Golf is often leaning into the world of celebrities for their professional events, who aren’t well-refined professionals like your typical PGA Tour players.
Celebrities and athletes from other sports are thrust into an intense professional atmosphere and, in many cases, asked to perform alongside them. Amateur golfers will play alongside the likes of Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler this week at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
This can lead to hilarious situations you would never see at a typical pro event. And for six-time NBA All-Star Blake Griffin, a routine warm-up session quickly dissolved into a nightmare scenario.
The preparation seemed standard: a few minutes on the putting green, a quick equipment check, and a plan for the opening hole. But as the clock ticked down toward his official start time, a breakdown in communication left the former Slam Dunk champion standing on the first tee without the one thing he needed most.
Standing there alongside NFL and NBA royalty, Griffin realized he was about to face a crowd and a daunting first drive with absolutely nothing in his hands.
Why Blake Griffin had no clubs on the opening hole of a golf tournament
The situation came to a head when the tournament starter called Griffin’s name while his gear was still nowhere in sight. Griffin recounted the experience:
“My caddie from Lakeside, Tyler, we’re on the putting green before the first day, and we got 15 minutes. So we putt a little bit, and he’s like, ‘Okay, I’m gonna go to the bathroom, you need some balls right?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, grab me some balls. I’ll meet you on the first tee.’
“So I’m walking over to the first tee, and this guy from the tournament comes up and says, ‘Hey, we need you on tee one!’ So I’m like, ‘Ok, heading there.’ I’m walking over and Baker Mayfield is in my group. Vince Carter is in my group. And Baker Mayfield is teeing off.
“I look back, caddie nowhere to be found. And now they announce Vince. They put me last because I wasn’t there yet. Vince tees off, caddie nowhere to be found. And Vince goes, ‘Do you want one of my clubs?’, and everybody kind of laughs.
“And that actually helped, because they saw me grab Vince’s clubs, they saw my caddie wasn’t there. I hit a solid shot for my first tee shot, and I think it was only because that took the pressure off.”
Luckily, Griffin’s caddie then showed up and he was able to play the rest of the round with his own clubs!
Blake Griffin’s golf handicap
Since retiring from the NBA in 2023, six-time All-Star Blake Griffin has pivoted his competitive focus toward golf, transforming from a self-described bad novice into a formidable presence on the celebrity circuit.
When he first picked up the game, he admitted to shooting in the 120s. However, through an admitted obsession, he rapidly improved his game.
As of late 2024, Griffin had lowered his handicap to approximately 11.4 to 13. He secured his first victory on the celebrity circuit by winning the 8AM Invitational in Las Vegas, and he is a member at the Lakeside Golf & Country Club in Los Angeles.
Griffin has become a staple in televised and high-profile exhibition matches. He participated in The Match: Superstars, where he was noted as much for his trash talk with Charles Barkley as for his play.
He has also competed in the American Century Championship (Tahoe) and the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, playing alongside LPGA professionals.
Despite his athletic background, he has been candid about the shaking nerves he experienced during his first major celebrity tournaments in front of large galleries. So not having clubs would have been a welcome distraction!
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