The golf skills of ‘soccer star’ Gareth Bale (34, Wales), who competed in the amateur category of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (total prize money of 9 million dollars) of the PGA Tour, were revealed.
On the 3rd (Korean time), Bale teamed up with professional player Joseph Bramlett (USA) to play the first round at the Pebble Beach Golf Links Spyglass Hill Course (par 72) in Pebble Beach, California, USA. They tied for 17th with a combined 7-under-par 65. 5 strokes from the lead.
Bale showed off several plays that aroused admiration that day. In particular, after looking at the ball off the greenside cart road for a moment, Bale pulled out a wedge and attempted a soft approach shot. The highlight was that the ball, which bounced precisely on the edge of the green, landed at a distance of 1.2m from the pin. This scene, posted on the PGA Tour’s official social media (SNS), has already recorded more than 1 million views.
Even in the bunker, he showed a short game comparable to that of a pro, such as a successful par save with an excellent recovery shot.
Bale announced his sudden retirement on his SNS on the 10th of last month. After 64 years since 1958, he led his country, Wales, to the finals of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, took over as captain of the Welsh national team, stepped on the World Cup stage, and left the ground without regret. He is also a star player who led the team to five Champions League titles in Real Madrid, the world’s most popular club in Spain’s Primera Liga.
The next move is the appearance of a ‘golf mania’ itself. Last week at Torrey Pines, San Diego, right before the Farmers Insurance, I played with World No. 3 John Rahm (Spain) at the Pro-Am. At the time, Ram also praised Bale, saying, “It’s unfair because he’s good at both soccer and golf.” 먹튀검증
Bale’s love of golf is well known. It is said that his house has a three-hole golf course. This golf fanaticism left controversy even during his soccer days. As Wales qualified for Euro 2020, Bale posed for a photo with his team-mates, in which Bale’s hand read ‘Wales. golf. A Welsh flag with ‘Madrid’ on it was raised. At the time, Bale was immersed in golf and was criticized for not doing his best in football, so fans expressed opposition to Bale at the banner with golf in front of Madrid.
Bale, who was born in 1989 and retired at the rather early age of 34, haunts the golf course. Bale participated in this competition, where 156 amateurs and 156 pros pair up to play on Pebble Beach, a prestigious course. The game is played in a ‘best-ball’ format in which two players play with their own balls and the better score is the team’s score. A large number of celebrities, including NFL legend quarterback Aaron Rogers, comedian Bill Murray, and former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, also participated.
Bale wrote his handicap as ‘2’ and submitted it to the organizers. It means that if you round on a par 72 course, you will hit an average of 74 strokes. It is said that among the 156 participants, there are about 9 amateur players with a handicap superior to Bale. Since Bramlett, who played with Bale, recorded 4 under par out of 7 under par, Bale was responsible for the remaining 3 under par.
Bale, who finished the first round, said, “I was nervous in the first hole. I used to play football live on TV with over 80,000 people watching, but this is a completely different sport. I was lucky to hit one of my best shots from the first fairway. It was a wonderful experience,” he said.
