Michael Breed Bet: Break 80, Par 71, Throwing the Ball

[iacas]

Let's say it's 6300 yards.

Let's say he takes 30 putts.

That's covering 6300 yards with 49 shots. That's about 130 yards per throw, and that's not counting the holes that are, say, 290 where his third throw is only going to be 30 yards… thus pushing up throwing distance required on other holes.

There may be some holes where he literally can't carry a ravine.

I could make #3 at Whispering Woods a par four length and thus a par 71 and he would take four throws just to get on or near the first hole, a par four.

Someone offered him a $20k bet and to cover his flight at his course, a 6100-yard par-71, and Breed appears to have accepted.

P.S. I submit as evidence (that Michael can't do it):

Even if he could throw it with roll 130+, he has virtually no room to ever miss a throw, and he won't get backspin on an 80-yard throw to stop it close to a front hole location, etc. And this all assumes 30 putts, which is tough, even without risk of three-putting.

[Friz]

absolutely no chance.  just on sheer face value, thats 9 pars and 9 bogies to meet 80, gotta be better to break 80.  I'm imagining putting as either bowling or shuffleboard.....either way i don't see many 1 putts without some significant practice at that motion, so green in regulation on at least half the holes is probably necessary.

Anyone ever stood on a football field, on the goal line and tried to throw a golfball through the opposite goalposts?  I have not but that feels like an incredibly long throw and would only be a 110 yard carry.  Nice Drive.  Now how many 400 yard par 4's are on this course?

Personally I think I'd have a better round using nothing longer than a pitching wedge than being allowed to throw everything

Edited May 26, 2022 by Friz

[iacas]

Checks out: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/64201-longest-throw-of-a-golf-ball

[kpaulhus]

I LOVE action like this.

We met Michael at Bay Hill during a guys trip and honestly he was bubbly and upbeat but not what he portrays on his show. Nice guy and even had a chip off with us on the wager of loser buys a round of drinks.

All that being said, I dont even think a college or pro baseball player could do it, let alone a dude at or near 60 years old. My shoulder is throbbing just thinking about it. Without getting into the science of velocity and mass, throwing a golfball a long ways just isnt really possible.

[GolfLug]

41 minutes ago, kpaulhus said:

My shoulder is throbbing just thinking about it. 

This ^^. 

Only way this is doable if he has some trick condition like a 2,500 yards course. And even then he better have a baseball pitchers conditioning to not develop some shoulder condition like capsulitis or what have you.
 

But hey.. seems like this is happening so color me interested.

On the flip side something tells me he didn't just say it willy nilly.... i.e., he knows something we don't. 

Edited May 26, 2022 by GolfLug

[iacas]

5 minutes ago, GolfLug said:

Only way this is doable if he has some trick condition like a 2,500 yards course. And even then he better have a baseball pitchers conditioning to not develop some shoulder condition like capsulitis or what have you.

Yeah, but he accepted a bet to a 6100 yard course.

Also, he's not putting with a putter. He's still "throwing" (or likely "rolling") the ball on the putting greens with his hands.

I think he actually thinks he can throw a ball like 150 yards.

[GolfLug]

Just now, iacas said:

Yeah, but he accepted a bet to a 6100 yard course.

Also, he's not putting with a putter. He's still "throwing" (or likely "rolling") the ball on the putting greens with his hands.

Well then, I guess we are about to find out how solid the laws of physics are.  

And human anatomy, capability.. etc.. lol. 

[Friz]

I'm honestly fascinated by his confidence in this and I'm glad I saw this thread despite not being very active here.  I don't know the course, but I'm curious about other predictions.  If he is actually doing this on a 6100 yard course, I hope he tries the entire 18 even when he's +9 through 4 holes. 

I'll put early over/under on total Greens in Regulation at 1.5

Over/Under on total holes with less than 2 putts at 4.5 - I'm assuming a lot of holes the eventual approach won't hold the green and he'll have a fair amount of short tosses from greenside rough.  

Over/Under on the hole that he reaches his 80th stroke at 14.5

[jbishop15]

When I played baseball growing up, one of the things we’d do for fun was see who could throw a golf ball the farthest. I had a strong arm, but not the strongest, and I topped out at like 70 yards. The longest I ever saw was 90 yards, from a guy who could throw in the low 90s

there is absolutely no way he can break 80

[Darkfrog]

Seems like throwing a golf ball as far as you can, repeatedly, is a good way to injure your shoulder or elbow.

[Big Lex]

Doesn't it seem like this is some type of stunt...they will donate the money to charity or something. Never mind the distance he can throw the ball, don't they have throwing golf tournaments? A google search says the record for an 18 hole score throwing is 82. He's obviously pulling some sort of publicity stunt. And it's working! And yeah, at his age, he will destroy whatever is left of his rotator cuff if he goes max effort 50 times in a couple of hours. 

[Dunit507]

I’m going to say not breaking 80 and a higher chance of doing damage to the arm/shoulder than breaking 80.

[boogielicious]

4 hours ago, iacas said:

That's about 130 yards per throw

Glen Gorbous - Wikipedia

The world record for throwing a baseball is 445 feet, 148 yards. The average MLB outfielder can throw from the outfield and make it to home on a bounce or two with a much heavier baseball on a flat field. Breed isn’t playing for the Yankees anytime soon. He’s going to lose that bet.

[jamo]

Feels like breaking 100 would be impressive.

[billchao]

1 hour ago, Darkfrog said:

Seems like throwing a golf ball as far as you can, repeatedly, is a good way to injure your shoulder or elbow.

That’s my first thought, too. Maybe the guy can throw a golf ball 100 yards, but how many times in a row?

[klineka]

1 hour ago, jbishop15 said:

When I played baseball growing up, one of the things we’d do for fun was see who could throw a golf ball the farthest. I had a strong arm, but not the strongest, and I topped out at like 70 yards. The longest I ever saw was 90 yards, from a guy who could throw in the low 90s

there is absolutely no way he can break 80

I was going say exactly this ^^^

I was a collegiate pitcher and a great rule of thumb that I saw hold true time and time again was that 100yds in the air with a baseball meant (barring some awful mechanics) you'd be able to throw 90mph off a mound. 

I could get it right at 100 yds, and I maxed out at 90-91. 

A couple of my teammates could get a bit further, around the 110yd range, and they maxed out in the 92-94 range.

 

100 yds is a FAR distance to throw any ball period.

 

No shot he breaks 80

[jbishop15]

21 minutes ago, klineka said:

I was going say exactly this ^^^

I was a collegiate pitcher and a great rule of thumb that I saw hold true time and time again was that 100yds in the air with a baseball meant (barring some awful mechanics) you'd be able to throw 90mph off a mound. 

I could get it right at 100 yds, and I maxed out at 90-91. 

A couple of my teammates could get a bit further, around the 110yd range, and they maxed out in the 92-94 range.

 

100 yds is a FAR distance to throw any ball period.

 

No shot he breaks 80

I keep thinking of the amount of prep work he'd have to do, too, just to get his arm and shoulder ready for the strain. It'd take months before he was ready to even try without hurting himself. Throwing a ball 80 times in one day is a lot of times, especially when you're trying to max out distance on almost every single throw 

[boogielicious]

31 minutes ago, jbishop15 said:

I keep thinking of the amount of prep work he'd have to do, too, just to get his arm and shoulder ready for the strain. It'd take months before he was ready to even try without hurting himself. Throwing a ball 80 times in one day is a lot of times, especially when you're trying to max out distance on almost every single throw 

And he throwing a golf ball, not a baseball!