Benefits June 8, 2007

What Are the Odds?

June 8, 2006 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The first birdie captured during opening day of The Principal Charity Classic had real feathers.
Reported by

According to a press release, while teeing up during Wednesday’s pro-am event at Glen Oaks Country Club, actor Rob Lowe accidentally struck a small goldfinch – the Hawkeye State’s state bird – in mid-flight. What are the odds of such an occurrence?

“Everyone kept asking, ‘What are the odds?’ so I posed the question to the experts on our actuarial staff,” said Ellen Lamale, chief actuary for the Principal Financial Group. The answer? Roughly a one in 240 million chance of this happening “with all factors taken into consideration”.

“We told Rob participating our inaugural event would be a great feather in his cap, but we didn’t realize he’d take it so seriously,” said Barry Griswell, chairman and CEO of The Principal.

The Principal Charity Classic is an annual Champions Tour event played at Glen Oaks Country Club in West Des Moines.

«