Wave, Morgan!

I found out today that Morgan Freeman only has the use of one hand, and that he still plays golf. One-handed. And still shoots in the 80's!

When I heard this, naturally I had to check it out for myself. So cue some time trawling the internet, reading articles and watching pixelated videos on YouTube, and the following information emerged.

About 11 years ago, Morgan Freeman was driving a Nissan Maxima (why a man of his means was driving a Maxima, we'll never know) and had a horrific accident, mangling his upper left side. Even after surgery, Morgan was still unable to use his left hand, due to irreparable nerve damage in his fingers. This would explain why you see him wearing a compression glove on one hand occasionally, to prevent blood pooling.

Morgan has been a golf addict for decades, first inflicted with the 'bug' in his early teens working as a caddie in Mississippi. And according to an interview with NBC Golf, Morgan wasn't about to let a little ailment like the loss of a hand prevent him from playing - so he simply swings his clubs one-handed.

I've checked out YouTube clips, and he still hits the ball pretty damn well. He might not be able to pipe it 250m, but he's not dribbling it off the tee by any means, and according to a story told by a caddie on the ForePlay podcast, Morgan still shoots sub-90 rounds. What a boss.

Morgan the one-armed weapon. If they ever re-make Happy Gilmore, Morgan Freeman has got to be the prime candidate to play Chubbs Peterson.

That's what I learned today.