Interesting Hobbies of Professional Golfers

You know them on the golf course, pounding 200 yard 7 irons, drives like moonballs and hoovering up the birdies with aplomb. Amazing as it may be to realise, however, pro golfers are sometimes also talented at things apart than golf. From exceptional artists, to all-round athletic talents, here’s several of the most interesting and impressive hobbies of your favourite professional players.

Luke Donald – Art

Cool hand Luke on the golf course also has a steady hand off it. While he was at the prestigious Northwestern University, Donald studied art, honing a passion for painting which persists to this day. When he’s not playing golf, Luke can be found in front of an easel, splashing a golf-themed watercolour or just working on a new blend of paints. With all the detail he crams into his images, it’s no wonder he’s got such strong hands on the course!

Tiger Woods – Call of Duty (Video Games)

Since the publication of Hank Haney’s infamous memoir, The Big Miss, Tiger Woods’s private life is known about by millions. One of the more shocking revelations to come out of the book was how Tiger spends his free time. As well as more regular things, like pumping metal down the gym, Woods is apparently a huge fan of Call of Duty, and a talented player of the game. During the lows of his 2009 scandal, Tiger retreated to the virtual world. Munching bowls of sorrowful Fruit Loops and sniping Russians became the order of the day.

Paul Casey – Snowboarding

Away from the course, Paul Casey’s favourite hobby is snowboarding. And he’s apparently a dab hand on the slopes. All this didn’t save him from a snowboarding-related injury, however, that nearly ruined his golf career in 2012. Bombing down a steep run in Colorado, Casey got nicked on a rock, flying over his board and wrenching his shoulder out of its joint. Remarkably, he was able to recover in just two months, though it took him slightly longer to return to form.

Stewart Cink – Grilling and Barbecuing

Though known for cinking (excuse the pun!) putts, Stewart Cink also cinks (sorry again!) his teeth into a good barbecue. The American took up grilling over ten years ago and now cooks competitively. His speciality is a good old-fashioned barbecue, having tamed all the different styles of sauces, from the vinegary barbecue of North Carolina to the sweeter styles perfected in Memphis. When Cink won the Open at Turnberry in 2009, he even used the claret jug to drizzle barbecue sauce, such is his obsession with the hobby. His passion for the grill paid off in 2013, when he and his friend Chad Parker won first prize in a rib-grilling competition at the Atlanta BBQ Festival. A real feat for an amateur chef.  

Peter Hanson – Table Tennis

The big Swede Peter Hanson is best known for his performance in the 2012 Ryder Cup. But it’s what happened afterwards that interests us here. According to Sergio Garcia and other European players, Hanson is secretly a talent at table tennis, routing all the European team after the match. It’s difficult to gauge fully how good he is. For example, Phil Mickelson is also said to be excellent – how would he fare against the whippet-handed Swede? Still, it’s an impressive skill to have. Wish I had his topspin forehand!

Sergio Garcia – Football

Remember that famous video of Sergio Garcia losing it after a bad shot, pulling off one of his shoes and drop-kicking is down the hole? Well, the crisp contact he made wasn’t a fluke. The Spanish player is, according to rumour, a seriously talented football player and even thought about turning professional before he eventually committed to golf. He is also involved in the sport in an administrative capacity, being the long-serving president and chairman of his local club, CF Borriol. See his hot left foot in action in this below clip from the European Tour’s annual ‘Players vs Caddies’ match during the Andalucia Valderrama Masters.

Still need a striker, @realmadrid?

?? @TheSergioGarcia pic.twitter.com/kMvoek8Kqb

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) October 19, 2018

Tim Clark – Flying Planes

Fortunately, perhaps for any passengers, the planes we’re talking about here are not full-size. That’s right, Tim Clark is a fan of model-aeroplane flying. While it’s likely a quirk of coincidence, it’s interesting that the South African golfer also shares his name with the president of the Emirates airline. A hint of some air-flying prowess perhaps?

Adam Scott – Surfing

Not only does Adam Scott boast the stereotypically Australian long locks, dashing good looks and a buff, beached-ready physique, but he is also a red-hot surfer. Water is something pro golfers usually want to avoid on the golf course, but on the beaches, Scott is always in search of a big wave. 

Louis Oosthuizen – Farming

Most people who win the Open Championship buy a sports car or a flush new pad; Louis Oosthuizen bought a tractor. As well as excelling at golf, the South African player is also, unusually, a very keen farmer, owning a farm on which he spends his free time. From ploughing fields to operating heavy machinery, Oosthuizen likes nothing better than tending his crops and keeping his animals. In another life, he might have been a quiet dairy farmer, rearing prime cuts in the South African sun. As it is, the bulk of his time is spent swinging smoothly as a professional golfer, but it’s nice to know that he still keeps his flocks.

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