[TEPaul]

Another of Tom MacWood's endless nonsensical questions on the Myopia thread-----eg "TEP
Did any of those pros play tennis?" got me thinking of the question of who in history was the absolute best at both golf and tennis?

Right off the top of my head I might have to throw Althea Gibson into the ring as a candidate. At least she was one of the rare ones who played professional tennis and then professional golf!

Or for bonus points, who were the athletes in history who were world-class at more than one sport----as an amateur or a professional?

[Steve_ Shaffer]

How about Bo Jackson?

Bo Jackson
Jackson signing a football in February 2004.
Position(s)
Running back Jersey #(s)
34
 
Born November 30, 1962 (1962-11-30) (age 48)
Bessemer, Alabama
Career information
Year(s) 1987–1990
NFL Draft 1986 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1
College Auburn
Professional teams
Los Angeles Raiders (1987-1990)
 
Career stats
Rushing Yards 2,782
Average 5.4
Touchdowns 16
Stats at NFL.com
Career highlights and awards
1x Pro Bowl selection (1990)
1985 Heisman Trophy
1985 Walter Camp Award
1985 UPI Player of the Year
1985 Chic Harley Award
2× All-American (1983, 1985)
 
College Football Hall of Fame
Bo Jackson
Outfielder / Designated hitter
Batted: Right Threw: Right 
MLB debut
September 2, 1986 for the Kansas City Royals
Last MLB appearance
August 10, 1994 for the California Angels
Career statistics
Batting average     .250
Home runs     141
Runs batted in     415
Teams
Kansas City Royals (1986–1990)
Chicago White Sox (1991, 1993)
California Angels (1994)
 
Career highlights and awards
All-Star selection (1989)
1989 MLB All-Star Game MVP
1993 AL Comeback Player of the Year
1993 Tony Conigliaro Award
 

Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson (born November 30, 1962) is a retired American baseball and football player. He was the first athlete to be named an All-Star in two major American sports,[1] and he won the Heisman Trophy in 1985.

In football, he played running back for the Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League. In baseball, he played left field and designated hitter for the Kansas City Royals, the Chicago White Sox, and the California Angels of the American League in Major League Baseball. While at Auburn University, he won the 1985 Heisman Trophy, the prize annually awarded to the most outstanding collegiate football player in the United States. He also reportedly ran a hand-timed 4.12 40 yard dash, still considered the fastest verifiable 40 time at an NFL Combine.[2][3] A hip injury severely impaired his professional baseball career, and ended his NFL career.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Jackson

[TEPaul]

"How about Bo Jackson?"


Steverino:

And what was that---football and baseball? If so, that doesn't count.

But did you know Muhammed Ali was also a world-class professional ballet dancer/opera singer? I suppose the latter may not count as a sport but it is athletic.

[Bob_Huntley]

Denis Compton  played cricket and football for England back in the'fifties, a rare accomplishment indeed.

Didn't John Brodie of the Forty-Niners also play on the Nation Wide Tour?

Bob

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Jim Brown was an All American football and lacrosse at Syracuse and All Pro NFL with Cleveland Browns, among other sports:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Brown

He didn't play golf  either.

[TEPaul]

Steverino:

Jim Brown is an excellent candidate. He sure was what you mentioned and he actually just missed out going to the Olympics for decathalon to the Gold medal winner Rafer Johnson.

Jim Brown was my idol back then, at least in football; but he just may've been the greatest natural athlete I have ever seen. There have been some unbelievable running backs in NFL history but to me Brown was the best. It was almost like he just flowed and glided, seemingly almost in slow motion but he was so powerful when he got hit.

[Pete_Pittock]

I remembered Frank Conner who had two professional victories (Deposit Guarantee and the Moriccan Open) He's my era. In fact checking found he is one of two players to patricipate in the US Open for both golf and tennis. The other was Ellsworth Vines,
who also won two professional tournaments and lost in the finals of the PGA Championship.

[Alex Miller]

Babe Didrikson was also a very good tennis player, not to mention basketball and every other sport she tried.

[Ashley Clinch]

Scott Draper - Davis Cup tennis player for Australia, gained PGA card a few years ago.

There is also a young girl currently playing cricket and soccer for Australia - Ellyse Perry.

Cheers

[Mike_Clayton]

Scott Draper won Queens  (the Wimbledon lead-up) and was good enough to get to the last 16 at the French - and also won the New South Wales PGA an smallish Australian Tour event.
I played with him a few years ago in the Victorian Open which coincided with the first week of the Australian Open tennis. He missed the cut at the golf but won the Mixed Doubles the following Sunday.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

How about Ivan Lendl? After his tennis career he took up golf and won a Celebrity Tour event.

