Getty Bills quarterback Josh Allen at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Spyglass Hill Golf Course on February 02, 2023 in Pebble Beach, California.
Josh Allen’s career might be in football, but the Buffalo Bills quarterback has another sports love that’s taking up an increasing share of his time and attention — golf.
Allen and some Bills teammates made a trip down the Thruway from Buffalo to Rochester, New York, on May 16, speaking with a group of local kids at Oak Hill Country Club. The golf course will host the PGA Championship starting on Thursday, and Allen opened up at a pre-tournament event about why he’s fallen in love with golf.
Josh Allen: ‘Golf is So Mental, It’s So Challenging’
In a Q&A session with the local students, Allen was asked what he loves about golf. The Bills quarterback, who has gained a reputation as a top amateur golfer during his time in the NFL, said he loves the challenge of competing against yourself on the golf course.
“Golf is so mental, it’s so challenging,” Allen said, via the Buffalo News. “It’s always on hole 17 or 18 you hit that really good shot and you’re like, “Why can’t I do that every time?’ ”
Allen went on to say how golf has drawn him in, the chance to relax and get away from the chaotic pace of the NFL while still feeling competitive.
“It keeps bringing you back and pulling you back,” Allen said. “You’re playing against yourself and then you get to go out and hang out with guys, the new golf, blast some music out there and it’s four and a half hours where you put your phone away, you kind of feel like you get connected with nature. It’s a definite change of pace, but again it’s that mental fight you have with yourself that kind of pushes you to be better.”
Here at the @PGAChampionship today: #Bills quarterbacks Josh Allen, Kyle Allen and Matt Barkley, as well as kicker Tyler Bass and cornerback Kaiir Elam. Here is Josh Allen on why he loves golf.
Allen has improved his own golf game in recent years, skipping the Pro Bowl to compete in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in each of the past two seasons and teaming up with fellow quarterback Patrick Mahomes for a televised competition against Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.
He has also become a famous golf fan, being spotted at the Master’s last year and attending the PGA’s Genesis Invitational in March. Allen was seen watching Tiger Woods as the legendary golfer his comeback after a long injury layoff. It was the first non-Major start for Woods since 2020, and Allen snagged some viral attention as a fan.
Dialed in for Tiger 😎
@JoshAllenQB is at Riv watching @TigerWoods today 🐅
Josh Allen’s Light Offseason
After a bruising NFL season where he played through a significant elbow injury, Allen has been focusing on healing this offseason. Bills general manager Brandon Beane noted that golf has been a big part of that, with Allen staying sharp by hitting the links.
Bills GM Brandon Beane discussing Josh Allen’s elbow injury this year, and what it’s like watching the quarterback do whatever it takes to win games for this organization. #Bills #NFLCombine
“As the year progressed after the injury it was getting better and better and he was able to remove the brace he had to wear the first couple of weeks,” Beane said at the NFL Combine, via Cover 1 reporter Ajay Cybulski on Twitter. “No one is 100%, but Josh is doing well and played golf a few times and he’s kind of hitting the reset and will be ready to roll come this offseason.”