Rob Hogan is our hero. Not only can the Irishman shoot back-to-back sub-80 rounds, he can do so in less than 45 minutes. He can play a round of golf on his lunch break and never miss an assignment at work.
Hogan proved his superior pace of play over the weekend in the Speedgolf World Championships at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore. He won the two-day, 36-hole tournament with a score of 77 in 39 minutes, 31 seconds on Saturday, and a 79 in 41:24 on Sunday. A player’s final score is tallied by adding strokes to time, so Hogan finished at 236.55.
He recorded the fastest time both days, and it paid dividends because runner-up Eri Crum carded a 73 on Sunday. But he clocked a time more than three minutes slower, and finished at 242.34 overall. For his win, Hogan also collected $15,000.
“This is absolutely massive for me,” Hogan said. “It’s something I’ve dreamed of the past year, something I’ve worked really hard for. I got into a couple dodgy situations (Sunday), but I’m really proud because I stayed calm and got through it without too much damage.”
The low rounds for the tourney were had by Christopher Smith and Jaacob Bowden, who both recorded even-par 72s on Sunday. Smith finished eighth overall (263.58) and Bowden 14th (271.42).
Hogan’s run times were all the more impressive considering two Olympic runners were in the field. Nick Willis, a New Zealander who won the 2008 Olympic silver medal in the 1,500 meters, finished 13th with golf scores of 86 and 97 and run times of 44:20 and 43:07.
Coming in 24th out of 25 was four-time Olympian Bernard Lagat, who collected two Olympic medals for Kenya in the 1,500 (bronze in 2000, silver in 2004) and won the 2007 world championship in the 1,500 and 5,000 for the U.S. He was the only golfer who failed to break 100, as he shot 118 and 110 with times of 48:26 and 47:38. The only man to finish lower was Jay Larson, who withdrew after Saturday’s round.
Defending Speedgolf world champion Christopher Walker finished fourth (250.38).
Twenty-six amateurs also competed at Bandon Dunes, with ages ranging from 20s to 50s.
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