golf
Ex-soccer star Bale 16th at tournament in Pebble Beach
Former soccer star Gareth Bale hits the first green from a bunker. photo
© Eric Risberg/AP/dpa
Ex-soccer star Gareth Bale has made a respectable start as an amateur golfer less than a month after retiring.
Ex-soccer star Gareth Bale has made a respectable start as an amateur golfer less than a month after retiring.
The 33-year-old Welshman played alongside pro Joseph Bramlett of the USA at the Pro-Am tournament in Pebble Beach, California, and finished 16th out of 156 pairs.
Football star Aaron Rodgers won the celebrity category. The 39-year-old quarterback from the Green Bay Packers prevailed after three rounds on the Pacific coast alongside Canadian Ben Silverman. US actor Bill Murray and Spanish ex-basketball star Pau Gasol also played in the show tournament.
Bale ended his football career in early January. Even during his time at Real Madrid, where he won a number of titles, including the Champions League several times, he played a lot of golf in his free time. With the national team of Wales, Bale failed in the preliminary round at the World Cup in Qatar last year.