November 9, 2024

Could Gareth Bale pursue a career in professional golf?

Lisa Baker, Editor, Welsh Business News & News from Wales April 3, 2023

In early February 2023, Gareth Bale was preparing to tee off in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California. Of course, in times gone by, the Welshman would have instead been preparing for the upcoming international break in March with one eye on helping his nation qualify for either the Euros or World Cup. Having announced his retirement from football, however, Bale now appears to have an altogether different objective in mind.

Bales impresses at Pebble Beach 

Like everything Bale touches which seems to turn instantly to gold, his participation in the pro-am at the iconic Pebble Beach earned him enormous praise from the world’s best golfers, In particular, it was Spaniard Jon Rahm – one of the current favourites in the latest Masters betting odds at just 8/1, who was the most complimentary about Bale’s golf.

This praise was hugely telling when you consider that the most recent Paddy Power golf odds actually price Rahm as one of the standout favourites to win every single major this year. In short, there isn’t a more authoritative voice in world golf as things stand, with Rahm’s exact words being: “I told Gareth, you can’t be so good at professional football and golf at the same time, it just doesn’t seem fair.”

 

Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick echoed Rahm’s praise by saying:” he [Bale] is obviously a good player. He has obviously got a lot of talent.

So, with the globe’s most talented players convinced of Bale’s ability, could the five-time Champions League winner enjoy a second act as a professional golfer? The answer has to be yes.

A world awaits

To start with, Bale has already been offered a spot on the Legends Tour, a global circuit featuring celebrities, industry captains, and ex-golf professionals all competing on some of the world’s most prestigious courses throughout the year. Crucially, there is official prize money allocated to every event on the Legends Tour but a significant amount is donated to charity, making this tournament one of the best in terms of the impact it has on the lives of others.

This will undoubtedly be a huge pull factor for Bale when deciding whether to take up the invitation. Indeed, it was in 2022 that Bale received an MBE for his services to football and notably, charity as well after donating more than £1 million to various causes throughout his career. In this sense, you can better appreciate why the Legends Tour may appeal to Bale as he gets to travel the world playing golf while raising money for highly worthwhile purposes.

All bets are off as Bale aims for the stars 

At just 33, though, and with an official handicap of two, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the fiercely competitive ex-footballer targets qualification to one of the professional tours before doing anything else. Essentially, if Bale was able almost to play off scratch while pursuing a career as a footballer then it would seem logical to assume that with all his time now devoted to the sport, he could successfully play at the highest level.

Wales’ all-time record appearance holder certainly has options as he decides what to do with his life after football but there there is growing evidence that he will swap the football pitch for the fairways and greens of the world’s best courses.

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