Like many others, I am sure, when looking up something I find interesting, I find myself falling down the proverbial "Rabbit Hole". The other night, I was looking up something about Babe Didrikson (for those who never heard of her, before she helped form the LPGA, she won olympic gold medals in track and field (competing in long jump, hurdle, javelin and shot putt, setting world records in 2 events), played professional Basketball and pitched for two major league baseball teams (professional mens) before going on to a stellar career as a professional golfer. She is considered one of the greatest athletes of the 20th Century and awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her contributions.
When looking her up, I came upon a photo of her (the "Babe") and Babe Ruth playing golf.
In the picture was a man playing with them identified as "the mysterious John Montague". Naturally, being mysterious, I had to learn as much as I could about Mr. Montague. So....there I went...
John Montague was an amazing golfer in his own right and, most likely, but for his refusal to be photographed, and to attempt to keep a low profile, he never turned pro. Instead he rubbed elbows with the Hollywood Elite, playing golf with many celebrities and living, for a time, with Oliver Hardy (from Laurel and Hardy fame).
It was said, he was so strong, he would lift Oliver Hardy onto the bar as if he was a child. Oliver Hardy, for those who are not familiar, was a very robust man weighing several hundred pounds (at least).
Once, he played Bing Crosby in a game and won. Crosby was very upset so Montague agreed to play him in a 1 hole match wherein Montague would only use a baseball bat, a shovel and a yard rake.
As the story goes, Bing hit his drive into the fairway, an approach to the green and just missed his birdie putt. Montague, for his drive, tossed the golf ball in the air and struck it with his bat, hitting it down the course and into a sand trap. Using his shovel, he hit the ball from the sand onto the green, many yards from the cup. He then got down on the ground, and using the handle of his rake, hit the ball like a pool stick, sinking the birdie putt for the win!!
He was so good, he used to bury 3 balls in the sand, one below the other, and ask someone to pick which ball he should hit. He was able to hit any of the 3, out the sand, without disturbing the other two.
What is the most interesting....
Many years before all of the above, a man named LaVerne Moore was involved in an armed home invasion and was wanted in the State of New York for robbery and aggravated assault. As the police closed in, Mr. Moore just up and disappeared never to be found. Seven years later, a picture of John Montague was seen by the investigating New York Police Detective, Montague was then arrested for the crime and sent to New York....John Montague was LaVerne Moore!! As Montague/Moore was such a famous celebrity, and well liked, the Jury acquitted him and he was set free, while the Judge commented that it was the worst travesty of justice he had ever seen...
Since then, he was forever known as Felon Golfer.
If interested, here is a Wikipedia link to John Montague:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Montague_(golfer)
I hope you found this as interesting as I did..You never know where the Rabbit Hole will lead...