Most of the golf records in the world are held by legendary players like Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. However, there are a few records that these two players do not have. One of them is held by late PGA Tour golfer Calvin Peete. He hit just one ball out of bounds over 1200 rounds that he had played on the Tour.
An X user shared a video on his handle sharing the “most amazing stat in golf history”. It was held by one of the greatest African American golfers Calvin Peete who is often remembered for his driving accuracy.
What is the most amazing stat in golf history?
In over 1200 rounds of golf, Calvin Peete only hit one ball out of bounds.
One ball OB. Just one!
Over 1200 rounds on the PGA Tour.
Simply incredible.
Check out the video from @LukeKerrDineen
— Lou Stagner (Golf Stat Pro) (@LouStagner) January 1, 2024
Out of Bounds in golf is a term used when a golfer loses his ball after hitting a stroke. The golfer gets around three minutes to search for the ball. If he cannot find it, he will be handed a penalty. The golfer is then asked to get back to the previous stroke position and hit the ball gain. But who was Calvin Peete?
Who was Calvin Peete, the PGA Tour Pro Termed As The “Accuracy Machine”?
Calvin Peete was termed as the “accuracy machine” for the reason of him being around 82 percent accurate in landing the ball into the fairways between 1981 to 1990. During that period, he led the PGA Tour charts of Driving Accuracy from tee to green strokes.
Born on July 18, 1943, in Detroit, Michigan, Calvin Peete grew up as one of 18 children in his household. He took up the sport of golf at the age of 23. His early interactions with the game started at Genesee Valley Park.
During his childhood, Calvin Peete fell off a tree. This hurt his left arm and elbow and due to weak finances, he could not see a doctor. This led to his arm getting healed improperly. However, this injury made him an “accuracy machine” on the golf course.
Back in 1982, Calvin Peete gave an interview to Golf Digest and explained how his “crooked arm” helped him on the golf courses. He said,
“In a way, the crooked left arm does me some good. It naturally stays close to my side on the downswing and through the ball. This helps me swing the club down on an inside path, and my left arm folds naturally after I’ve hit the ball.”
Whatever be the reason, Peete’s accuracy is unmatched to this day. Despite being willing to hit the driver with a slight upswing, his inability forced him to have it hit a little with a downswing. This indeed worked for him as he went on to win 12 PGA Tour events including the Players Championship in 1985.
On April 29, 2015, Calvin Peete passed away battling lung cancer at the age of 71.
