Featured Image Credit: PGA Tour/Instagram
Topics: Golf, Gareth Bale, Wales
Jack Kenmare
Gareth Bale played nine holes with world number three Jon Rahm ahead of his golf debut at next month's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am – and it's fair to say the Spaniard was stunned by what he saw.
After featuring heavily for Wales at this winter's World Cup in Qatar, former Real Madrid and Spurs forward Bale announced his retirement from club and international football in January.
He wrote: "After careful and thoughtful consideration, I announce my immediate retirement from club and international football.
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“I feel incredibly fortunate to have realised my dream of playing the sport I love. It has truly given me some of the best moments of my life. The highest of highs over 17 seasons, that will be impossible to replicate, no matter what the next chapter has in store for me.”
With five Champions Leagues and three La Liga titles to his name, the 33-year-old knows it will be "impossible" to replicate such a sporting feat.
But the next chapter involves another sport he is incredibly talented at. Just ask Jon Rahm, the world number three who joined Bale in a fourball alongside ESPN golf analyst Michael Collins and social media star Tisha Alyn this week.
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After recently winning back-to-back PGA Tour starts after beating Davis Thompson at The American Express, Rahm was left amazed by the Welshman's ability on the Torrey Pines course.
"I told Gareth, 'you can't be so good at professional football and golf at the same time, it just doesn't seem fair'," he said.
"You can't be dedicated to one thing and have this much talent for golf, it's not fair in the slightest."
Bale will make his debut alongside 156 pro golfers at next month's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Pebble Beach, California, with the four-day event from February 2–5 boasting an impressive $9 million (£7.3m) prize.
Although he is unlikely to top the leaderboard at any stage, Rahm says the former Wales international has all the tools to make an impression.
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When asked if Bale asked for any tips, the Spaniard said: "He didn't ask for anything, nor should he be asking, he's already good enough. He has no business being that good when he's a professional football player.
"When he can actually practise more, he's going to get a lot better.
"He got two strokes in the Pro-Am, which I think is already wrong. He should be giving strokes back to the rest of the amateurs because he is a very, very good player."
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Earlier this week, an excited Bale confirmed he will participate at the upcoming PGA tour event.
He wrote on Instagram: "Delighted to announce I will be playing in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at the start of next month! Let’s go."
Thoughts on the next chapter in Bale's career?
Let us know in the comments.