Djokovic, Bale, and others come to the aid of golf
The iconic Ryder Cup golf competition, where Europe’s best golfers unite and try to show the Americans their place, was preluded by an All-Star Match. This event included, among others, golf-loving football star Gareth Bale, one of the best tennis players in history, Novak Djokovic, and F1 driver Carlos Sainz.
The celebrities formed two teams, that had legendary golfers as captains: Scotsman Colin Montgomerie, a member of the Hall of Fame, and the American Corey Pavin, who belonged to the absolute top for more than ten years in the last century.
Several participants of the All-Star Match, especially Sainz and Djokovic, stood out in Rome with very good shots. Montgomerie’s team won 7:4, and although athletes have always wanted to win, the result in this battle didn’t matter at all.
Yes, golf is a sport with long traditions, with millions of people watching top competitions and huge money circulating, but the popularity of top golf is not comparable to football, basketball, or any other sport. At the same time, there is no doubt that golf wants to attract more and more fans and potential players.
Rise above the clichés
This means that these days, when people often have more interests and activities than they have hours in the day, it is necessary to stand out to grab attention. The Ryder Cup could have been opened with a concert by famous musicians or a red-carpet event, but… That would have been boring. Openings like these have been done a thousand times.
The All-Star Match was a great kick-off for the Ryder Cup, bringing together celebrities from the world of sports and beyond, including Garrett Hilbert who is behind the social media channel Dude Perfect. Considering that Dude Perfect has 18 million TikTok and 12 million Instagram followers, inviting him was a fantastic move from the organizers because, as the cliché goes, “Golf is a game for the old and rich.” But as always with clichés, it is far from the truth.
Golf helps to entertain the stars
Your regular sports fan may dream of scoring the winning goal in the Champions League final, defeating the USA in the Olympic basketball final and beating Rafael Nadal at the French Open. But for men and women who have enjoyed phenomenal success in their field, golf is one of the best forms of entertainment. And it may easily become a second career as well.
Let’s take Bale, for example, who hung up his boots this January. The Welshman’s love for golf is no surprise to football lovers – the former Real Madrid player carried a flag after one of the victories with Wales that read: “Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order.”
Although Bale was partly joking in response to former Real player and sporting director Predrag Mijatović’s jibe on a radio show, he mentioned at the All-Star Game, that he has participated in a couple of pro-am (both professional and amateur) golf tournaments.
Golf is also on many F1 drivers’ schedules in their spare time. One of the biggest fans is McLaren’s number one Lando Norris, who according to some sources is a downright golf addict.
And of course, when talking about golf-loving stars, one must mention the basketball legend Michael Jordan, the six-time NBA champion, considered by many to be the best player in history. Jordan’s love for golf knows no bounds – even one of his weddings took place on a golf course…
OlyBet is overjoyed to be the official partner and betting operator of Ryder Cup – the legendary golf competition in Europe. Who will win – the Old or the New World? The result will be revealed on October 1st, so there is plenty of time for predictions!
