# Athlete whose life changed the most following one performance **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** golf\ **Created:** [June 16, 2025, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705 "2025-06-16T15:26:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705/1 "2025-06-16T15:26:48Z")
Yesterday, a PGA journeyman JJ Spaun won the US Open. He was not impoverished - with $17 mill in career earnings. But he is 34 years old, [with a single prior tour win.](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25208523-jj-spauns-career-earnings-after-win-2025-us-open). The US Open victory alone was worth over $4 mill. AIUI, winning a major GREATLY increases a player’s opportunities. He is eligible for many more events, and his invitations and endorsements will increase greatly. (Historically, the challenge has been cashing in on such opportunities without having it detract from your continued performance. Everyone wants a piece of you.) So I toss JJ Spaun out there as the comparison. What other athlete - individual or team - has had their life changed the most by a single performance. Define however you wish. I guess the change could be positive or negative. _BTW - I know these boards have NEVER supported robust discussions of golf. But for those who failed to watch the final round yesterday, you REALLY missed something. Spaun went out in 40, to win by 2. At one point with fewer than 5 holes to play, 4 people were tied for the lead. With 5 holes to play, the 2 golfers in 1st and 2d dropped to (IIRC) 7 and 8 strokes back. It was pretty wild, with horrific conditions on an incredibly tough course._ ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705/2 "2025-06-16T15:32:18Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I know these boards have NEVER supported robust discussions of golf. But for those who failed to watch the final round yesterday, you REALLY missed something. Spaun went out in 40, to win by 2. Part of the problem, for us non-golfers, is that last sentence is Greek to me. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705/3 "2025-06-16T15:36:56Z")
I’m also not into golf, but do at least recognize it as a sport. 🙂 The athlete that comes to mind to me is Nadia Comăneci. She was pretty much an unknown until she scored that perfect 10 at the 76 Olympics in Montreal. Then overnight the whole world knew her name and story. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705/4 "2025-06-16T15:39:54Z")
How about Ben Johnson? > **[Ben Johnson (Canadian sprinter)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Johnson_(Canadian_sprinter))** > > Benjamin Sinclair Johnson, CM OOnt (born December 30, 1961) is a Canadian former sprinter. During the 1987–88 season he held the title of the world's fastest man, breaking both the 100 m and the 60 m indoor World Records. He won the 100 metres at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics; and at the 1988 Summer Olympics, but was disqualified for doping and stripped of the gold medals. > He won two bronze medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics, as well as gold medals at the 1985 World Indoor Champion... He went from a national hero in Canada, “The world’s fastest man”, to nothing after winning the Olympics with a world record time. But then he failed the drug test, and lost it all. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705/5 "2025-06-16T15:51:24Z")
Kerri Strug. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705/6 "2025-06-16T15:53:38Z")
[Leon Spinks](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Spinks) who became a household name after defeating Ali ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705/7 "2025-06-16T15:59:36Z")
Along that route, [Buster Douglas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buster_Douglas) had a similar life change after defeating Mike Tyson. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705/8 "2025-06-16T16:06:52Z")
[Bill Buckner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Buckner) He was a great hitter and a real tough guy in that he played hurt for most of his career. But he’s now remembered mostly for missing just one soft ground ball. He did get to be on the Larry Sanders Show, though. Serves him right IMHO. I met him once, about six months before the big error and he was a gigantic prick. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705/9 "2025-06-16T16:13:04Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Part of the problem, for us non-golfers, is that last sentence is Greek to me. I don’t know what that means, either, but Spaun’s final putt to win it all was incredible - even a non-golfer could appreciate… [Video here](https://youtu.be/HdeXzKhhDFY) ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705/10 "2025-06-16T16:23:54Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Part of the problem, for us non-golfers, is that last sentence is Greek to me. Sure, but couldn’t that be said about just about any sport you did not follow - other than a simple running/swimming race or contest of strength? I understand what it means if Bob runs a certain race faster than Joe, or if Suzie lifts more weight than Janet. But if you said pretty much anything about baseball, football, soccer, cricket, etc to someone who wasn’t a fan, other than “x beat y by 2 points”, they wouldn’t necessarily know what was a run/inning/touchdown… Nor would they know whether the margin of victory was large or small. If I wished to write more, I could’ve easily conveyed the ebb and flow of the various golfers’ fortunes. And anyone - sports fan or not - could’ve figure out what was going on after 10 minutes of watching it. I’m not sure if you are commenting as someone who enjoys sport but finds golf incomprehensible, or someone who is disinterested in all/most sport. