red Wings loving friends, but I find it interesting that ESPN would pony up $200 million for a golf tournament, while hockey is relegated to some obscure channel called “Versus.” Versus pays the NHL $75 million annually for 54 games—perhaps 150 hours of programming. ESPN pays the Open Championship $25 million for 34 hours of broadcasting.

Of course, poker probably gets higher ratings than either, based on the number of hours it’s on television. Is there a poker channel somewhere on cable?

5 Piece Solid Brass And Black Fireset WIth Golf Club Handles

Ridiculous Golf Item of the Week