Most of you probably know Jerry Rice for his 20 years as the best receiver in the history of the National Football League, while some others might be more familiar with his moves on the dance floor, courtesy of his runner-up finish in season 2 of Dancing With the Stars. What you may not know is that, according to this Associated Press article, he’s also been golfing for more than two decades. This Thursday, he’ll be putting those years of experience to the test as he makes his entrance at the Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae in Hayward, Calif.
Rice received a sponsor’s exemption to compete in the tournament, where he’ll also be serving as a host. As part of the Nationwide Tour, which is owned and operated by the PGA Tour, the Fresh Express Classic also has a charitable angle to it. The tournament’s goal is to raise more than half a million dollars for charities and nonprofits in the San Francisco Bay Area, and courtesy of TICKETS Fore CHARITY, all the daily and weekly tournament proceeds will be given to participating organizations. One of those organizations is Rice’s own 127 Foundation, which aims to help children by giving funds to the Bay Area Omega Boys Club, among others.
The 47-year-old Rice, who’s set to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August, could be up for prize money if he makes the cut after 36 holes. His best-ever round of golf was 68, and it’s safe to say if he has back-to-back rounds in that neighborhood, he’ll definitely be continuing to play through the weekend at the 7,188-yard, par-71 TPC Stonebrae.
And don’t count Rice out. In referring to his drives, Rice was quoted as saying, “I can hold my own,” then added, “I have been up at night visualizing my strategy, what I’m going to do on every hole. The biggest thing for me is to be able to calm my nerves on the golf course when I hit a bad shot.” You can see how he does, too, as the Golf Channel will have live coverage of the event.
Photo by simplistic.designs via Flickr.