Many Celebrity Tour players are former MLB, NFL and NHL players,some of whom played their first sport at the highest level including Mike Schmidt,the baseball Hall of Famer who almost qualified for the Senior Tour.

John Brodie, mentioned above, is probably the prime example of an American who had a successful golf career.

[David_Tepper]

TEPaul -

I trust you have not forgotten brothers Pete & Jimmy Bostwick, among the greatest amateur country club athletes ever. Both qualified for the US Open in golf and both qualified for the national tennis championship. They also competed in court tennis at the national level. Pete was a several-time national squash champion, as well as being an excellent amateur hockey player.

DT   

[Bill_McBride]

Denis Compton  played cricket and football for England back in the'fifties, a rare accomplishment indeed.

Didn't John Brodie of the Forty-Niners also play on the Nation Wide Tour?

Bob

I think Brodie played before the Nationwide but did play some on the earlier senior tour.

If it weren't for that little Montana guy, Brodie would be my favorite 49er ever.

[Rory Connaughton]

Dr. Kevin O'Flanagan played soccer for Ireland (via both the FAI and IFA). He also played for Arsenal and played rugby for London Irish and Ireland. He was also Irish long jump champion and sprint champion. The amazing thing is that when he was with Arsenal, he declined to be paid so that he could continue to play rugby as well. By the way, he was a practicing physician at the same time.

[Bill Hyde]

A woman at my club made the round of 16 at Wimbledon when she was a teenager. Took up paddle tennis (platform) at 40 and won nationals 2 years later. Since then, she has taken up golf and has a 3 handicap in 3 years, playing 100+ rounds a summer.

[Jud_T]

Jim Thorpe, end of story:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Thorpe#Amateur_career

[Phil Benedict]

If you count fly fishing as a sport, then Ted Willams should be included.  He also has a freeway named after him in Southern California and a tunnel in Boston, and was a hero in two wars.  Maybe not the best husband or father, but a larger-than-life figure nonetheless.

[Adam Clayman]

I'm just shocked that the man who turned me onto Max Behr would compare a sport with a game. 

[Mike Cirba]

Joe Louis, long-time Heavyweight Champion of the World, also was the first African-American to play in a PGA tour event.   

Given his druthers, Louis would have rather been a pro golfer than a boxer.

[SL_Solow]

Jim Brown also played on the Syracuse basketball team.  Dave DeBuschere starred on the Knicks championship teams in the early 70's after being a plyer coach for the Pistons.  But he also pitched for the White Sox.  Gene Conley pitched for several teams in the major leagues and backe up Bill Russell for a time with the Celtics.

But the only one to compare with Jim Thorpe (OLympics, Major League Baseball, NFL etc) and Jim Brown (NFL, Lacrosse, college hoops,College track and field, large bonus offered by Yankees) was the immortal Jackie Robinson.  By some accounts baseball was his forth best sport.  At UCLA he starred on the football team as a wingback pairing with Kenny Washington.  He was a star forward on the basketball team.  He was essentially a one man track team.  He also played a little baseball.  He made some all american team in each sport.

There are many others.  Dick Groat was the NL MVP and played pro basketball as a guard.  Bob Davies was a 3 sport star and purportedly Clair Bee's model for the "Chip Hilton" sports series.  But I have gone on too long.

[Bob_Huntley]

Joe Louis, long-time Heavyweight Champion of the World, also was the first African-American to play in a PGA tour event.   

Given his druthers, Louis would have rather been a pro golfer than a boxer.

Mike,

I doubt that Joe Louis was ever that good. I played with Smiley Quick many years ago and he let it be known that Joe was his pigeon and had an inflated view of his golfing ability.

Bob

[PCCraig]

Babe Didrikson was also a very good tennis player, not to mention basketball and every other sport she tried.

Including a gold medal winning olympian. Babe D.Z. was one of, if not the, best athletes of all time.

[Jud_T]

I think I'd take Jim Thorpe straight up against Babe D. in pretty much any sporting event other than golf....

[Will MacEwen]

Who was the Kiwi who was capped in cricket and rugby?  Jeff Wilson or something?

I think he played wing, but it still counts.

[Rory Connaughton]

Eric Liddell - Scotland Rugby and Olympic 400 champion

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