Former NBA player JR Smith is making good use of time after announcing he would be heading to college to study and play golf for North Carolina A&T, an HBCU.
At first, most people wondered whether this was a joke and how he would be allowed to play college sports well into his 30’s. Well, today was the day JR finally hit the links for his first-ever golf meet as a D1 college athlete.
Smith didn’t have a great performance shooting a 12-over 83 on Monday in the first round of the Elon Phoenix Invitational at Alamance Country Club in Burlington, North Carolina. Smith walked off the course tied for last after six bogeys, four double bogeys, two birdies, and six pars.
Despite the poor outing, Smith received some encouraging words from NCA&T men’s golf coach Richard Watkins.
“He has a good enough golf game to put up some good numbers,” said A&T men’s golf coach Richard Watkins. “But this is what I tell people. If you want to find out how good a golfer really is, put the word tournament or money in front of the round. Playing when there is nothing on the line is one thing. But, put meaning to it, and the heart rate changes. The grip on the club changes, and we get to see who you really are.
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