The Workout Revolution

Through the years, competitive golf has had its share of fitness fanatics. One of the first was Frank Stranahan, also known as the “Toledo Strongman,” who won pair of British Amateurs in the 1940s and who was as devoted to his gym workouts as he was to his golf game. Then came nine-time major winner Gary Player, who at age 83 still likes to brag about how many sit-ups he can do. In later years, Greg Norman and Nick Faldo took themselves to the top of the professional game, thanks in no small part to the workout regimens they followed.

Frank Stranahan

But it wasn’t until Tiger Woods joined the PGA Tour that professional golfers fully realized the importance of physical conditioning and what an advantage it could be in terms of distance and stamina. Woods first showed that when he won the 1997 Masters, using his prodigious power to transform the par-5s at Augusta National into par-4s as he secured a record-setting 12-stroke victory. He might ...