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705/11 "2025-06-16T16:29:26Z")
Yeah. I was probably conflating the two of them because I was surprised to see how long ago the Spinks fight was ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705/12 "2025-06-16T16:46:51Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I’m not sure if you are commenting as someone who enjoys sport but finds golf incomprehensible, or someone who is disinterested in all/most sport. I enjoy watching some sports. Even most sports ([Buzkashi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buzkashi) challenges me as something I might enjoy). I just think that, maybe, when you write a post suggesting most here do not appreciate golf the golf lingo would drop for a more understandable to the non-golfer-most-members-of-this-board would understand. That aside, I get the gist of your OP. I have a few ideas but it is a bit harder question than it first appears (which is cool and fun). > [@snowthx](#): > > I don’t know what that means, either, but Spaun’s final putt to win it all was incredible - even a non-golfer could appreciate… That is an amazing putt. Lots of skill and just enough luck to make it really exciting. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705/13 "2025-06-16T16:51:35Z")
Vinko Bogataj ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705/14 "2025-06-16T17:08:15Z")
Bruce Jenner ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705/15 "2025-06-16T17:13:21Z")
Jeremy Lin’s career hopes were hanging by a thread by the time Mike D’Antoni let him play against the Nets in 2012. He was close to being cut from the roster; indeed, that night, Lin’s agent had called him, saying, “If you don’t play well tonight, this will probably be your final game in the NBA.” D’Antoni let Lin play because the Knicks were 8-15 and desperate. At that time, almost no one in the New York area knew who Lin was; indeed, even stadium staff mistook him for a trainer or assistant. Lin was actually sleeping on his brother’s couch in NYC at the time. Lin scored 25 points against the Nets that night, the Knicks won, and that got Linsanity rolling. Lin ended up having the No. 2 best-selling jersey for the year of 2012. The Knicks proceeded to win seven games in a row, the team merchandise website increased in traffic 30x and eventually Lin made $63 million in salary and many millions more in endorsements over the next few years. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705/16 "2025-06-16T17:15:20Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I just think that, maybe, when you write a post suggesting most here do not appreciate golf the golf lingo would drop for a more understandable to the non-golfer-most-members-of-this-board would understand. I guess as I placed it in my italicized conclusory BTW aside, I was surprised it was the only thing mentioned in the first response. Boy - Bruce Jenner is a great suggestion. From the decathlon to the Wheaties box to whatever fame/notoriety she enjoys today. Re: the final putt - Spaun hit 2 great drives on the final 2 holes to finish birdie/birdie. Moreover, after hitting the 18th green but ending up 65’ away, his playing partner hit it to almost the exact same spot, but just slightly further from the hole, such that he gave Spaun a perfect read as to the speed and break of the putt. And no, I’m not going to try to explain whatever terms I just used - birdie/break/drive/read/green… that someone might not understand. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705/17 "2025-06-16T17:21:24Z")
It was the POV replay that really showed what an awesome putt it was. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705/18 "2025-06-16T17:23:16Z")
Some ideas: - Jesse Owens: 1936 Berlin Olympics - Serena Williams: 1999 US Open, her first Grand Slam title at the age of 17 - Buster Douglas: Beats undefeated Mike Tyson in 1990 by knockout ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705/19 "2025-06-16T17:31:07Z")
> [@Llama\_Llogophile](#): > > He did get to be on the Larry Sanders Show, though. Nitpick: Curb Your Enthusiasm. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705/20 "2025-06-16T17:35:22Z")
And “Eddie the Eagle” Edwards. Among swimmers, there’s the legendarily slow “Eric the Eel” Moussambani. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athlete-whose-life-changed-the-most-following-one-performance/1019705.md?page=2)