Former tennis star Mardy Fish makes PGA Tour debut
After being recommended by Jack Nicklaus, former tennis pro Mardy Fish has taken to the golf course, making history in the process.
Former tennis star Mardy Fish said he was “proud” to be the first person to play on both the ATP Tour and the PGA Tour after swapping his racquet for a bag of clubs.
The 40-year-old won six ATP titles and once ranked as high as seventh in the world in 2011, before retiring from tennis four years later. However, he has recently been playing amateur golf and was given a special exemption to play in the PGA Tour’s 3M Open in Minnesota, his hometown. Fish was unable to make the cut, finishing 13 over par after his two rounds, with only three players carding higher scores.
He was grateful for the opportunity, though, and took to Twitter on Saturday to reflect on his achievement, posting: “What an incredible experience playing in the 3M Open. Truly a week I will never forget. I’m proud to be the first person to play on the ATP Tour and the PGA Tour. Chase your dreams, no matter how ridiculous they may be! Thank you for the incredible support all week Minnesota!”
Nicklaus praise
Although he did not quite perform to the level hoped, Fish did card a respectable 74 in Friday’s second round, hitting eight of 14 fairways and seven of 18 greens in regulation. Golf great Jack Nicklaus has previously labelled Fish the best non-professional golfer he has ever played with. “We played nine holes, and he drove the ball on every single hole in the middle of the fairway; further than I have seen anybody hit it who is not a professional,” Nicklaus said. “He shot 31 for nine holes. I said, ‘Mardy, what are you doing? You have got a talent, and you are young enough to take advantage of it. You need to go play golf.’”