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Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is taking his talents from the hardwood to the golf course. According to Ron Kroichick of the San Francisco Chronicle, Curry has received a sponsor exemption and will play in this year’s Ellie Mae Classic, a Web.com tour event on August 3-6.
While Curry has played in plenty of celebrity events as well as some PGA Tour pro-ams, this will unquestionably be the biggest golfing test of his career. The event is held annually at TPC Stonebrae, and the two-time NBA champion sounded thrilled when talking about the opportunity, telling the Chronicle that it’s a “huge honor.”
According to Kroichick, Curry received the invitation in early June after Tournament Director Trish Gregovich reached out to Warriors officials.
While the Warriors star has played in many golf events throughout his career, he’s been a regular at the American Century Championship. Back in 2013, he posted a third-place finish at the event and was the second-highest amateur finisher behind Mark Mulder.
For what it’s worth, Curry isn’t the first big name to play in this Web.com event, as Jerry Rice has played it three times, failing to make the cut in any appearance. Another former NFL pro in Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is an avid golfer as well, and as Kevin Spain of USA TODAY Sports pointed out, he failed to qualify for the U.S. Open just this past May.
For what it’s worth, Curry has some serious potential as a golfer and has received plenty of rave reviews. Golf Digest ranked Curry as the best golfer among NBA players and the No. 14 amongst all non-golfing athletes. He was the No. 1 golfer on his Charlotte Christian team in high school and according to Cork Gaines of Business Insider, he also shot a 70 at Pebble Beach.
Curry’s father, former NBA player Dell Curry has also hyped up his son’s golf game and believes that Steph could actually be a professional if he put in the time, per Jeff Eisenband of The Post Game.
“He really could,” says Dell, who played 16 NBA seasons as a guard/forward. “When we play, he hits balls and we go out and it’s three summers in a row he’s put up scores in the 60s.
“If Steph got a golf coach and practiced and put in the time like he does in basketball, he could play. He’s really good. He’s that good. He doesn’t miss a lot of shots, and when he does, he can recover. He thinks he can make any putt he stands over.”
Curry will have his work cut out for him in what will certainly be the biggest golf test of his career.