Stephen Curry, revered and loved basketball player for the Golden State Warriors, has made his debut into professional golf on the Web.Com Tour. He opened the tournament with a four-over par 74, impressing even himself.
The Web.com Tour is a level below the well known PGA Tour, where golfers who either haven’t made it on the PGA Tour yet or who have lost their PGA Tour card play. The point guard was given a sponsor’s invite to compete in the Ellie Mae Classic this week.
Curry’s first shot ended up in the cup holder of a golf cart, but wound up rallying to make par. If you don’t know the rules of golf, you usually play it where it lies, but in this case Curry got a free drop, meaning he was not penalized for moving his ball out of the cup.
He just can’t keep from swishing..
Of course @StephenCurry30 first tee shot of @elliemaeclassic swished the bottom of the bucket! Of a golf cart! @WebDotComTour #freerelief pic.twitter.com/zgq2OHNwkL
— The Truck (@truckkarma) August 3, 2017
He carded a couple of bogeys and one double bogey, along with some saving grace birdies, pulling off an impressive score for his first time playing real competitive golf. Celebrity pro-am’s don’t count because there isn’t the same pressure there is in professional fields.
“If you’d told me I was going to shoot 74 going into the round, I’d take that all day, every day,” said the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player.
“Pretty happy with it. Obviously as a competitor you can always play better, so hopefully I can do that tomorrow.”
"An amazing experience." ⛳️ 🏀
The anatomy of @StephenCurry30's first career #WebTour round. pic.twitter.com/HBkwvCq4Q8
— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) August 3, 2017
Any true golf fan probably didn’t expect Curry to compete so well. Sure, he’s great on the court but that doesn’t always translate to different sports. Just because Michael Jordan was a great basketball player, didn’t mean he could make a career out of baseball. Plus, the track record of other athletes trying to make it on Tour hasn’t gone so well in the past.
So why did the Web.com Tour give Curry an exemption? Because before this week barely anyone outside of the golf world knew what the Web.com Tour was, and now it’s making headlines. Curry was going to attract fans regardless, which is exactly what golf needs right now, but for him to play well is even better.
Plus, he’s fun to watch. His amazement in himself and his respect for the game sets him apart even more. He jokes and gives credit to his caddie, which again, is exactly what golf needs.
.@StephenCurry30 makes 20-foot, curling birdie putt on No. 6, then playfully pulls @JordanSpieth move and asks caddie to get ball from hole
— Ron Kroichick (@ronkroichick) August 3, 2017
No matter how Stephen Curry plays for the rest of the tournament, some people will have to admit they were wrong about the point guard. This won’t be the last time we see him on Tour, that’s for certain.
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