Here’s a look at the NFL’s top 10 best golfers.
What do NFL football players do in the off-season? Surprisingly, many swap their football cleats for golf shoes. And more than a few who have serious game on the gridiron do a pretty good job of bringing it on the golf course as well.
Tony Romo
When Tiger Woods calls you, “a hell of a golfer”, you know you’re doing something right. Such was Wood’s assessment of Dallas Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo, Wood’s partner in their pairing at the 2012 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. In 2008, Romo shot an impressive 84 in the 2008 U.S. Open Challenge at Torrey Pines. Since then Romo, whose handicap has been as low as 3.3, has consistently made it to the top of the pro-am leaderboards each year. Romo’s ongoing dream of qualifying for the U.S. Open will no doubt be sidelined as he nurses himself back to health on the sidelines these days in Dallas.
Peyton Manning
Proving that there’s more to life in the off-season than weightlifting and wind sprints, Peyton Manning has been getting some pretty good licks in on the links. Making a hole-in-one during a recent round in Denver, the recently retired Broncos quarterback took on the famed course at Augusta National and shot a 77. Going from a handicap of 4.6 in 2009 to what many are saying must be around zero in 2013, Manning is proving himself a formidable contender on the turf and the green.
Ben Roethlisberger
Sporting a handicap index that has dipped as low as 0.4, Ben Roethlisberger, the Pittsburgh Steeler’s two-time Super-Bowl-winning quarterback, has no doubt made more than a few of his fellow players on the golf course call out a few “audibles” of their own.
Aaron Rodgers
With a handicap hovering between 7 and 8, this Green Bay Packers QB has been keeping his “irons” in the fire in the off-season. Ranked as the best quarterback in the NFL, Rodgers was unable to close the deal for a 2017 Super Bowl appearance with his loss against the Falcons. But that hasn’t stopped him from getting out on the golf course. Look for him at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am next week.
Tom Brady
Another “A-List” football regular at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady boasts and incredible four Super Bowl rings (tied on the all time list with Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw), a $20 million-dollar mansion, and a supermodel wife. Throw his “8” handicap into the mix and now you’re talking. Recently touted by Donald Trump as having a swing like Ernie Els and the ability to hit the ball a mile, the 39-year-old Brady— who says he plans on playing football until he’s forty—may have already found his next big career.
Drew Brees
What does an MVP award for Super Bowl XLIV and a 3 handicap in golf have in common? They both belong to Drew Brees, one of the greatest passers in NFL history. Celebrating his first hole-in-one back in 2009—a 5-iron shot on a 199 Yard par 3—Brees professes a deep love of golf, a game he says he’ll never stop playing. When asked if the two sports ever overlap, Brees confessed in a Golf Magazine interview, “I try not to think about football when I play golf and I definitely don’t think about golf when I’m playing football.”
Eli Manning
Although he’ll always be known as the little brother, Eli Manning has carved out his own place in football history, bringing home two Super Bowl rings (still to not be outdone by his brother – who also has 2 Super Bowl wins). And with a solid 7 handicap, it looks like Eli will be teaching the Giant’s rookie quarterback Ryan Nassib—who recently confessed his newfound love for golf—a thing or two on the field and on the fairways.
Matt Schaub
Tied with Warren Moon for the second-most passing yards in a single game in NFL history—527 yards in a 43-37 overtime victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012—Matt Schaub holds every passing record in the history of the Houston Texan’s franchise. Although he may not be breaking any course records in his golf shoes, his 7 handicap puts him on the list of great gridiron golfers.
Danny Woodhead
This now San Diego Los Angeles Charger is an avid golfer with a 7 handicap, Woodhead sightings at Torrey Pines may soon be a regular occurrence.
Carson Palmer
A Heisman Trophy winner and #1 pick in the 2003 NFL draft, Carson Palmer has put up impressive numbers as quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals and the Oakland Raiders. And with a single-digit handicap, some might think that Carson is related to that other Palmer who plays golf. Recently signed as the Arizona Cardinal’s new signal caller, Palmer is no doubt looking forward to some great Arizona golf in the off-season.
