Charles Barkley: Worst Celebrity Golfer In History?
August 30, 2008
Charles Barkley, the former National Basketball Association star and long-time network television analyst, is arguably the worst celebrity golfer in history. He doesn’t have a golf swing. He has two.
As Barkley’s backswing ends and his club approaches the ball, his stops, hesitates for what seems like several seconds and then continues his awkward ball-striking effort. The former All-Star forward’s unique “style” has been analyzed and criticized, and it’s become Barkley’s golfing “signature.”
Barkley’s golfing antics aside, lack of golfing skill is rare among NBA players. With some exception, NBA players are generally considered among the best all-round athletes in mainstream sports.
Michael Jordan, Danny Ainge and Vinny Del Negro are all superior golfers. Jordan was once rumored to be considering an attempt at playing on the Champions Tour.
But it’s not former NBA players who best transfer their skills to the golf course. In general terms, the honors go to former Major League baseball players and former National Hockey League players. Former NFL quarterbacks fare well, too.
There’s little dispute the most successful celebrity golfer in history is Rick Rhoden, the former Major League pitcher who has won more than 40 celebrity tournaments, including the American Century Golf Championship in Lake Tahoe for the seventh time.
Rhoden played in 15 Champions Tour events during the 2006 season and once finished in the top-10 on the circuit for players at least age 50. Ray Sheppard, the former prolific scorer with the Detroit Red Wings, has the same plus-2.5 handicap as Rhoden.
Golf Digest‘s top-20 best celebrity athlete golfers list also includes Chris Sabo, the former third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds; John Smoltz, the 1996 Cy Young winner; and Tom Candiotti, the former major league knuckleball pitcher who’s now a broadcast analyst for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Chris Chandler, the former NFL quarterback who won the American Century celebrity event in 2007, believes athletes’ varying seasons of play helps determine their golf skills. He gives an edge to football players.
“I think football players get to play in their off-season during the best weather,” said Chandler, who’s ranked No. 8 among on the best athletes celebrity golfers list. “For them (NFL players) it’s pretty much the end of January, early February all the way through July. And that’s when all of the other sports (the athletes) are involved in their seasons. So it just seems like football players have more chances to play.
“When it comes to quarterbacks and kickers, they’re very mentally kind individual positions. When things are great, you have to stay grounded; When things are bad, you have to not get down. So you have to stay even. And that’s the way it is in golf. You have to forget about the good and the bad and just play the next shot.”
Regardless of sport, however, Chandler cites natural ability as the most important component, not a former career in a certain sport. While comparing Jordan and Barkley, for example, he said: “That might just be something that God gave them. Or just completely took away.”
Posted in Celebrity Golfers
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