Many former athletes have tried their hand at becoming a pro golfer after their retirement.
Stephen Curry and Tony Romo have both played in professional events, as did Rafael Nadal just 10 days after his retirement from tennis. But few are able to compete at the top level. That takes years of dedication.
In fact, few have ever performed in two disciplines. Athletes like Deion Sanders, who is the only person to play in a Super Bowl and a World Series, come along once in a generation, and it’s usually due to their superhuman physicality instead of their skill in a game like golf.
That said, there has always been some crossover between tennis and golf. Both sports demand a high level of hand-eye coordination, and the golf swing and tennis swing share similarities in their mechanics.
Many have tried to bridge the gap. Carlos Alcaraz is an avid golfer, and he said Roger Federer is a natural, having played for only two years. But one former Grand Slam champion in particular stunned Tiger Woods, who said they had all the tools to make it as a pro.
The tennis player who stunned Tiger Woods with their golfing ability
When the greatest of all time, Woods, speaks, the golfing world listens, and he once weighed in on the potential of a tennis Grand Slam champion, Ash Barty.
Barty, a three-time Grand Slam winner, shocked the world by retiring from tennis ranked world number one in 2022.
She is known as a sporting unicorn who took her talents into cricket earlier in her career, playing in the Big Bash League. And those talents also extend to golf, according to Woods.
After watching her hit a wedge into the Yarra River during an exhibition event in 2022, he said, “She’s got a great swing, are you kidding me?”
When later asked about Barty’s golfing potential, he said, “She’s got all the tools if she wants to pursue it. If she put her mind to it, I’m sure she could.
“I’ve seen quite a lot of golfers come from different sports and she’s the one that stands out the most, by far actually.”
High praise from the 15-time major winner!
What Ash Barty said about turning to professional golf
Unfortunately for the golfing world, Barty said she had no desire to turn professional.
In response to calls for her to join the LPGA Tour, she said, “It’s funny listening to other golfers suggest I could turn pro at golf if I committed to it. It was always something I joked about with my uncle when I used to muck around and play with him.
“He always said that he’d be my caddie on the LPGA Tour, but no, I think for me, two sports is enough. Tennis is obviously the focus and cricket was a bit of fun, but golf for me is a hobby.”
It seems that Barty stepped away from tennis to get away from the professional sporting environment, so golf is an escape from that for now. But if she ever wanted to commit to golf, it would be incredible to see her go against the best in the world!
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
