The Background
Before the 1971 Apollo 14 landing the United States had docked on the moon twice.
Both times were in 1969, with the first by Neil Armstrong and his now infamous quote: “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
But, when the US made their third successful landing, astronaut Alan Shephard made sure he was remembered for a very different reason.
The Scene
Shortly after making his first steps on the moon Shephard decided it was time for a spot of golf. So he grabbed a ball and threw together a makeshift 6-iron that he made by attaching a club head to a soil sampling tool.
He then hit two golf balls one handed – due to the restrictions of his space suit – and claimed that his second ball went for “miles and miles and miles”.
You can vaguely see Shephard hitting the ball in this video below.
The Legacy
We’ve seen Tiger Woods hit balls across the Bosphorus Bridge from one continent to another but, alas, the 14-time major champion has never hit a shot on the moon.
It wouldn’t shock us one day if Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson were whisked off to space to launch one of their drives from planet to planet…
What is your favourite fourball format?
The look of a champion
Advertisement