By:
Jessica Marksbury
December 17, 2022
Ozzie Smith has been a longtime staple on the celeb pro-am circuit.
Getty Photographs
With a World Collection title, 15 All-Star staff appearances and 13 Gold Glove Awards, Ozzie Smith is an indeniable front-runner for the title of MLB defensive shortstop GOAT.
However lately? The now 67-year-old is absolutely targeted on his golf recreation.
On this week’s episode of Subpar, Smith defined to hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz how he bought into the sport — and why it wasn’t till he was an grownup.
“As a child I by no means picked up a golf membership,” he stated. “I grew up in South Central Los Angeles. It was baseball, basketball and soccer. So golf was by no means that factor for any of us.”
Smith stated that’s was throughout the late ’80s when Whitey Herzog invited Smith to hit the opening tee shot in his golf match. Though he’d by no means swung a membership earlier than, Smith agreed, and arrived a pair days forward of time to follow.
“As an athlete, I really like the method,” Smith stated. “And that course of continues right this moment, understanding that I’ll by no means excellent it, however getting it to some extent of consistency, the place I do know what it’s that I’m attempting to attain.”
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By:
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Smith says he bought snug sufficient throughout follow to hit the match’s opening shot.
“I hit it, and it went down the center,” he stated. “That was it. You recognize, once you hit it good. I’ve been hooked ever since.”
Smith says he’s beloved the problem of getting the clubface extra sq. at influence, and relishes the enjoyment of competitors.
“For anyone who’s performed any sport for 15, 20 years, there’s a aggressive void in your life after you’re achieved. Golf fills that aggressive void as a result of I’m competing to start with in opposition to myself, competing in opposition to the course and the folks that you just play in opposition to. I really like the method and attempting to determine it out.”
Smith has achieved nicely by any customary, and says he’s at the moment a 4 handicap.
For extra from Smith, together with what it’s prefer to play in high-profile pro-ams, his favourite programs and experiences with the professionals, try the complete interview under.
Golf.com Photographer
As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of feminine varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everybody on the masthead. She will be able to out-hustle them within the workplace, too, the place she’s primarily accountable for producing each print and on-line options, and overseeing main particular tasks, equivalent to GOLF’s inaugural Model Issue, which debuted in February 2018. Her original interview collection, “A Spherical With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in each within the journal and in video kind on GOLF.com.