Golf Central

The PGA Tour's finest will be 'Walking in Memphis' (sorry, we couldn't resist), as everyone will be looking to get one last big performance under their belts before chasing the American dream in Torrey Pines at next week's US Open. Woody Austin stormed to victory at last year's event and will be looking to do the same this week, leaving the rest of the field in 'Heartbreak Hotel' (one more of those and there'll be serious trouble - Ed). Here's five snippetts of info to whet your appetite and impress your family, friends, teachers or colleagues with..

1.) Change a winning formula
This tournament has done its fair share of chopping and changing over the years. A bunch of businessmen originally hatched the plan for the Memphis Open in 1958 in a country club grill, but someone, somewhere along the line decided to change it to the Memphis Invitational Open. Entertainer Danny thomas agreed to lend his name and influence to the event in 1970, thus,  the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic was born. We're not going to bore you with the rest, but eight name changes  later and we've got the FedEx Stanford St.... oh just forget it.

2.) Geiberger's smoking hot 59
On a sticky, stiffingly-hot June's day at the second round of 1977 Danny Thomas Memphis Classic, you could have been forgiven for thinking that a 59 was well and truly off the cards. Step up Al Geiberger, who, after an incredible eleven birdies and an eagle (that's a nifty 13 under par), became the first man to break 60 in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event. Although the record has since been tied, it has never been bettered... not even by (shock horror!) Tiger Woods or Byron Nelson.

3.) Bolt avoids the Memphis blues
Golf was probably the last thing on Tommy Bolt's mind going into the final round of the 1960 Memphis Invitational Open, after taking his wife into hospital on that morning. Having learned during the round that she was going to have surgery that night, the 42-year-old US Open champ birdied 16 and 18 that resulted in an 18-hole playoff with Ben Hogan on the Monday, which Bolt won. The most incredible part of this tournament victory lies in the fact that Bolt was in 31st after 36 holes, a daunting nine strokes off the pace. The comeback remains a tournament record.

4.) It's all for charity
Thanks to an auction that will benefit St.Jude Children's Research Hospital, golf fans have been given the chance to caddie for either Vijay Singh or Camillo Villegas at the Pro-Am for this year's event. Being on the bag for Vijay Singh (especially having learned this week about his past-life as a bouncer) is probably similar to watching paint dry, so we decided to put the money from our tea kitty on a day with 'Hombre Araña.' Alas, you won't be seeing us on the fairways of TPC Southwind this week.

5.) Memphis: Home of Kings
There's far more to Memphis than the St. Jude Classic, however. Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and B.B King all started their careers in Memphis in the 1950s, as did Elvis Presley, who enjoyed the bodyguarding services of the aptly named Memphis Mafia. Sadly, Memphis's Lorraine Motel played host to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Expect to see us next year at The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, where we won't be singing anything by March Cohn, honest.