‘Golf Enthusiast’ Bale: "Have You Seen the PGA Tour Cart Path Shot?"

Pebble Beach Pro-Am First Day's Impressive Approach Shot

Retired soccer star Gareth Bale (Wales, photo) showcased his sharp shot skills.

The 'golf enthusiast' Bale made a strong impression from the first day of the PGA Tour AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (total prize money $9 million), which opened on the 2nd (local time) at Spyglass Hill (par 72, 7,041 yards) in Pebble Beach, California, USA.

This tournament features celebrities from various fields playing alongside professional players. Bale participated as one of the amateur celebrities. Each team consists of one professional player and one amateur golfer. The professional players compete individually for the championship based on their scores, while a separate award is given to the winning team based on the combined scores of the professional and amateur players.

Bale teamed up with tour player Joseph Bramlett (USA). Together, they made 7 under par, placing them tied for 18th in the team competition on the first day, 5 strokes behind the leaders. Bale demonstrated his well-known skills by escaping from a bunker and saving par on the 1st hole (par 5). On the 2nd hole (par 4), he attracted attention with an even more impressive par save. Although his second shot landed on the edge of the cart path, putting him in a difficult situation, he executed a perfect approach shot to avoid losing strokes.

After completing the first round, Bale said, "Even though I’m used to playing in front of 80,000 spectators or even more watching live on TV, this is a completely different sport," adding, "Fortunately, I hit one of my best shots on the first fairway." Regarding the par save on the 2nd hole, he commented, "It was an amazing shot. I enjoyed watching it roll well, and I finished it off nicely," expressing satisfaction by saying, "There’s nothing more to say."

Bale is a soccer player who has played for Southampton and Tottenham in England, and Real Madrid in Spain. As a Wales national team player, he scored 41 goals in 111 matches since 2006, holding the records for most appearances and most goals in the national team’s A matches. At last year’s Qatar World Cup, he captained Wales and played in the finals for the first and last time in his career before announcing his retirement.

During his active career, Bale showed great affection for golf, frequently making headlines. While at Real Madrid, he was criticized for playing golf even when he was injured and unable to participate in matches. After Wales qualified for the Euro 2020 finals, he sparked anger among Madrid fans by carrying a flag that read "Wales·Golf·Madrid" during the celebration.

Bale loves golf so much that he built the signature 17th hole (par 3) of the PGA Tour’s The Players Championship battleground, TPC Sawgrass, in his backyard. His personal best score is 67. Bale has served as the host of a European Tour event held in Wales and is an ambassador for the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A), the governing body of world golf.