The ‘100 million euro man’, who once moved to Real Madrid in the Spanish professional football Primera Liga and recorded the highest transfer fee ever, stood on the course of the regular tournament of the American Professional Golf (PGA) tour one month after announcing his retirement. At this rate, there is even a prospect that he can really challenge himself as a golf player. This is the story of Welsh ‘soccer hero’ Gareth Bale (34).
In the first round of the PGA Tour AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (total prize money of $9 million) held at the Spyglass Hill Course (par 72) in Pebble Beach, California, USA on the 3rd (Korean time), Bale scored 7 under par 65 against professional player Joseph Bramlett 메이저놀이터(USA). collaborated with other He is tied for 18th place, 5 strokes behind the leader. Bale competed in the amateur division of the tournament, played as a pair of pros and amateurs. Professionals are awarded with individual scores, and teams are awarded with the combined professional and amateur scores.
Bale, who announced his ‘surprising’ retirement on the 10th of last month, posted on his social network service (SNS) two weeks later, “I am happy to announce that I will be participating in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am early next month.” And on this day, he showed several shots that aroused admiration. In hole 1 (par 5), the ball fell into the bunker neatly on the green and made a par save. In hole 2 (par 4), he made a shot miss and sent the ball over the cart road, but with a sensuous approach shot, he put it on the pin about 1m away and blocked it with a par. After the game, Bale said, “I’m used to playing live TV matches (soccer) in front of more than 80,000 spectators, but this is a completely different sport.”
In this competition, Bale wrote down his handicap as ‘2’ and submitted it. It means that he is strong enough to hit an average of 74 on the par 72 course. He is also attracting attention for his maniacal love of golf, which made his outstanding skills. He owns three holes in the backyard of his Welsh home, modeled after the 17th hole at Sawgrass TPC, the 8th hole at Royal Troon, and the 12th hole at Augusta National.
Prior to Bale, there was also a player in tennis who showed golf skills and fanatical love to the point where people were confused about what their main job was. This is Ashley Barty (27, Australia), who was ranked first in the women’s singles world rankings. Barty broke the news of winning her local golf tournament two weeks after her sudden retirement in March of last year. Even in 2020, before her retirement, she went to a local golf tournament instead of a tennis tournament and won the club championship. The house she lives in is also right next to the golf course where she won.
In the professional division, Hank Lebioda (USA) took the lead by one stroke with an 8 under par. Kang Seong-hoon and Ahn Byeong-hoon are tied for 47th at 2 under par.