What were the odds that when one of the many golf balls in Canada was found, not only was it over 100 years old, but it had connections to one of the most successful Canadian golfers in history?
While Ted and Marion Outerbridge were renovating the dining room of their house in Smith Falls, Canada, the hometown of 10-time LPGA winner Brooke Henderson, they discovered an ancient golf ball within the canvas of the wall. And after their finding, Ted did some investigating about the ball.
“At first I wasn’t even sure what it was but I was able to track it down,” he said to CTV News Ottawa. “It has markings on it that say ‘Why Not’, so I Googled ‘Why Not golf ball’ and I discovered that it was made in 1918 in London, England, so it’s a really old golf ball.”
But once they found out the ball’s origins, a new question emerged. How did this ball find its way over 3,000 miles across the Atlantic? Ted kept digging and got closer to his answer.
“I discovered across the street from us there used to be a golf course in 1899 called the Poonamalie Golf Course,” he said. “It operated until about 1930. So this golf ball was being played at the Poonamalie Golf Course.”
And when the Outerbridges made a startling revelation about who once lived in their home, everything came full circle. However, how the ball got within the house’s confines still remains a mystery.
“For over 50 years, Clem and Beverly Henderson lived in this house and they are the grandparents of Brooke and Brittany Henderson (Brittany is Brooke’s caddie),” Ted said.
Brooke, the 10th ranked player in the world, was excited to hear about the discovery that came in the same room where she had many family meals growing up.
“What a great find! My sister and I had so many beautiful memories visiting my grandparent’s home,” she said in a statement. “We would have big family dinners in the dining room, and I still remember the original unique fireplace in the living room. It was such a special place for me and my family.”
The Outerbridges hope that this finding will one day bring the Hendersons back to their roots, which helped mold Brooke into a major champion (2016 KPMG Women’s PGA).
“I’m hoping that Brooke and Brittany Henderson will be able to visit one day and they should hold this ball,” Ted said. “We’ll see what happens.”