02 February 2023 , 15:16
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Matt Fitzpatrick has lauded Gareth Bale's 'impressive' golf game ahead of his PGA Tour debut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am this week.
Bale is one of the many amateurs teeing it up alongside some of the world's best at Pebble Beach on Thursday. The Welshman's outing comes following his retirement from professional football in January. Bale enjoyed an impressive career, having starred most notably for Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid, as well as on the international stage with Wales.
Throughout his footballing career, Bale has made no secret of his love for the game of golf after famously celebrating his nation's qualification to EURO 2021 with a flag that read: "Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order."
With the former Spurs man's footballing days now over, he is seemingly taking advantage of having more time for golf by playing on the PGA Tour. Bale also featured at last week's Farmers Insurance Open, and featured in the pre-tournament Pro-Am alongside Jon Rahm.
World No. 2 Rahm had plenty of praise for the 33-year-old, commenting: "I told Gareth, you can't be so good at professional football and golf at the same time, it just doesn't seem fair. Can't be dedicated to one thing and have this much talent for golf, it's not fair in the slightest."
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Rahm is not the only one who has been left impressed though, with Bale also catching the eye of the Spaniard's Ryder Cup teammate Fitzpatrick. The Englishman played alongside Bale in preparation for this week's tournament at Pebble Beach.
Opening up on their practice round, Fitzpatrick said: "Yeah, it was really cool. First time I've officially met him. So that was obviously good to see him. Really, really enjoyed it.
Do you think Gareth Bale has what it takes to become a professional golfer? Let us know in the comments section below.
Gareth Bale is teeing it up at Pebble Beach this week (Getty Images)"Asking him questions about football and he's asking questions about golf and stuff. So we had a really enjoyable front nine and there's not many better places to do it than around here.
“I don't know what Jon said. But, yeah, he's obviously a good player. He's obviously got a lot of talent. Yeah, he was impressive.” The Englishman also took to social media following his round with Bale, sharing a picture of the pair alongside each other on the iconic coastal course. He tweeted: "All set for Pebble Beach! Great to play with you today @GarethBale11!!"